The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-11-28
ALr1OST PERSUADED

Her name, when she wrote it, was
Annitel Lee Hafyison-"she that was"
Annibel Lee evidently desiring to assert
her individuality to certain extent as
an apology to other advanced ladies for
having so far forgotten her dignity az to
have welded with Mr.. Harrison. Not
that Mr.. Harrison was per Sc offensive.
lie was lawyer Of some fame, but he
was, nevertheless, a man land man is.
in 'emancipated" eyes OF all creatures
the most reprehensible. Toads, snakes
scorpions, may be treated scientifically,
but man with his creature tastes and de
PRAYED desires is but fit Inject for mag
azine sarcasm and womens club com
ments.
So when Annibel Lee Harrison put her
signature firmly beneath a convincing
suffrage article and glanced across the
table at her lawful lord and masts,, she
did not observe that he was looking a
her with some thing like wistfulness.
"Are you planning your next briet?"
she asked. with a businesslIke air.
~ was wondering what you are going
TO do with Thanksgiving day
Thanksgiving dav. Sne had forgotten
it-homely home festival as It was.
''Why, l don't know" and she yawned
little as she counted the pages of her
manuscript. Erred will want to go to
Bob Stacy's as usual, l presume, and
Priscilla is inseparable from Francis
Graves. you know. We'll have to get
along without the young folks, but can
tell Nora to get mp dinner for u.s."
A sudden vision of the Uld-fashioned
L.. l., Ia, l.
that preceded it, busy with preparation
and redolsnt with savory perfumes, came
before the lawyers mind-the cracking
of huts, the peellng OF pumpkins, tho
seeding of raisins and, widest OF all the
delights to boys SOUL the final tiut.er
of the last fowl as it was lad upon the
altar OF sacrifice; then the quiet morn
ing with its solemn offering of thanks,
the busy house mother as she sat with
TRANSPORTED face in the family pew, and
afternoonward the gay g. thering of aunts
and uncles and cousins, who were, after
all, the very best friends that lad could
have.
But all that belonged to old fashioned
ways and old fashioned ideas.
MARY has asked us all over to Thorn
bridge"
MARY? OH Do you think you would
havs timer
For Thornbrdge was sister Marys
| country home. and why she always in
sisted upon taking her Thanksgiving
| dinner away out there was one of the
things that Annibel Lee could not un.
derstand. There were other things, also,
| about Mary that she could not under
stand-why she always washed her own
china and silver. for instance, when a
| H., a.
insisted that she had not time tn read
Trilby; why she put her house to rights
from garrett to cellar on Saturday and
would not go to the Saturday club just
that the maid might have day Off
why she read Latin with Richard instead
of hiring tutor, and why sha spent SO
much time over Annibel's music when a
master was paid to attend to it. But this
folly of country dinner on Thanksgiv-
ing day was the most absurd OF all, for
she rarely took even one servant.
"Why shouldn't we have a frolic in
our own kitchen. if We like IT. she had
said, adding seriously: "Our boys and
girls do not know half of the genuine
Ioys that their grand parents had"
E4"I should very much like to 90 to
Tnorn bridge this year." said Mr.. Harri-
son, quietly, as he laid his paper aside.
And when Mr.. Harrison spoke in that
tone of voice, Annibal Lee suddenly re-
verified to ths weak habit which cen
turtles of masculine oppress'o on had exed
upon her frail sex, 'and yielded the point
without murmur. SO 1T happened that
Thanksgiving morning found the four
Har-isons at Thornbridge.
Your children can just go out to the
dining room, if you like. Robert and
Annie are there, cracking nuts and do
ing the last things, " said Aunt Mary.
Priscilla glanced at her mother bali
inquirinGly, for she was conscious OF be-
ing much moro advanced than these
cousins of hers, and she did not feel GER
tain that even a taste of domestic drudg-
cry might not prove contam mating. She
knew it was Eumiliating to spend her
time in pandering to the gastIonomiC
passions OF mankind, but the sound OF a
gay laugh in the di rection of the nut
cracking proved too much and she fol-
lowed Fred, who had disappeared pre-
cipitately upon his aunt's first invitation.
As for Annibel Lee and Mr.. Harrison,
they INCREASINGLY suffered themselves 10
be carried away to church. Mays only
remark being:
1T is an old custom that we never dis
regard"
Til, church was a little wooden build
ing, time-stained and weather. beaten,
and the occupants were plain country
folks in homely earb, but with serious,
thoughtful faces,-faces that had been
uplfted to bshold the Tory OF God,
Sunday after Sunday III that sacred place.
What mad they to be tnarkful for? Bar
rem farms unkindly weather, scant har-
vests. MANY of them had been through
sore trials in the year that was past, but
over every scanned and saddened face
came look of high exaltation as the
Thanksgiving hymn was sung.
praise ye the Lord. Praise HIS holy
name forever" they chanted looking in
one anothsr's faces, membering one
another's SORROWS, and yet thrilling with
q solemn Joy in the certainty that He
doetn all things we'll. The very presence
of Jehovah seemed to be among them,
and Annibel lee, sitting at one side and
looking on, felt her heart mIsgive her for
moment. Could it be thar these pa
tient wives, with their round OF homely
duties had found-out there alone on
their desolate farnis-a higher plane of
life and thought than their sisters of the
city, in their eager, sel.:sh-sceking? Could
il be possible that even the domestic
drudgery,' so commonly rallied against,
might be glorlfied by high purpose, beng
done nobly las unto the Lord?' Anu
did it matter, after all, what the duty
might be, since it is the worker who
donors the task, end not the task the
worker
The young folks at home were in a
gale of merriment when their elders re-
turned. Even Priscilla had forgotten
her superior calling and was gayly roll
ing ont ''hermits' under Annies direc-
tion her eyes bright and her laugh grown