The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-12-03
ABSOLUTELY Pure


when Mrs. Parsons plan was ex-
planned to them. From early spring,
indeed, they had been proud of it as
something which had become their
very own; and when the lovely blos-
SONS had come, sprinkling the or
chard with pink and white showers,
they had gone half wild with delight.
Not n flower was picked from the
tree, and the progress of each bios
SON into a tiny green apple was
watched with an interest which the
old tree had surely never met with
before.
But alas ! it was as Dolly said !;
since blossoming-time almost every
thing seemed to conspire against
that apple-tree. A severe frost came
when it was already so near summer
that all things in garden and orchard
were lifting up their heads to the
sun, and trimming over with sweet.
new sap. In midsummer, then, it
was dreadfully dry, so that almost
all the leaves shriveled up IN the
sunshine and dust; and when a
storm did come, it blew SO hard that
half the apples on the tree, still
green and small, were blown off, and
rotted on the ground. Last of all
came the fat little worms which Dol
ly so hated, to spoil what fruit might
have escaped the weather. ALI these
things, of course, had fallen upon.
the whole orchard, and all the or
chards about but the Parsons tree,
just at the edge of the field, had
Jared the worst; and as it was their
only one, the chance of getting any
money by selling apples at the
grocery grew smaller and smaller,
and finally dwindled away altogether.
1t was not until the very week be-
fore Thanksgiving that the children
gave up hope entirely. Then, as
they stood before the bare branches
of their faithless tree, and remem-
bered that the turkey and the pump
kin pie and all the other good things
of which they had dreamed were as
far away as ever they had been, and
that plain soup and bread and milk
must take their place, they put
their arms around each others necks
and cried. Dolly would not let her
self do such a thing in the house,
for she had begun to realize that the
disappointment was as great for her
mother, on her account, as for her.
self ; but surely there could be no
harm in shedding a few tears out
here in the orchard.
They were not alone, however.
Tom Sanderson was taking a morn
ing walk, and picking up an occa-
sional apple which seemed to have
escaped the frost and the worms,
when he came across the fearful lit
} tie couple. "What's this ?" he said.
"Lost something?
eyes," said Dolly, trying to dry
, her eyes in secret. "We've lost ali
our apples and our Thanksgiving
t dinner, and everything"
l "Not quite everything, 1 hope.'
4; said Tom. 81 understand the part
about the apples, but l never saw a
5 tree yet where a Thanksgiving din
, ner and everything grew"
+ Dolly could not help laughing at
5 this but she grew mournful again
+ as she told the story, which could
now hardly be kept back. owe were
hoping there would be money en-
ough to get us all some new warm
hoods and mittens, too"
Tom looked thoughtful. Then he
| whistled. cit is too bad" he said.
"But I'll tell you [; don't give up yet.
Apple-trees are queer things. You
may have some fruit on yours yet il
comes very late sometimes, and
think the worms must have been
all frozen stiff in their beds by this
! time. If l were you 7 would wait
til Tuesday-that's two days before
Thanksgiving-and come and look
again"
Then he hurried off to find his
father, while the children stared af-
ter him with open mouths, not know
ing what to think of his hopeful
words.
The next two OF three DAYS were
stormy, and Dolly and Bobby were
in the house almost all the time ;
but on Monday the sun appeared
again, and the night was warm and
pleasant for November. If anyone
had walked up the garden by moon
light, late that night, or again in the
gray mist of the early morning, he
might have heard footsteps and
voices about the edge of the orchard.
But no n did why should he ? and
Dolly and Bobby slept soundly in
their beds.
Mrs. Parsons happened to say that
it was Tuesday, as they were eating
oatmeal at the breakfast table if It
had not been for hat Dolly might
have forgotten what Tom Sanderson
had said. Now she remembered every
word of his advice, and although it
seemed too silly to say anything
about to her mother, she took Bobby
by the hand when they went out af-
l~, ~ lcI 1904