The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-12-07

Thanksgiving the poor chap is likely
to get" thought Mr.. King to himself
as he looked after the child; then he
turned back to his customers again.
Tim burst into the rickety, tumble
down building he called home with a
face radiant with delight. ooh,
mother" he exclaimed, rushing over
to the corner where thin, pale faced
woman lay on pile of straw covered
with an old blanket.
"Where's father?" he asked, eager
ly.
The mother made a gesture of sill
ence and pointed to a figure lying on
the single bed which the place afford
ed. The heavy breathing showed
that the man was wrapped in drunk
en- slumber.
"Oh, must wake him." exclaimed
the boy.
"No, no, you mustn't disturb him"
cried the mother, laying OBTAINING
hand on the boys arm.
"Why do you want to wake him,
Tim?" she asked in surprise, for gen
orally the boy stood in such fear of
his fathers anger that he would hest
tate to enter the house till his father
was either asleep or away.
81 want him to go and get our
Thanksgiving dinner" answered Tim.
"Mr. King told me where it was, and
I'm sure father wouldn't be cross if l
asked him to go and get it. There's
coat for me and clothes for you and
lots of other things in the same place
too," added the boy, gleefully.
"Where, Tim?" asked the mother,
wondering what the child was think
ing about.
"In the liquor store; Mr.. King told
me SO. You needn't shake your head,
mother, for it's true. Mr.. King told
me to tell father so, and he said he
would know it was true"
1t was SO evident that the boy had
literally believed Mr.. Kings words
and thought that the Thanksgiving
dinner depended only on the fathers
willingness to go and get it, that the
mother found it hard to undeceive
him and destroy his happiness.
"Tim," she said gently, stroking
the dark head that lay beside her
own, "don't you know what Mr.. King
meant? Here, let me put the cover
ing over you, $50 that you wont be
cold, and | will tell you all about it.
Mr.. King didn't mean that the din
ner and all the other things were
really there; he meant that the mon
ey which might have bought them
was there. He meant that the money
your father had spent for drink
would have bought these things"
"Oh, mother, then there isn't any
dinner for us after all?" and Tins
voice was tremulous with grief and
disappointment. He bowed his head
on his mothers shoulder and his
tears flowed freely.
The mother said nothing for few
moments, though she put loving
arm about him and kissed him ten
derby.
What could she say to comfort
him9 What could she say that would
not reflect blame on the boys father,
and she shrank from that.
"Where did you get that oranges"
she asked, presently, and Tim forgot
his tears for moment.
"Mr. King gave it to me. Isn't it
a beauty" he said.
"We'll keep it for tomorrow and
have it for our Thanksgiving, won't
we mother9 Twill hide it here in the
blanket where father will not see il"
"Now tell me what you learned at
school today" said his mother, anx-
ious to keep his thoughts from dwell
ing on his disappointment.
sob, the teacher was talking to us
about Thanksgiving" answered Tim,
"She was telling us all about what we
had to be thankful for. She said
even the poorest of us had our homes
and mothers and fathers to be thank
full for. lam thankful for you, moth
err, but do you know" and Tim hest
tated for moment, IL can't help
feeling sometimes as if it would be
happier without father"
"Hush, Tim, you must never say
that, nor even think it," answered his
mother. Your father was one of the
kindest and best of men before he
began to drink, and some day he may
be so again. We must love him"
but she paused in dismay, for the
man whom they had believed to be
lost in a drunken stupor, rose from
the bed and rushed from the room.