The morning times., 1895-11-24
thanksgiving
For Two.
BY FREDERICK A. OBGR.

/ gray tytof DDfu VI ii lUOuBtt tTdI Dttu
struggling Tor expression for an hour or
more. And why can't yuu stay, Jem?'
| II could. ma'arn, IL l could cume as-as
| partnersr'
1t was out at last. the boys yearning
| for something as his own and the chance
| he saw upon the widows farm. II
| could fix things up" he went on. eagerly,
land make the chickens lay eggs and the
COW give niilk-and-"
Jein stopped. but the widows respect
full attention led him on.
~ could earn my board in saving things
that's going to waste. When 1 came
through your wood lot this morning
noticed cords an cerds OF dead trees
that ought to be cut an made firewood
of. An as for timber. there's more'n
4 hundred dollars with there thatll all
be spilled if it amt cut an sold pretty
soon."
The boy hesitated, amazed at his auda city;
but the widow nodded her head and smiled
approval. THAT is true, Jeni- The farm
is running down for the lack OF some one
to oversee out-of-doors- So, then, it Is q
bargain"
And SO this strange partnership began.
The first winter Jem spent In thinning out
the superfiuous wood in the neglected lots,
stachm. up behind tue house enough fuel
TO satisfy even the cravings Of that va wning
Fireplace for years To come, and selling to
tne Sd WiniH on the poD0 timber Tor shipping
that came to quite $500.
As the spring ofened be wns soon afieid,
continuing the good work OF Improvement,
and planting tine" found the farm with
more and carrier. labor performed than 1t
had ever before experienced In front OF
the western door he threw out platform.
protected by a lattice-work covering. and
here the widow passed all the spa re time she
could snatch from her indoor duties. II
had never occurred 10 any one before that
farm work might be made attractive. The
widow had only looked upon the beauties
of tier farm around her through the kitchen
window, or during hasty trip to the well
or farnl-yard. The Iatticed porch was u
reyalat ton to her, and a haven Of rest where
She sat and mused during the long twilight
of summer.
II never thought I should take such
comfort here" she said Before you
came | was more than willing to give up
the farm and go away. But now, Jem,
1 want to live here the rest of my life.
l wouId not leave II for the world
THAT'S so. ma'am. 1t would have
been great mistake to leave the old place.
Why, there amt pretticr view in all
the world than this from your front door.
If there is, then it is right there, down
in the woods where the great trees meet
overhead. the brook sings a soft song OF
rest and the fern recovered banks stretch
down to the pond. / never travelled any
yet. but 1 don't want to; this suits me-"
And he returned TO his work with a CHEEKY
whistle that sent thrill of satisfaction
through the widows heart.
A wonderful change had been effected
by the time another year had rolled an
other Thanksgiving into the calendar.
The roof of the old house no longer
leaked; the barn had been raised from
its attitude OF deep detection. and its
fDA hFr- vrfs
hay and grain. The old horse spent his
days chiefly in the pasture, while
younger and more vigorous animal did
the work. assisted by a yoke OF big and
handsome oxen The solitary COW now
had plenty of company and frisky calves
gamboled about her in the summer time.
There was no longer any doubt as to the
availability Of any OF the fat gobblers
for Thanksgiving dinner.
Thus the SEASONS succeeded one another
with their measure of CO ntcnt. Each
found the widow more and more dependent
upon her stalwart helper. She clung TO
him as she might have chung TO the son
OF whom she had been deprived In the
springtime of her wifehood As her tot
teriug footsteps were supported down the
aisle of the village church, on Sunday,
few of the congregation knew that the
handsome young man who watched over
her so assiduously was not, In fact. her
own son. Those who were cogniZant OF
the relations between the two shook their
heads knowingly, saying to themselves and
TO each other: Lucky boy. that. stepped
right into the farm, Just as the old lady
was about to leave it. He knows the side
of his bread that has butter On it
But it Is doubtful II Jem had ever
given that a thought. So happy and
content was he that the merely material
conditions OF his life had never troubled
his consciousness. Only one thing
troubled his thoughts OF late. He was
deeply stirred by the soft brown eyes
OF pretty Susie Jones. n elIorister In the
church; Susie, who lived as he had done,
with friends for board and keep, an
other of New England's orphans.
He never mentioned this daring spec
uIation, not even to the widow; but her
eyes though growing dim. were acute
enough to pen etrate his honest soul
His whole life lay eentered in the farm.
which had become as essential to it al
most as the air he hTeathed. But now
there must be young life there A pair
of brown eyes persisted in dancing be-
fore his face, in wooopile, In neld, In
garden.
And so it came to pass that there was
wedding next thanksgiving in the little
cottage, now pretty with vines and cheery
within. Susie was glad of su pleasant
place for the troth which she was to plight
with ,Jem while lie. lucky fellow though
he was, could not take time to travel to
Susie's home, far away over the rough
billy roads. "a wife's good thing" he
to the widow. the evening be-
fore his marriage. "but there's cuws 10 be
looked after and hens to be fed-more'u you
could tend to alone"
THAT'S so, Jeru," said the widow, smiling
brightly, "and thanks to you for it an
Under branches OF autumn leaves from
the last reddiuS trees, Jem and Susie prom
ised all things of the simple marriage serv-
ice Then came the country wedding sup
per.
When the last guest had gone, driven
away in the farm wagons that had clus-
tered around the door all afternoon, the
widow turned to Jem and Susie, sitting
bas,ifuIIy in the freight.
you're my children, now, both of you"
she said "CsH me mother just once, Jem
aud Susie"
"Motherv' cried Jem. taking the feeble
hands together and kissing them tenderly,
"'my darling mother, dearest friend 1 ever
had"
She returned bis loving glance, linger-
ingly, gratefully, as they led her to the
door of her room.
Next morning Jem knocked again at the
widow Wilson'S door just as he had done
on that lonely Thanksgiving Da = four years
ago. This time not even a feeble voice
answered his repeated calls.
Three days later, rs the neighbors strug
gied back from the little cemetery on the
hill, Squire Lothrop drew Jem apart.
ST s'pose you know the widder's left
the farm to you? No? Shol It's
mighty strange she didn't tell you. She
madeher will more'n a year a go. and you're
her only heir. She seemed to set a lot
by you. the widder did. and flooking around
over the snow covered fields)
d'no's 1 blame her The last four years