Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-11-27
'I'm no fatter than you,' retorted

peacock chuck led. II am not food am
beauty. No. my poor friend, we shall
have to part-you to the table and I
shall remain here. It is your fate to be
done brown and eaten; Ewalk here fan
ty free. I have seen ten generations Of
you eaten. You are the eleventh, my
poor fellow"
cit is impossible" groaned the
thoughtful turkey.
"Time will tell" said the peacock.
For long time the turkey was
plunged in thought. He strobe to and
fro, and at last paused in his walk in
front of the peacock.
''It must be DONE" he said grimly.
"Listen, my friend. have no desire to
be eaten. have an instructive feeling
that it would be unpleasant. Therefore
{ I refuse. But I can see only one way to
escape this fate. I must do as you have
done.''
"What?" asked the peacock breath
lessly, for he had forgotten his own re-
mark.
''I must be beautiful, +" said the tur-
The peacock looked dubious.
eyes" said the turkey firmly, II
must be beautiful, very beautiful, far
too beautiful to be eaten. Leave me! I
would think
Haggard and pale from his long night
vigil the thoughtful turkey lifted his
eyes to the east. Already band Of
grayish light lay close against the earth
and above it the darkness was thinning.
Slowly the sun pushed up a red and in
famed shoulder and the light spread.
The birds began to twitter, for it was
day. The turkey bathed his burning
brow in the dew and shook himself once
or twice.
"Courage'' he muttered, "courage"
He walked briskly across the barn
yard, through the gate and on down the
lane. At first he met no one. Tears
came to his eyes. He was very lonely.
and his nervous system was shattered.
The sun was higher by this time, and
the light was dancing and shimmering
on the fields and breaking i'll curious re-
fractions of pale purple and pink among
the poplar trees. Although he knew that
the admiration of crude and actual ma
ture was bourgeois, and even a trife
vulgar, he could not help being touched
with a sense of satisfaction at the beau
ty of the scene. 1t was, he felt, crude
imitation of Monet, but, after all, there
was in it hint of Monet's genius He
was in mood of aesthetic satisfaction !;
the moment was one of those which lay
one open to new impressions. Then he
saw her. She was young and slim and
walked with grace and dignity. Her
eyes were on the ground, and her wings
trailed indolently as she sauntered to-
ward him in the pale multicolored sun
light. The thoughtful turkey had an
impression Of aesthetic delight in her
sensuous beauty, and then two thoughts
Chow much more beautiful she is than
the peacock! |" and the second was, 81
hope she is not my sister!'' He went up
to her boldly and gave her the salute of
the morning. She started as though she
had not seen him-perhaps she had not.
''You are very beautiful he said.
She held down her head.
81 have heard SO much about you,
she said, when the ice was broken.
"You live up at the house and are very
learned"
eyes, think great deal," he said.
81 am your cousin twice removed"
she explained later in the conversation.
"You are very beautiful" he replied.
They walked on. Much later in the
morning she said, "You, too, are beau
tiful, dear one, very, very beautifulP'
She sighed. The thoughtful turkey start
ed, as though for a moment he had
hardly taken the measure of her words.
81 am beautifulp'
every beautiful, my own,' she whis-
pered.
He cried aloud in his joy and tapped
his wings and paved the turf.
sit is because I love you, she added.
He became thoughtful.
The snow was on the ground, the
snow hung in the trees, the snow sift-
ed through the air and fell softly every
where. The thoughtful turkey, with a
firm tread and look of resolution OH
his intelligent features walked rapidly
down narrow turning that led to a
little wooden house set in one corner of
the farm. AS he came near the door he
paused. He crept closer and listened
He could hear them talking.
GIVE always said,'' one Of them was
remarking (that was John), "that
there's nothing better for a Thanksgiv
ing dinner
"In your own house," put in Hilda.
''In your own house," said John,
'nothing better than cut of nice pork
out of the side"-
Cooked by your own wife," said
Hilda.
"Of course" said John, "with the
cracking on and apple sauce" "
"Next year," said Hilda, 'we'll have
a turkey. I'll set the eggs under the
speckled hen."
eyes, next year." said John, "but
not that I don't like pork. +"
"Oh, dear mo- 7" said Hilda 1.-THE idea
Of not liking porkr'
Outside in the snow the thoughtful
turkey smiled sadly.
"Poor fools," he said, "even now, l
dare say, they imagine they are happy
and they have been married a month.
Poor thingsp And when tho door was
opened he stalked in and stood in the
middle of the floor.
"Good gracious - cried Hilda. cts
my turkey
1.-THE one the farmer gave you?"
asked John.
eyes, the one that ran away"
"We'll. have him for dinner tomor-
row."
"Of course" said Hilda. "Isn't it
lucky?"
"Of course" said John. whoever
heard of eating pork for Ths nksgivlng
dinner?"
Its ridiculous" said Hilda. "And
won't he be beautiful when he's
browned?"
"He's rather thin," said John, "but
he'll be beautiful when he's cooked. :"
The thoughtful turkey smiled sadly !;
he knew SO much better. He was only
beautiful while size loved him Vance
ThomnsOn in Now Vork Advpr.siSar