Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-11-19

than he was, that providence should Dt
so good to him? He wasn't any better
He whipped a boy half his size las
week, and he told the teacher a Lie
about it afterwards Well, then, Toms
thoughts ran on, perhaps Ned's father
was. smarter. But he wasn't any smart
er; he had never done a days work IN
his life, while Toms father had always
worked. And then Tom left the task
of trying to adjust the workings of the
universe to his sense of iustice-only
! it seemed very hard, very cruel, very
unjust, indeed, that Ned Twombly
should have two turkeys and he should
have none at ALL How could there be
| jollity about Thanksgiving day with
| just a piece of salt beef on the table,
with the sense of poverty brought
home to you in such a way as that
and what was there to be thankful fol?
He was sure he wasn't going to be
thankful for salt although, to say
the truth. he would have liked it very
we'll for supper tonight, having had
only crackers and water for dinner
Oh, if he were only a man and could
go down to the provision shop and
order home a whole bill of fare, He
had tried hard to get some errands to
do, or any little job of work, but to no
purpose; he hadn't been able to pick
up a penny. And how delightful it
would have been if he could have
earned a couple of dollars, and could
have come in this morning Juggling
bird almost as big as himself, and have
lifted it to the kitchen table and said:
There's your turkey, dearest mother.
Please God, you'll never be without a
turkey on Thanksgiving day while I'm
at the forev'
Tom was very low in his mind that
afternoon. It was a dreary afternoon,
the trees all bare the leaves blowing
along the ground, the skies leaden
with impending rain and wind begin
ing to pipe out of the dark east that
promised storm and made him think
of shipwTecked craft and drowning
sailors. He was never quite so certain
that he was some day going to be
sea captain when the wind blew from
the east as he was at other times. He
sat at twilight listening to the wind,
On his stool by the fire, which was a
poor fire of cinders, the coal was so
low, with his head in his hands, feeling
very badly used and very melancholy
It was a gloomy world and he was on
the wrong side of it; he didn't see how
Oninp 10 hottie
Little Sue was prattling to her mother
in an engaging way, and his mother
smiled to hear her-how could his
mother smile? His father lay on his
pillows in the adjoining bedroom, look
ing at them through the open door
with an expression on his face almost
as sad as Toms, not quite, for Tom
saw no way out of the coil; but the
good man among his pillows knew that
heaven willing, his family would be
all right when he should be on his
feet again. But as Tom now and then
lifted his head and looked round it did
seem very depressing to think of that
sick man, that tired May, that dear
mother, that gentle little Sue, without
any Thanksgiving dinner to speak of,
and that Ned Twombly-he took up
Lis cap and stole out of the house
presently, not meaning to go anywhere
in particular, but just to be moving.
1t was all unconsciously to himself
that his feet followed the path down
hill that led past the Twombly house.
1t was the foOt-path of the PASTURE
and the bars being down for the last
bringing in of harvests across the
fields, the path took him straight by
the Twombly kitchen and the PANTRY
whose window was wide open. The
light from a window in the wing of the
house shone full upon the pantry, and
there on the window-shelf was plainly
visible the big turkey set to COOL just
roasted, a shining golden brown, she'd
ding it's savOry aroma upon the frosty
air; and near it stood Il glass bowl of
quaking cranberry sauce, and, as he
paused a moment and looked in, thee
was surely a dish of cracked walnuts
with some great punches of raisins and
a pan of juicy red snow-apples, and
yes-a huge mince pie, one of the kind
Tom knew without tasting it, full of
raisins and citron and cider and all
good spices-it made his mouth water
to think of it.
And this goodly array was just the
beginning of the Twombly's Thanks
giving. This turkey they were to have
cold, evidently; the other would be hot.
Two turkeys for Ned Twombly, and he
and Sue with none! And then and
there a hungry imp of evil whispered
il Toms ear, why not take that turkey
and carry it home?
1t would be stealing to be sure. But
the Twombly's would never feel the
loss of it. They didn't need, nobody
needed two turkeys. 1t would not be
hurting any one. And he could tell
his mother it had been given to him;
/ it would be easy enough to get up
story that would convince her. An
that would be lying. One sin always
leads to another.
But could he not sustain the burden
of the two sins for the sake of giving
his mother and the girls such a dinner
as that turkey would make? There
was no trouble at all about it; he could
/ reach the shelf on tiptoe. He had only
! to put up his hand and take it by the
( ends of the two drumsticks; he could
! lift it up so gently no one would
! hear; and he could make off with it
into the darkness entirely unseen and
2 ,l-,,o - l. Il