The Republican journal., 1896-12-03
The Neck of the Turkey.

giving.
eyes, Alice, if there is any left,' her
mother said, in an absent minded manner,
for she was hurrying to get her mince-
pies in the oven.
Alice Immediately went into the store
room to see how large the turkey was.
'What a monstrous big one it u.s." she
said to herself; 'there certainly will be
plenty left, and l will have plateful of
the nice white pieces from the breast to
carry to poor Mary
The happy little girl put on her hood
and cloak, and ran around the corner to
tell ''little laundry Nary what she was
going to bring her after dinner Thanks
giving Day.
The laundry was full of steam, and
they could on the wash boards, while
others were ironing. Alice walked through
the room to the farther end of it, where a
woman and little girl were ironing. The
little girl was only six years old, but she
stood on a box, and had a small f1at-iron
in her hand-she was ironing napkins and
handkerchiefs.
Alice said, Good morning, Mary"
and the little girl put her iron on the
range, and jumped down from the box,
while Alice put a small paper of gum
drops in her hand, and whispered in her
ear, 'To-morrow's Thanksgiving, Mary,
and I'm going to bring you over some
pieces of turkey.'
Mary looked very much pleased, as she
exclaimed, ''I'll be so glad to get it, for
never tasted turkey in my life''
Alice went out feeling as benevolent
and happy as rich men must feel, who
are planning to build charitable institu-
ton OF mission church.
The next day, much to Alice's surprise,
friends and relatives kept coming to help
eat the Thanksgiving turkey Her mother
had not told her she had invited grandpa
and grandma, Uncle William and Aunt
Sarah, with their four children, and the
orphan cousins also, who were at school
in the city. Besides, young Mr.. Gerald, a
nephew OF Aunt Sarah, was coming. Alice
had heard her father and mother talk about
this Mr.. Gerald, and she had gathered
that he was very rich young man, be-
cause somebody had died and left him a
large sum of money.
| When they all sat down together at the
table, and had eaten the soup, the great
turkey was brought and placed in front of
Alice's papa.
II think / never saw such large tur-
key in my lifer exclaimed Aunt Sarah.
But notwithstanding, Alice was quite
anxious about there being any left, when
she saw her father put such a bountiful
supply on each plate; and oh. there were
SO many plates to fill.
| When it came Alice turn to be helped,
her father was putting large piece of
W hitp meat her r11ta wi hon Sbn cold
eff you please, papa, to day | would like
to have the neck
1.-THE neck, childn' her father ex-
claimed. Il should think you would
much prefer piece of the breast. If |
remember, you always said you did not
like the dark meat
81 do to-day, though, papa. l never
tried the neck, and l would like to know
how it tastes.''
The neck was placed ON Alice's plate.
and also a piece of the breast. She was
careful to keep that part on the side of
her plate, so the gravy or the jelly should
not come in contact with it. She saw
there were only a few pieces of her favor
lite part of 1.-THE turkey left on the platter.
Her mamma noticed Alice's peculiar man
ner in regard to her portion of the turkey,
but of course she did not ask her any
questions when there was company at the
table.
Alice was sent to the pantry for some
thing that was wanted, while the girl who
waited on the table was changing the
plates, so she had the opportunity of Slip
ping the reserved portion of her dinner on
to clean plate, and covering it over.
After dinner, her papa said in a low
voice to her mamma, ''What can be the
| 4I,+ / -
turkey to- day?'
Mamma told him that she could not i'm
agine, but she called Alice at that moment
and asked her.
cts for little laundry Mary" she an
swered. Il promised her some for her
Thanksgiving dinner, and | was afraid
there were SO many folks here, that they
would eat all the nice part up. l could
eat the neck myself, you know, but of
course | could not offer it to little Mary. -
| Mamma could not help telling the story
to grandma, and she could not help whis-
pering it all over again to young Mr. Ger
aid.
''Do let me go with that sweet child on
her nilsson of love-" he said and Alice,
when she was ready to start, felt quite
shy at having such a tall young man walk
over with her. Size wished grandma had
not told him about it,
Little laundry Mary, and her mother
, lived in tenement, in the rear of the
laundry. When they came in sight of the
house, Mary's face was pressed against
the windowpane, watching for Alice to
come with the turkey. Marys mother
had told her she must not be disappoint-
ed if Alice did not come For" said
she, ''there will be a good many folks to
dinner at her home, and she may forget
all about you.''
But little Mary said she knew Alice was
truly going to bring her some turkey, for
she was sure Alice liked her ever SO
much, and wanted her to have some.
When young Mr.. Gerald saw the tene-
ment house in such an uncomfortable con-
dition, and the number of poor people
who lived in it, it made him think about
improvements that could be MADE in
such habitations. He was studying archi
lecture, too, SO that this was something
right in his line. Before he left the house,
he had made up his mind that some of
his money should be invested in a model
| tenement house, SO the poor could have
! good ventilation, sunny outlooks, and
neat rooms. But his plans for the future
did not make him forget the needs of the
present. He put a new silver dollar in
! little Mary's hand, and a five dollar gold