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

the cellar and in the cupboards, foI
the widow was known in the township
to have been good provider" in heI
| days of anuence.
| Through the narrow-paned southern
window an advance guard Of the out
| side sunbeams came streaming in, one
of them lighting the gray hair of the
woman with silvery halo. Jem
| thought he had never seen a woman
who appeared so Iadyike," and how
young she looked. He paused a mo-
ment TO regard her, and she opened
her eyes. He retreated in confusion
a step or two, the red bushes staining
| his honest, open face.
you've made ne very happy, Jem
| very thankful. -
well, ma'am, I'm glad of it. It's
Thanksgivin'
What! Really Thanksgiving day?
It's the first time I've forgotten it
ever. [ must be growing old. -
Jem grew bolder.
There's turkey out in the barn
yard. He amt very fat, but if you
| say so I'll help you fix a turkey din
ner.'
The widow urged no objections, and
both fascinated at the prospect of a
| Thanksgiving dinner with themselves
as host and hostess, the boy. trudged
out to the barn.
Some sticks of hard wood were soon
| niln6 tho fro nd hTr
Turkey was ready for the oven the
widow had peeled the vegetables and
dropped them into the mysterious
depths Of the steaming kettles. Jem
looking on with glowing but bashful
appreciation.
A snowy cloth over a round table
with two seats opposite each other, is
always an inspiring sight, and when
topped by a steaming brown turkey
with all the ''fXings" of a turkey din
ner the feast is one to melt hearts
harder than that of the lonely widow
and the hOmesick New England lad
ct is the happiest Thanksgiving
dinner [ have had in many year. my
boy she said to him, as he cleared
away the dishes and brought out the
dessert of fragrant ounce preserves.
May God bless you. And to think
how the dreadful, gloomy morning has
been turned to such bright sunshine
by your coming!'
Jem turned to the window to hide
some tears that would persist In
squeezing themselves out of his eyes
Il wish she wouldn't be so senti-
mental" said he to himself, quite
wrathfully. But to the widow he
said: ''Why, ma am, 1 amt done
nOthin' great; no more'n you'd have
done for me, I'll bet. I amt enjoyed
a dinner so myself sence I can remem-
Der. | wish | could jest stay here all
the time"
A new light came into the widows
faded gray eyes, born of a thought
that had BEEN struggling for express
can't you stay, Jem?"
Il could, ma ann, if l could come 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
Il could fix things up" he went on
eagerly, land make the chickens lay
eggs and the COWS give miIk-and--''
Jem stopped, but the widows re-
spectful attention led him on.
Il could earn my board in saving
things that's goin' to waste. When l
come through your wood lot this
mOTnin' [ noticed cords an cords of
dead trees that ought to be cut an
made firewOod of. AM as for timber,
there's more'n hundred dollars wW5h
there that'll be spilled if it ain cut an
sold pretty soon"
The boy hesitated, amazed at his
audac;ty, but the widow nodded her
head and smiled approyingly. THAT
is true, Jem. The farm is running
down for the lack of someone to over
see out of doors. So, then, it is a
bargain
And SO this strange partnership be-
gan. The first winter Jem spent in
thinning out the superfiuous wood in
the neglected lots, stacking up behind
the house enough fuel to satisfy even
the cravings of that yawning fireplace
for years to come, and selling to the
sawmiI ON the pond timber for ship
ping that came to quite $500.
AS the spring opened up he was soon
afield, continuing the good work CT
Improvement, and planting time
found the farm with more and earlier
labor performed than it had ever be-
fore experienced. In front of the
western door he threw out platform
protected by q lattice-wOrk covering,
and here the widow passed all her
spare time she could snatch from her
indoor duties 1t had never occurred
to anyone before that farm work might
be made attractive. The widow had
/ looked upon the beauties of her farm
/ around her only through the kitchen
I window, or during a hasty trip to the
we'll or farmyard. The latticed porch
was a revelation to her and haven
of rest, where she sat and unused dur
| ing the long twilight Of summer.
Il never thought should take such
comfort here" she said. Before you
came | was more than willing to give
up the farm and so away. But now
Jem, want to live here the rest of my
life. l would not leave it for the
world"
That's so, ma am. 1t would have
been a great mistake to leave the ole
place. Why, there amt no prettie1
i