Middletown transcript., 1898-11-19

| 1t in "odious comparison beside TIT
small fry in Uncle Jobs basket. AgaiI
rebufed, the oldF gentleman bids Mrs
Dick and her laughing husband goot
day and finds his way to the house o.
the youngest of his three nephews.
It is the same thing over again, save
that Henry Altiek 'srefusal to accept the
wizened bird is more politely veiled.
Gentle Mrs. Harry even makes furtivt
little signs Of acceptance to her cour'
teous husband, but that individual,
secretly enjoying the comical side oi
the affair too much to notice the per.
force stealthy signals Of his wife, al
lows poor Uncle Job to take his wares
to other marts.
Through Mans kitchen door comes
the sweet sound of her singing. Plan
tagenet has found new position, Un-
Gle Job has given them "iver" to
start on, a little fat turkey is on the
table before her, awaiting its fragrant
dressing, and life has seemed brighter
this Thanksgiving morning than for
many day. So she sings with heart
growing lighter at each merry measure
and her song reaches Uncle Job, who
stands knocking outside the door.
"Why, Uncle Job, how nice of you'll
And you've come to take dinner with
us, haven't you? Did you meet Plant?
No? He went to fetch you over half an
hour ago. Let me have your basket and
your hat and your gloves-therel"
Thank you, my niece. I think I'll
stay. 1t all depends, though"
"And how does 'Paradoxides Tessini'
get on, sir?"
"Famously, Mrs. Nan-famouslyl I
shall yet live to show old Herr Won
Leimstein that what he chooses to call
muschelkalk of the triassic period is
nothing upon earth-or in earth, sup
pose 1 should say-but oolite of the
jurassicl''
"1ndeed, sir. Well, I'm glad I'm not
in the mussel shell state Of evolution,
and I am also glad that you have come
to dinner, dear professor.
Honestly glad?"
Honestly glad. !"
"Glad enough to accept this little
turkey as an addition to your repast?"
"Oh, Uncle Job, how lovely of you'll
Why, what feast we'll have, to be
surel I'm awfully hungry, and I'LL con-
fess to you now, sir, that I felt as if I
could eat the entire turkey Plant brought
home myself. wouldn't tell him the
whole truth, but I was afraid he'd find
it out by my gnawing the bones. But
now we're all fixed for luxurious re-
past, and, oh, Uncle Job, don't you
want to chop up this onion for me? I'm
SO tired Of weeping, and onions always
affect me SO deeply"
tTears have forgotten the way to my
eyes Give me the chopper.
"There's the bowl, and there's
Plant"
'Tisn't fair, " smiles the newcomer,
holding out his hands to the grateful
warmth of the little kitchen stove.
"You're witch. Upon which particu-
lar broomstick did you fetch him in my
absence, Nan?"
"a turkey brought him. See, here it
is, twin to ours, and just in time to
be stuffed"
"Hooray for us-a tandem teamI To
be strictly candid, Nan, 7 meant to eat
the turkey brought home all myself.
Now you can have taste. Four drum
sticksi Uncle Job, if do have weak
ness fol. anything besides Nan it's''-
"What's this? PIant-look-look-
lookP'
Louder than her cries Of wonderment
is the noisy downfall of the strange con-
tents Of that little turkey. Silver disks
clatter and jingle and chink upon the
pine table over the echoing tinware, the
iron pans, the dough board, the floor
itself, and, as If demented with their
sudden liberty, the big round coins go
rolling off into this corner, that corner,
under table, chair and stovel
How many broad silver dollars that
gaunt fowl holds the astonished young
people cannot tell, but to their widely
opened eyes it seems little fortune,
and Uncle Job thinks himself amply re-
paid when two happy children kneel |
beside him and fall to caressing him as
they weep, and the tears are not born
Of the chopped onions in his lap-they |
are bona fide tears of pure joy.
And afterward, when it comes to pass
that the profits that accrue from the
enormous sales Of the new textbook are
all made over to the little bride and |
Mrs. Nan is accounted almost as wealthy |
IS the regretted Gwendolin, Mrs. Tom |
allows John to turn the horses noses
toward the five roomed cottage to whicA
IN addition is being built for Uncle
Jobs especial use, and in her gentle |
little lest room eats
humble pie very prettiIy, leaving a
message for her son that, to him, brings
heaven itself into the dining room,
when at dusk, through the sweet air of
/ budding spring, he comes and takes
lis place at the supper table opposite
lis wife.
"But we owe all our happiness to you
all to you, dear, dear unclel For un-
ess you had come to our aid and played
airy godfather we should yet be as poor
"Job's turkey" suggests the profess
r.-Detroit Free Press.