The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-30

pearcd n little shelf with the datntiest
pink vase upon 1t and rose III the
| vase.
Oh. she was wonderful girl. this
Dorothy! One day shc went up ana
laid her fresh young cheek against tho
old woman's shoulder.
"Aunt Polly" she said, II miss my
piano very much. l left 1t boxed up
| ready to ship. Suppose we send for It,
! And Miss Polly scnt-grim OLD Miss
| Polly, who had always considered mu-
sic Of every kind IN invention Of satan.
When the piano came and the people
saw 1t carried into that house, they
crowded around the gate and stood on
tiptoc and pccpcd over the fence. ScV-
cral were heard to declare that Miss
Polly was undoubtedly crazy. She came
out then and shook her fist Mt them,
and that was so much like her old selr
that they concluded her mind was all
right after all. But If not crazy, then
what?
And Dorothy's music! She liked best
to play when the twilight was IN the
housc. and the old woman would sit
over hy the dim window and look ut
the sunset sky and listen. Dorothy
know little about classic music or bril-
liant effects, but she could play many
of the old time pieces and sing them,
too, in voice sweet and tender.
at last something happened that
( showed the lonely old woman that this
was not quite SO bad a world ns She
had thought 1t and that she had even
| misunderstood herself. Dorothy was
taken Ill. 1t had seemed nothing but
a slight cold at first, but by the next
evening it was SO much worse that
Miss Polly herself put on her bonnet
and ran for n physician. And SO for
many days they bnttlcd with the dis
ease that had laid Its hold upon the
young girl and would not give her up.
Then Miss Polly began to learn. Peo-
pie that she had not spoken to IN years
came to the door and asked If they
might help take care Of Miss Dorothy.
An old woman that had been Miss Pol
ly's mortal enemy and whom she had
passed in the street Il hundred times
with her head turned contcmptuously
away now haunted the house with
dainty dishes which she hoped might
tempt the invalid.
Even the boys Of the neighborhOod,
between whom and Miss Polly there
had been bitter warfare. hung about
the gate now, and when their ancient
enemy appeared they asked her If they
couldn't "bo sent OH IN crrand or some
thin"
~ didn't think she knew one O these
people," said the bcwildcrcd Miss Pol
ly. IL didn't suppose she knew any
body but me-"
And SO it came to pass that when the
doctor came out Of that quiet room
one day and told Miss Polly that the
crisis was past and thut Dorothy would
get we'll tho old woman sat and looked
down ut the two tears that had fallen
upon her wrinklcd hands and said to
herself:
"Wcll, l don't s'pose anybody ever
saw the likes O thntw
One day, when the invalid had grown
strong enough to sit Up aid was in the
great armchair all wrapped up in
blankets, Miss Polly said In her own
abrupt way:
"Im goin to keep Thanksgivin, Doro-
thy"
Dorothy's eyes flashed with surprise
and pleasure.
Don't you-haven't you always kept
it?" she asked.
mo, I've never kept it. I thought
the day was nothin to me, and SO I
shut myself up and worked harder
than ever and hated other people for
maxim SC MITCH OF it. But now this Is
different. Pm goin to cook n good din
ncr, my dear, and you shall ask the
guests for your part. l reckon you'd
better invite the choir people, some Of
'em, and Colonel Days daughter,
that's been here to sec you SO many
times"
''No, Aunt Polly" was all that Doro-
thy said. but her pretty pale face was
suddenly ifi;Shed, and her mind was
already busy with flans. What q
Thanksgiving they would have!
Cook ever SO much, Aunt Polly"
she said coaxingly. 1--WE shall want
the two long tables put together, and
want them fairly filed, because tho
people that will be here would not
have had any Thanksgiving at home"
The next day Miss Polly stood ut tho
pantry window and watched the guests
come. The first arrival was that poor
old Mrs. Day, who had not walked q
step or been outside of her own mis-
erablc house for more than 15 years.
Dorothy's friends, the boys, had car
ricd her over, chair and ALL In kind
Of triumphal procession, and when
they set the chair down they went out
sido and gave three cheers for Dorothy
and three moro for Miss Polly.
Then came three girls from tho fac
tory, country girls, far from homo and
with few pleasures that were safe
ones. In all that great, busy town no.
body remembered them but Dorothy 1t
seemed.
Then there was the old gentleman
with the shabby clothes and tho court
ly manners, the old gentleman that
lived all alone In little room at the
top Of big house. What pretty
picture Dorothy made going out to
meet him nnd pretending that he was
assisting her up the steps when all tho
time she was helping him!