The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-11-29
TON, S. c., WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1899.

down at the two tears that had fallen
upon her wrinliled hands and said to
herself:
'Well, don't s'pose anybody ever
saw the likes o that.'
One day, when the invalid had grown
strong enough to sit up and was in the
great armchair all wrapped up in
blankets, Miss Polly said in her own
abrupt way:
I'm 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.
NO, I've never kept it. I thought
the day was nothin to me, and so I
shut myself up and worked harder
shan ever and hated other people for
maxim so much Of it. But now this is
different. I'm Soin to cook Il good din
ner, 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 Daly's daughter
that's been here to see you so many
times"
"No, Aunt Polly was all that Doro-
thy said, but her pretty pale face was
suddenly flushed, and her mind was
already busy with plans. What
Thanksgiving they would have!
"Cook ever so much. Aunt Polly"
she said coaxingly. I'VE shall want
the two long tables put together, and
1 want them fairly filled, because the
people that will be here would not
have had any Thanksgiving at home"
The next day Miss Polly stood Mt the
pantry window and watched the guests
come. The first arrival was that poor
old Mrs. Dey, who had not walked q
step or been outside Of her own mis-
erable house for more than Is years.
Dorothy's friends, the boys, had car
ried her over, chair and all, in kind
of triumphal procession, and when
they set the chair down they went out
side and gave three cheers for Dorothy
and three more for Miss Polly. ..
Then came three girls from the fac
tory, country girls, far from home and
with few pleasures that were safe
ones. In all that great, busy town no.
body remembered them but Dorothy. it
seemed.
Then there was the old gentleman
with the shabby clothes and the court
~ manners, the old gentleman that
lived all alone in little room at the
top of a big house. What q pretty
picture Dorothy made going out to
meet him and pretending that lie was
assisting her up the steps when all the
time she was helping him!
And there We're many others, enough
to fill the long table. Just as they
were about to sit down Dorothy said:
''There's a poor tramp, Aunt Polly,
looking in at the gate. l believe III go
and ask him in
Now, Miss Polly had been the sworn
enemy Of tramps all her life, and she
started up suddenly.
Drive him away, Dorothyw she
cried. 81 can't endure tramps."
But perhaps he's hungry" said
Dorothy, turning her brown eyes full
upon Miss Polly. "And We have 4
Thanksgiving dinner, and he hasn't"
Then she went out, and they saw her
speak to the man and invite him in.
After all, they were glad of it. 1t was
too bad to think of any man going hun
cry while that dinner awaited them.
and they cheerfully made room for
him at the table.
And such dinner! Why, if Miss
Polly had been in training for it all her
life she could not have done better.
And there was a baby at the table.
thin faced baby in the arms of a thin
faced mother, and when it cast one
look over the table it absolutely laugh
ed, funny little quavering laugh, as
though it were not used to it. Then, in
a moment, everybody was laughing,
and there never was such merry
crowd. Why, even poor old Mrs. Day
was laughing like schoolgirl and de-
claring that she liked any part of the
turkey, SO there was enough Of it.
AS for Miss Polly-well, there was
absolutely no accounting for her. There
she was, carving away as though her
life depended on it, and flying here
and there around the table and re-
plenishing everybody's plate before it
was half empty. Her face was fairly
glowing with happiness.