The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-12-06
A THANKSGIVING SURPRISE.
BY SUSAN COOLIDGE.

1C~-A-N NJOLA44Ia
II was the night before Thanksgiv-
ing, and Alexander Williams was put
ting the last touches TO his sermon. II
was rather an important occasion with
him, for he had beer bat few months
ordained, and this was the first time
that be had been called on to prepare
discourse for the great New England
festival.
During the preceding week Of study,
his feeling as to Thanksgiving Day and
its Observance had deepened and
strengthened. Looking back to the
foundation of the practice, he was
struck anew with the solemn beauty of
its idea. How scant were the privi-
leges, how imminent the deliverances
on which our forefathers founded their
first giving of thanks. How immense
the national growth has been; what
material prosperity, what development
of resources, what success and tri-
umphs had been granted since then to
the American people. What thanks
could be adequate to such mighty mer-
cies! "Let the people praise thee, o
Lord. Yea, let all the people praise
Theep' was the text he had chosen, and
the spirit of the words filled his soul as
he carefully wrote the date at the bot
tom Of the last unsulled page of his
manuscript.
Then he rose and went to the win
dow. The sun was setting, and the
early dusk Of autumn was drawing on.
Already the stars were stealing out in
the clear, windless sky. Lights twink
led up and down the street. From across
the little wooded valley in which the
small midtown was built, stood a large
mansion more brilliantly lighted than
the rest. 1t was the house OF Squire
Eldridge, for long years deacon in the
church to which Mr.. Williams had just
been called, and it was there that on
the morrow he was to eat his Thanks
giving dinner.
1t was week since he came 10 Black
water Gap, and as all his flock had call
ed on him with rush, after the cordial
custom of country parishes, be had but
confused idea as yet as to who was
who. There was Mrs. Eldridge; yes,
he was sure Of il, when he came TO
think; be remembered her quite well;
brisk little lady with a pleasant,
motherly manner. Daughters? He
thought so, but for the life of him he
could not disentangle them from the
many other girls, daughters OF other
people to whom he had been presented.
Then there was that niece from the
city, of whom Mrs Odell, wife Of the
other deacon, had spoken. He did not
like the idea Of her at all
"a frivolous, fashionable girl is quite
out Of place at simple, hearty, cordial
festival like a country Thanksgiving"
be reflected. ''She will be false note,
like bar Of dance music in the mid
die of figure note. wish she were
not to be there"
Alex. Williams, the son of q Scotch
farmer living on the Canadian border
Of Maine, educated at the Bangor Sem
mary, and with just six months expe-
rience in the ministry, had been very
little in cities, and knew almost MOTH
ing of the ways aud ideas Of the DWELL
ers therein. His opinions about them
he had received at second hand from
his quiet, unworldly mother and thrifty
father, who Opined that cities were hot
beds for all that was evil, and that the
fruits of the spirit grew on rural oOughs
exclusively. Keen-witted, tender-heart-
ed, with really brilliant powers, Alex.
was still very young, very uninformed
in certain ways; narrow-minded from
lack Of opportunity, and prejudiced by
virtue of his environment. The city
girl, whom his Imagination had con-
structed, was a fiimsy, unreal creature,
given up to amusing herself, whose
mind ran to waste while she devoted
her tinae to novels and candy, aud
spent her nights at theaters and balls.
All city young ladies were like this, he
believed, while, per contra, all country
girls were just the other way, simple,
religious, duty-loving, free from vanity
and affeetation, and content to serve
God in their day and generation, with
out the diseased craving for amuse-
ment, which was one OF the evil signs
Of the times.
He glanced at the Squire's pew next
day while the organist was playing the
prelude to the first hymn, to verify his
conjectures. Yes-One, two, three-no
less than four girls were sitting between
Mrs. Eldridge at the top and the Squire
at the door, all pretty, or prettyish, and
all very gay and dressy as to attire.
Birds wings Of every tizt nodded over
brown bangs and yellow bangs; there
was fiutter Of lace and ribbons, and
resoIute air OF style. But stay-three
Of them were like this; the fourth, seat
ed next TO her mother, at the top OF the
pew, seemed different She wore a
garment OF dark cloth, fur-trimmed,
and large black hat, and there was
something in the aspect Of her calm,
bright face which struck him as unlike
her sisters, and quite delightful.
There is one whom the city cousin
has not corrupted" he thought, and he
picked out the most gorgeous of the
other three as the obnoxious relative in
question and proceeded to disapprove
OF her with all bis might. All the
time he preached his eyes went by ir
resistibIe attraction to meet the full at
tentive gaze Of the quiet listener in the
black hat. What a good "hearer' she
was. The other girls showed symp-
toms Of wandering attention. They
glanced about, they whispered to each
other now and then-but she never did.
Gradually he found himself address
ing her, as though she was his sole au-
dience. and when at one earnest SEN
tence the gray eyes beamed and sud-
den color flashed into the cheeks, the
young minister felt thrill of triumph.
He had achieved a success-his audi
euea was with him.