Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1899-12-08

i.
we couldn't get there. So Thought wc'd
Just buy turkey, and have Thankssiy-
ing right there In that house. Will you
please sell 29-cent turkeyY' And he
held out his hand with 20 copper cents
in it.
How that old man looked at the boy
and pulled out a redbaEdana handker-
chief and rubbed his nose with it until it
was crimson.
Whose money is thatY he asked. 50
suddenly that he almost made VIII
jump.
Its all mine, sir. I've been saving
It for long time, but thought I'd buy
turkey with it now, and surprise moth
er with 1t, and the children"
The children! He talks about the
chiidren! murmured the old man to HIM
self. Bless us and save usv'
And then all at once he said:
You go along back down to the house,
and don't you breathe word about the
turkey. I'll send it down, after awhile
a 29-cent turkey. No, you needn't pay
me till you get the turkey. Go on
they're hard to catch, you know, but I'll
see that we catch one. Hurry, now, or
you'll get wet. And you want it for
the children, eh?-bless my life!"
WIN hurried back, wondering what the
old man meant by all that, and half in
cllned to believe that he would never
hear about the turkey again. However,
he was a hopeful little fellow, and he ran
into the house, built up the fire again and
set the children to playing, so that they
We're In great .g!ee in no time. AS for
the mother, she was becoming reconciled
to the condition of things, too, even
though they were bedless, dinnerless and
a long way from home; and that on
Thanksgiving.
After awhile, in the very midst of the
play, the door was pushed open, and
there stood the old gentleman with a
huge basket, and behind him was his SER
want with another huge basket, and be-
hind them was wagon, with table
and some chairs and more baskets in it.
I'm lonely old man." said the old
gentleman, with his hat in his hand;
and l was about to eat my Thanksgiy-
ing dinner by myself. But thought bet
ter Of it; thought that perhaps you
would allow me to bring 1t down here
and eat it with you.''
Then Mrs. Darlington broke down and
could not say a word; and the servant
went to work and made a very presenta-
BILE dining room of the old cabin. Such
things as were put on that table! The
turkey itself was marvel. And there
were fruits and homemade bread, and
golden butter and milk and cake-the
like of it had never been seen anywhere.
Then they sat down and ate, and it was
perfectly marvellous what an appetite
those children had As for the old man.
there never was such a jolly old man
since the world began.
And after the dinner was over and
while they were right in the midst of Ia
game of blind mans buff, the heard a
shout, and when they looked out they
saw that the stream had run down, and
that Mr.. Fenner's wagon was just ford
ing it; and he was calling to the servant
to know whether he had seen anything of
lady and a crowd of children-and Just
then he saw them.
Well but there was rejoicing then
and Mr.. Fenner could hardly shake
hands with them for staring at his gruff-
and-grim old neighbor wearing a blind
fold and playing with the children.
Il don't often come out of my she'll"
SNAA NAS OAN UuL We come
out to-day, and it's done me good"
Stay out, now that you've come out"
said Mr.. Fenner. There's a fine Thanks
giving hasn't been touched yet, at my
house. Get in the wagon with the rest
of us, and let's go home and see after
it."
And, would you believe It, the old gen.
tleman actually climbed into the wagon
and they went over to Mr.. Fenner's, and
had another Thanksgiving that very
evening; with such good things on the
table as you never dreamed of unless you
have lived in the country, and the
Thanksgiving lasted over the next morn
ing, and perhaps for day or two longer.
And the best of it was that it stayed;
for Mr.. and Mrs. Fenner could not bear
to give Mrs. Darlington up, and they
fell in love with the children; and the re-
suit Of it was that the Darlingtons were
established in a little cottage, close at
hand, and that Mrs. Darlington was Civ
en- charge of the dairy and other things
They are now the happiest people to be
found anywhere, with the old gentleman
coming over every few days to play with
the children, and with the hard times all