The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1900-11-29
Jobs Turkey.
BY MINNIE REID FRENCH.

iordIv mein and commanding ar
scraping his Shiny wings stitfiy OF
the ground as he moved in advance
of the flock. and gobbling defiance AT
ais old grandfather from whom he
had wrested the leadership. To have
beheld him in all his glory and vanity
one never would have recognized him
-s the same little ragged turkey 81
:. wear before. pecked and pursued
ty everything in the barnyard. and
m especial target for the Dominique
s0ostar now ready to flee precIplthtH-
L. at his approach. But II his rise IN
rhp world was OF great importance
to himself, it was none the less 10
-.ob, the little bound boy, to whom
he had been given in his most IN
compromising days. and to whose
Tot fell the care Of the flock, and the
not unpleasant task OF driving them
home every evening to he safely
cooped for the night.
II was autumn; and nutI were fall
ing in The woods, the trees in the
orchards were loaded with rutdv
fruit, and il was not 50 bad after a!i
to b, boy. even Il 'bound' boy,
little Job thought Job had only
vague ideas as TO what being Il
bound boy meant Farmer Gray
gave him his clothes ana board, and
his tasks were not harder than that
OF other boys; only they were not
told every day, to be thankful they
we're not in the poor house, and per
haps, other boys were not made to
feel themselves of less importance
than the very stocks and stones on
the place as was Job.
1t was such II glorious relief to him
TO get out i'll the fields by himself to
hunt the turkeys and drive them
home past the little cottage from the
window of which he knew Uncle Da-
vid aud Aunt Crissy were watching
He always waved his cap rs soon as
he came in sight, and it was his chief
pleasure to chat with them, and
Aunt Crissy always brought out y
plate of cookies. and Uncle David
would say:
Fall to, job, an help yourself !
know you've got IL hungry spot in
stummick. fer allus had when | was
a little shaver
And he would listen while Job told
him the neigborhood news. and h.
took almost rs much interest in
.ob's turkey rs job did himself
Trust my word fer it, he would |
say, "she wouldn't "a give him TO
YOU, Job, ii she'd DIRE mp of him be-
in such fine TELLER. Mis- Gray is too
close listed fer that What all are
you Goin' to buy with the money you
git fer him?"
Aunt Crissy always wiped her eyes
when Job said he would buy some
school books-he needed new clothes
50 badly, poor little fellow
Somebody will have n fine dinner
off of him, went on Uncle David, Il
:an remember when Thanksgivin'
was a big day for me and mother
She used to he tiXin' for week before
hand. We've got lot 5 to be thankful
Ter, vet, though it's been n long time
since we've had a Thanksgivin' tur-
key, the good Lord hain't never let /
is suffer, an then mother don have
TO cook an stew around like she used !
TO. People can allus find something
70 be thankful Ter, Job. That what
used to tell my little boy"
Did your little boy die. Uncle pa-
vid?' asked Job.
"N-no, that is, he went of To the
war a long time ago. We had one
letter. an never heard from him
again. Somehow mother an me
can't help lookin's fer him, an every
rhankSgivin we think he'll come,
but he never does"
Uncle David. there wasn't any
mail for you this evening" Job said
~ he rose to go. Then he added
The postmistress asst me Il lot Of
questions about you all, and said !
shed like to see you, too"
Did she?" said Aunt Cri9ev de
llghed I'd love to see her, nidu t |
you say she was real young an
hasn't any folks
Yes'm." returnedJob, she hasa { !
got anybody but herself, an She
Just staying here because hey hea}th |
broke down. She's gciu' away "