The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1903-11-26
A THANKFUL
THANKSGIVING

| glossy, red checked SpltZenDergs as II
wero a family vault and taking up a
apple as if it had been skull; mo,
don't"
"Then, Sarepta," observed her huf
band. who had just thrown huge 10
on the open fire, ''you don't disarn moth
In to be thankful for! It's as harnsom
a turkey as ever tapped, and l don
know of a year when I've had nice
pumpkins on that ar corn lot!'
"'Tain't turkey or pumpkin pies 0
cranberry sass as makes Thanksg7vin' I,
signed Mrs. Nisbett.
What is it, then? Eff it's cold wealth
er, should ha' thought the last fros
would ha' done the business for yo'
pretty fairly. Them artemisias by tn
front door is scorched black, and the oil
maple is losin' its leaves as if they wa
rainin' down. Parson Jarvis is comm
all the way from Sloatesville to preacl
tomorrow, and the quire's larned bran
new anthem just a-purpose. about bein
thankful for harvest and all that sort o
thing, I'm sure l don't know what els
you'd have"
Mrs. Nisbett only answered by sigh
"I wonder if faint possible Stephe'l
be hum tonight" she said after pause
"He writ not. He thought he'd drol
In ariy tomorrow mornin' if he caugh
the train he expected. Only think, ole
woman; it's FIVE years since Stephe wa!
hum to Thanksgiving
Old Nisbett rubbed his horny hands
with a chuckle, adding:
"And s'pose, if all accounts is true
he's gettin' to be great man out IL
that western country. 1t was kind OF
hard pull when he went off and left US
bu. maybe the boy was in the right"
"Yes," said Mrs. Nisbett dolorously
'but somehow L can't get reconciled tt
the idea of his marryin' a strange ga
out there"
Joel scratched his head. This was
phase of the subject that he scarcely
felt competent to discuss.
maybe you'll like her. Stephen sayi
she's a nice gal"
"Stephen says! As If man over head
and ears in love wouldn't say anything
Il wish he'd told us who she was"
Mrs. Nisbett groaned again. Joel went
out to the woodpile, the everyday shrine
whence he generally derived what little
of philosophic inspiration he had.
''Mrs. Nisbett!'
1t was soft little voice. and the old
lady's face relaxed instinctively as il
sounded on her ears.
"Why, Ida Tremaine-'tain't you!
"It is. I've done everything that Aun,
Constance wanted, and now I've just run
over to see if you don't need bit OF
help"
She stood in the doorway, fair little
apparition, all flushed and rosy with the
November wind, while her blue eyes
sparkled as if they were twin sapphires
hidden away under her long, dark lashes.
Sne was neither blond nor brunette, but
a fresh checked girl, with nut brown
hair, skin like the leaf of a damask rose,
a straight, refined nose and lips as ripe
as red crabapple, though by no means
80 sour. Generally she had demure
sort of gravity lingering about her face,
but when she did laugh dimple came
out upon her cheek and row of pearly
teeth glimmered instantaneously.
In one hand she carried bunch of
late autumn flowers.
"Seer she cried. holding them up. 81
ransacked Aunt Constance's garden for
these. l knew that big vase On the man.
tel needed something, and, with branch
OF so of scarlet leaves, I'll have a royal
bouquet to help you keep Thanksgiving. u
Mrs. Nisbett took the fair oval face
between her two hands and kissed the
fresh little mouth.
.'Set down, Lida," she said. 81 wasn't
- 49,
but you've sech a way, child, l can't
never say no to you."
"I;ut you're going to keep Thanksgiv-
iny," cried Ida, throwing off her outer
wrapp:ngs and dancing up to the looking
glass like a littlo gale of wind. because
sou invited Aunt Constance and me to
dinner and because your son is coming
home" -
"Yes, child, yes,"ssaid Mrs. Nisbett,
subsiding once more into the mournful
key from which Lida's sudden appear
ance had ,momentafily aroused her.
"Joers got the.turkey shut up in coop.
and the bakin's done, and I'm just a-hx-
in them apples, and"
"Oh, OH" cried Ida, who had Gut.
tered to the window, "what glorious red
leaves speckled over with little drops of
gold! May make some wreaths for the
wall? Oh. please. say yes"
Mrs. Nisbett said ..yes''-it would have
been hard work to say mo" to Ida
and the girl soon came in. her apron full
Of the sprigs of the old maple tree,
whose shadowy boughs kept the window
veiled with cool shadows through the
glaring summer days and showered fad
ing gold upon the dead grass when the
autumn came.
Mrs. Nisbett looked with tenderness
the hearth rug, when the shine of the
high heaped logs lost itself in her bright
hair and made sparkles in her eyes, as
the wreaths and trails of autumn leaves
grew rapidly beneath her deft fingers.
"Lida," she said softly. "Lida, my
dearw- Ida looked up.
81 saw your Aunt Constance yesterday
but there's .somethin' reserved about her,
and didn't like to ask about you
whether you had decided to so out as a
governess or not; because, my dear, Joel
and l were talkin' last night, and We
both thought what comfort it would be
TO have you here.
'To have me here?"
"We're old and we're alone, and some
how we've both took fancy to you,- my
child. So when your Aunt Constance
goes back to the city. if you choose to
come here
Mrs. Nisbett paused abruptly and burst
into tears.
"We had a little girl once. my dear.
and If she'd lived she would ha' been
nigh about your age"