Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-11-28
JACKS RELATIONS.
A Thanksgiving Story.
By Mabel B. Clapp.

about the cornneiQ with his hands thrust
deep in his diminutive pockets and his
can pulled over his ears 1t wasn't ex-
acrly a cheerful place, that cornfield in
the chill dusk of a November day, with
she wind rustling drearily through the
:odder-corn still standing in the lower
corner of the field, and moaning and
signing in the twisted branches OF the
old apple tree; but then, Jack wasn't
cheerful either, and that made a differ
ence.
Thanksgiving was coming and already
the children in the district school had
begun to talk about and plan for the
great event. That very day Jacks own
particular chum, Tommy Sprague, HAD
shouted to him as he was coming home
after school:
II say, Jack, what are you going to
have at your house to dinner Thanks
giving day? We're going to have grand
pa and grandma, and Uncle Joe, and
Aunt Mary, and Molly and Ted, and
| say, J-a-a-cki'
But Jack sped on as fast as his sturdy
legs would carry him. for there was o
big lump in his throat and a suspicious
moistures in his eyes, although, of course.
he didn't feel like crying. OF course not
4 y
he didn't want to talk to Tommy Just
then-that was all. So he climbed over
the stone wall into the cornheld, with
never word for Tower who came rae
ing across the field to meet him: and
there he had been ever since. too detected
even to whistle; and when Jack couldn't
whistle, matters must have been very
bad. indeed.
"Oh, dear" he sighed ut last, sitting
down on big stone, and putting both
arms around the dogs neck. II do wish
had some 1JJions.
Tower looked deep into the wistful
blue eyes so near his own and gave a
low whine, as much as 10 say, why,
what do You call mey'
Il know it, old fellow" with little
hug; but | mean some 'lations to come
to my house Thanksgiving day like what
Tommy Sprague has. Why, I'd rather
have grandma, or Il grandpa, or a cou-
sin, or somebody, than-than 10 have
skates for Christmas, really and truly l
would Tower"
1t did seem hard when that turkey was
50 fat-Jaek knew just how fat he was,
for hadn't he been feeding him two or
three times day for more than two
weeks-and when his mother could
make the best pumpkin pies in the whole
neighborhood, that only Jack and his
father and mother, and perhaps the min
iSLtI anu MS WIG, SnOuiU SIT down TO
the table on Thanksgiving day.
Jack knew just how it would be. The
munster would ask a long blessing, and
then Farmer Dunstan would cut the tur-
Key, and, oh, how good it would smell!
Jack frightened little at the thought
Of it-but afterwards they would all go
INTO the front room. and the minister's
wife would ask Jack how he was getting
along IN school. and If he liked his teach
er; and the minister would pat him on
the head and say he hoped he was a
good boy and went to Sunday school,
and then when it began to grow dark
they would go home. After supper per-
haps Jack and his father would pop
corn by the big open fire in the kitchen
md that would be good fun, but-and
Jack ended ms he had begun-'I do wish
| had some 'lations'
Just then big snowflake fell on Tow
GER : shaggy coat, followed by another
and another, and Jack, forgetting all else
In his delight, jumped up shouting, "Hur-
ran! It's going to snow, and well have
some coasting for Thanksgiving after all,
Tome on. Tower. let's race for home"
ana on they went, dog and boy, pellmcl
towards the house.
It was supper time before he thought
OF Thanksgiving day again, and then he
said suddenly: "Muvver''-Jack never
could remember his this when he was
very much in earnest-"why don't have
some 'lations p
We'll! Welt" laughed Farmer Duns-
and meY'
"Oh. | don't mean that kind. farver.
mean lations that come to dinner on
Thanksgiving day. an laugh, an play
EancS, an sing songs, an 80 driving of
after dark, shouting goodbye all the
way down the road. That's the kind |
mean, farver. like what Tommy Spracue
haS, Why didn't I have some muvverT'
Wen, you see, my dear replied his
mother. Grandpa and Grandma Duns-
tan died when father was n little boy,
and you were too young to remember my
own father and mother, and
so yam see. Jack" broke in his ia
ther, hastily, 'you'n have to put up with
ycur mother and me. Bat I tell You
what! You ask Tommy to come over
here the day after Thanksgiving and III
~ to Comps Ridge. How will that do?'
on, jolly" shouted Jack. clapping his
hands and running to the window to see
nav fast the snow was making.
ate that night Jack overheard his
i0ther and mother talking in an adjoin-
ing room
Il suppose it's foolish. John, but Jacks
question has troubled me nh the evening
!. cant help thinking about your sister
susan. oil alone in that big house in Bos-
Ton and we only sixty miles away She's
me only relation the child has, john
JACK pricked m his ears ut the sound Of
'he word "relation"-'' 1t does seem
rs, though she ought to be with rs on
ihankSgiving day"
know It. wife. I know e.: hut what
can 30: Sister Susan vowed she'd new
or step foot inside this house till Ia take
,'eS those words | said about Ned
brewster before she married him-that
ne ~as in the devils own business run
ing that big wholesale liquor store in
hoSlon. and that no good would over
gome to him or his from it. He's been
,.Pad aRd gone these ten years. poor fell /.
.uW: bat amt seen my way clear TO
,aR!!ng back those words and Sister Su- !
ans ,an terrible SCI She won't answer my
Here his father shut the door and Jack
n3ard no more: but before he went TO J
.ePn again he knew what he was going
u; \. "a. aa with the 5-cent piece in his own
Htt'e purse
!; was. the week before Thanksgiving. /
'''a AS& Edwin Brewster was hStlessiy |