Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-11-25
Meg's Thanksgiving Bank.

Meg sat upon low stool by the win
dow with sad little pucker on her pref
ty face.
Near by sat Mrs. Thompson, Meg's
mother, sewing. sewing away, for times
were hard and with father away off do
ing duty in the Philippines, the pale lit
tie mother had to stitch steadily day
after day to keep the tiny home in COM
parative comfort.
When did you say father might come
home, mother The question was asked
timidly, fer there had been so many dis
appointments.
Il hope he will be with us at Thanks
giving time, dear" y sigh WAS stitched
into the long seam, and Meg did not no
tice it.
"Mother?" the low voice had n sug-
gestion of sob in it. Il had a beauti-
full plan, but ] am afraid | must give it
up"
Never mind. dearie, there are other
plans you know, and yen are only 10
years Old
But this was such beautiful plan.
giving turkey. | was going to surprise
you and dear, dear daddy. [ had %
cents in my bank. l began oh, dread
fully long ago, but | had to take the
money and now there is not a single
cent" There was no mistake about the
SUI Ills lillt
What have you done with the money,
daughter?" Mrs. Thompson lay down
her work and drew Meg nearer
"Why-why" with an effort at self
control, I'VE had to have some blank
books and pads at school and [ just
would rot ask you, and-and-I bought
them myself. and / hate them. for / did
Thanksgiving dinner, for | know father
hasn't had one since he went away. and.
of course. you cannot afford one, NOM
my darling, and SO, and So The curly
head went down in the mothers lap and
Meg had a good cry
mamma at last You are a brave little
soldier girl, worthy of dear solder-daddy
and | am proud of Won that nothing
else can make me cry just now.
listen, | have a plan. We may not
be able to fill the bank with money for q
Thanksgiving feast. but we can DO some
thing better Every time that we nave
anything To be really thankful about
we will write it upon 4 slip Ct paper and
put it in the bank. If father shodld lie
with Us when we expect him we will
open the treasure bank together and
think it will make him gladder than any
thing else to know we had so many bless
lngs when he was far away Now bring
the bank. dearie, | must slip in thank
full thought right now. am thankful
for my brave. unselfish little girl
Meg'S tears were dried as if by magic
and she ran and brought the little iron
bank to her mother.
"Why. I could fill it right up she
laughed, merrily. when | come to think,
[ have heaps to be thankful for.'
So that was the beginning and many
were the white slips that found their
way into the Thanksgiving bank.
One, the very best of all, had these
words upon it:
Daddy has really started for home!
am the gratefulest girl in the United
States!'
Meg wrote very we'll for such a small
girl, but her happiness made her hand
tremble over those words. Now, about
three weeks before Thanksgiving she had
wonderful experience. 1t was a warm
day and her mother had given her per-
mission to so for a walk in the park.
which was not far away. Why, she took
the bank with her upon the walk Meg
really did not know; perhaps she ex-
pected to have thankful thing happen
that must be recorded at once, who can
tell? But she took the bank and Il
pencil and paper. Suddenly, while she
was running along the leaf-strewn path,
she heard music: low, sad music, that
somehow brought tears to her merry
eyes. She ran to the road nearby and
there, passing slowly, was a long fu-
neral procession and by the flags and
soldiers in uniform. Meg knew that 4
"comrade''-she always called them COM
rades. because her father did-was being
carried by
The sight made her lip culver and she
ran back TO seat behind some trees:
then the thought came which brought
about the experience. She took the pa
per and pencil and wrote slowly, speak
ing the words aloud as she spelled them:
I'm slammed to be glad bout such
solemn thing but l am thankful it isn't
my solderdaddy who is going byp'
Then Meg tore off the slip and began