The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1905-11-30

both the night before. too So, she
had invited them to meet Joyce, or
Joyce 10 meet them. he couldn't say
whichl But would the old man gog
He wondered what the note said: the
Herricks would be there. no doubt
} about that, for Rod seldom had an op-
portunity to taste the rat turkeys that
he left at stanton Kitchen doors.
His mother sewed almost as indus
triously as he walked for Barton. and
;aeir Thanksgiving invitations were rare
indeed. All day Rod wondered about
Joyce, and wished he dared ask MIN
question. only he was afraid that II
the OLD man knew who was going the
invitation would be refused. for Rod
and the old shoemaker had not always
beer upon good terms.
Old JOyoe's behavior at Miss Bias
CONS Thanksgiving dinner vas some
thing that Rod Herriok never forgot;
has petite speeches his thoughtfulness
of everybody but himself. his eagerness
10 contribute all that he possibly could
to the pleasure and succ> IS of the oc-
casion made him the gdes, Of honor.
Rod had never suppose before that
guests had any responsibilities; he had
supposed that th~ss belongeJ entirely
TO the hostess. He privately resOlytt
half dozen times during the meai
that next to becoming b rton's part
ner, he would study harder to learn
.SN 10 zen We wnen he was company.
Sucf stories as the old man told Of
lands ana castles and fsas S beyond
the seal Joyce had travelled far, and
apparently had forgotten nothing thst
had ever happened 10 him. AS he told
his wonderful stories. he would bow
&c Miss BasoOm, or Mrs Herrick. ami
once or twice he had included Rod IN
one Of his wonderful courtesies. in
such q fashion that Rod lost his self
possession and felt polite and dlstn-
guishtd for fully FIVE minutes after.
ward II was a sensation that made
him d more manly boy for months, and
ole that he never really ceased TO feel
After dinner Joyce sat down before
The old piano and played such music as
ana she was the organist Of the church
and the best musician In stanton.
And somehow, from the music and the
stories and the manners they all grad
ually understood that "Old Joyce" had
a history behind him. and hadn't al
ways mended other peoples old shoes
He had suffered because of the village
osuacism; anybody could see that
Rod told himself that the old fellow
had dropped ten or a dozen years
there at Miss Lizzie Bascom's old
piano
The party was over az last. but us
1auence was not; that lived and grew
until Il even broke down the wall be
tween the old shoemaker and the VIII
laee hearts. He mended shoes as o.
oil. because ne needed TO. but he no
longer kept house in his shop. re
went e. board at the Horricss; he Went
TO church too. and the very first time
he piayed the o1ertory on the littl9
organ. instead OF Miss Bascom, who
sat with her face turned toward the
people 50 that she could enjoy their
smpi ise. Nobody knew what he
played: perhaps It was the story Of has
lite, fOr Il had tears and storms In a.,
and toward the last was something
full o. silver notes; notes Of Joy, peace,
1--we. human sympathy. notes that were
almost an echo from the harps by The
sea o. glass. Mrs. Herrick said after
ward that the organ said: Il was a
stranger and ye took me In" Miss
Bascom said il said: "Out OF great
tribuiation." but Rod said 10 BartoE
when he told him all about It next
day THE whole piece was just Old
Joyce's' Thanksgiving" and perhaps Il
was.-Young People.