Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-11-30

INM "a WI tilda Crawford, one Of
SlAS her neighbors. II could
kH.:i count my annual pleas
@ ures on one finger on
one hand, and now for this year that
| Is gone"
"Why, goodness gracious. Aunt
Jane! What do you mean?" and Ma
'ildn looked the genuine sorrow which
in her neighborly heart she felt.
II mean that the Lord saw at tn
take from me my last turkey last
night, and now can't have the Ham
ilton family to the regular Thanksgiv-
ing dinner. Mighty little III have
10 be thankful for this year. and all
my invitations out, too. Now I've got
10 go in and write letters to tell them
all not TO come"
Aunt Jane Hamilton's Thanksgiving
dinner had been the wonder Of Phil
ipsburg for many year. She was n
widow whose husband had paid the
penalty of his devotion to his country
a, Gettysburg. Before his marriag
lohn Hamilton had built a big, roomI
| nome for his bride about half 9
mile from Philipsburg. and that wa
all that was left her when the bulle'
ended his life Here she had live
| ever since. eking out a living from
| he poultry she raised. and the small
| tension paid her quarterly by the gov
,rnment
Aunt Jane had never been blessed
with children. but both herself an
| John had been members of large fam
| lies. 1t was to all Of these brother
and sisters and to their families. tina
| Aunt James invitations to Thanksgiy
| ing dinner went each year. Annual
hey came trooping into Philipsbur-
| Tor the family reunion and feast; fill
| ing the big house from cellar to gar
ret. and overlooking to the village hos
| tery. so it was that these thanks
Swing dinners we're looked forwar
co. not by Aunt Jane alone. but BY
he whole village Of Philipsburg.
As Aunt Jane sat at her dining-roon
| table preparing the % letters tina
were to stop the coming OF the rela
| lives. Matilda Crawford was passin
| from house to house telling Of tn
death Of the last turkey. and of tn
| blgh,ing of Aunt James pleasures.
The next days mail took away tn
| IS srlrowful little notes. all readih;
cry much alike. and all telling the req
son for the canceling Of the annual din
ner.
Thanksgiving day was but one weeh
off when those notes were mailed, anj
! on that same evening half a dOzei
of the worthy matrons of the villas
were talking the situation over
Matilda Crawfords home.
Its shame if the people of thi
town let Aunt Jane Hamilton be disap
pointed at not having her family din
ner just for the lack of a few tur
keys. said Susan Peters. There ain
anybody in this town that she hash
done something for at some time. an
now they might help her. I'm golr
| to send her one of my turkeys f.
Thanksgiving. so there"
The result of that little gatherin
was that the next day six prime tur
keys were delivered at Aunt Jane
| door by six different boys coming fro;
| six different families.
"Whatever will | do now" crie
Aunt Jane. as the sixth turkey VIZ
| deposited at her back door. IF on
hadn't sent out those letters yesteria
could have my dinner Just r.
same. know can't never get anoth
set writer and off in time for all
them TO get here 1t makes me almo
rry' TO think about It,"
BY Saturday others in the town ha
heard of the six turkeys that WEI
sent to Aunt Jane, and they follow
| the example set them. Even Il
genial host of the village inn contrib
uted a nice fat hen he had boug,
| for his own use
In the meantime that host OF rel
tives who had grown to look upon tn
| annual visit TO Aunt James as a MOI
tO-be-miseed pleasure. were taking
ton. Her brother-in-law. Walter Han
| i!ton. was prosperous lawyer in Nc
York city. who for 90 years had new
missed one of these family reunion
He received Aunt James sorrowf
note on Saturday, and took immedia
| action. His first move was to %
| lrfO communication with farmer h
knew raised turkeys for market. az
order FIVE OF his largest birds to /
sent to Mrs. Jane Hamilton. Philip
burg. by express. Then he set the TEL!
graph instruments to clicking. and tn.
is what they said to the ~ other fam
| lilies who had received notes like h.
| own:
Disregard Aunt James note. Din
ner there as usual. Send turkey
Walter Hamilton"
Monday afternoon the results Of tina
telegram began to be noticeable. Thre'
turkeys came In on the train. OF whicl
Two were alive The next mornin.
Inc five from Walter arrived, all niceI!
dressed, and on the same train cam
two Others from his son, Walter Jr..
who had not known OF the fact tina
his father was sending Ave. The vii
lage drayman undertook the task o.
delivering all of them at Aunt James
door, and he made regular trips there
after the arrival of each Of the two
daily trains up to Wednesday morn
| ing.
And II was not until Wednesday
| morning that Aunt Jane really knew