The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-30
TIE EVENING STORY
A Thanksgiving Surprise.
TRv Joanna Single. I


Miss Abby, being a new Highlander,
was always prepared The Beans, be-
ing Southern Crackers were eternal
~ unprepared in their shiftless little
hut Miss Abby had good vegetable
garden and a big chicken yard.
This is where the turkey comes in
an immense gobbler, the monarch of
the place and the pride of Miss Abby,
who had doomed him to thanksgiving
dinner. He grew fatter and fatter, and
the assorted collection OF Bean children
watched him hopelessly while they sat
astride the division fence. Hunger
shone from their eyes.
They'll be stealth him, next thing,
Miss Abby nluftered as she threw out
the wishwater and wrung the dish rag
! fiercely.
NAV bawIed one of the twins to
his gaunt, bedraggied mother in the
door, 'ain't we goin' to have no tur-
key? We amt never had no turkey
like other folks"
''Yore paws had mighty pore luck.
honey-he CANT make out to buy tur-
'sWhy can't he. naw?'' walled the
oldest girl.
''Yore paws had bad luck" the dull
mOther-voice reiterated Hell git US
| somepin' extray. but don't reckon it'I
/ be turkey. Turkey meats awful dear,
4 honey"
Miss Abby slammed into her house
with righteous rattle of stiff blue
/ calico, and an indecorous display of nat
| ankles. She snorted WTathfully.
''Luckl If he'd had any luck he'd
never have been born But he's luclxier
than his wife and children: He's the
! LATEST image of a man that ever wore
pantsi Too lazy to come when he's
called to meals! I'd see that he never
was called if I was her"
Miss Abby went to make her bed, and
from the open window next the Bean
house she could hardly help hearing the
rest Of the conversation.
Nav, he's awful bigi VIII she eat
him all herself2 VIII it make her sick,
maw?"
why. maybe she'll have company.
! honey"
Cant we be company. NAV? Why
1 amt we never company
I'VE amt got any relations up along
would Miss Abby let US be company
if she knowed we amt goin' to have no
Thanksgiving ?" Miss Abby shut the
window with a bang.
'Taint as If he couldn't work." she
muttered. He won't work! His gar
den all dried VI for lack Of a little wa
ter, an there he set all summer on that
bench! Nothin' short Of a fire built
under him would start him to Soin' I
should think he'd want to see them
| young ones with clean faces and full
stummicks at least once in the year,"
The days few and the turkey grew
still fatter and more complacent. The
Dean children looked more and more
wistful. They sat often on the fence
in the chilly November air, their half
clothed bodies shivered-their bare feet
blue with cold. But with the eternal
faith Of childhood they watched the
turkey in the hope that something would
yet give them 4 taste of him.
Miss Abby's old-maid heart grew soft
sometimes, but hardened at thought Of
the lazy father and slovenly mother.
Miss Abby had had bad luck about
Thanksgiving comp any-everybod was
elsewhere engaged-the minister and his
family, the Browns and the Treshams;
she had no relatives near. Have some
one she must, for she had refused Ma
tilda jenkins invitation on the plea Of
having company herself
The day before Thanksgiving she
had found no one, and was worried.
In the cold gray morning she came out
to feed the chickens from yellow
crock held in the angle of her arm.
When she had tossed the cornmeal to
the hungry brood, she closed the
chicken yard gate, set down the crock,
and stood watching the turkey-and
thin arms across her blue calico chest
for warmth, and in what she saw for
got how cold it was.
Four of the eight Beans had the
whooping cough. and their thin, sal
low little faces. cleaner than usual,
were fattened against the grimy panes
overlooking the chicken yard She
could hear the wall of the baby, and
the coughs of the older ones.
II Just can't do it." she muttered.
and at last returned to the house. i'll at
ease and chilled to the bone
She piled wood into the stove til the
kitchen was sitting. but she could not
get warm. Her teeth Chartered in a
chill. and in spite of hot lemonade and
Jamaica. ginger Miss Abby had to go
to bed in the middle of the afternoon
l. a, q hnr
mustard plaster on her chest.
She fell into a GOze broken by
visions of the hungry little faces next
door She wished she had at least
taken them over some vegetables. Il
W-ill-'long about night" she NUT
tered. and fell into strange, wretched
When she awoke it was night, and
very cold. Pains stabbed her chest
sharply. and her head throbbed dizzily.
Then she seemed delirious, and heard
the babbling of hungry children. Ihen
she went completely out OF her mead
She came at last to herseIt, weak
and feeble The bedroom was very
cold. but the fever was gone, and the
: stabbing pains. She wrapped herselI
m and managed to light the Kitchen
fire creeping back to bed till things
warmed up The door of the Dean
house slammed. and she heard a child
cough. ,-,..y,.,,
/ filled her room she rose and went out 70
get some breakfast. She had never felt
SO weak in her life. She put on the col
, Miss Abby sat eating her toast with
her feet in the oven. Mrs. Bean knocked
any Land ana sakes! Air you sick?"
Sick! I amt feeelin' very spry, SAD sdd
Miss Abby: sharply y. went 70 Oeo
I'VE amt seen you out this mornin'
an as IT'S Thursday-an' Thanksgivin :
we s'posed you had bad news that called
,-o11 away in the night. The children
been feedin' the hens an. the turkey-the
/ ones that amt WhOoDin,
isIS-baf vou talkin' about?" snapped
Miss Abbev This is Thanksgivin, ain
~ I'm too sick to reeoIlect it.
;sT come IN see If I could do Somepin
( fer Won an You look mighty peaked,
said Mrs Bean. Miss Abby shook her