Year: 1876

ROBBIE'S THANKSGIVING.


IT was the day before Thanksgiv
ing, and Robbie was in high glee, fol
grandma, and Uncle Henry and Aunt
Susie We're coming over to dinner, and
it seemed to Robbie that there was nc
end to the cousins, young and old, who
were expected. He had helped Edie in
the parlor with the dusting and setting
things to rights. He had helped lay the
fires by carefully pulling out the ashes
and cinders all over the clean hearth,
while Edie's back was turned: then ty
clear the table, he set Edie's favorite
vase on the carpet just where her dress
pulled it over, only just escaping break
ing it into pieces, and spilling the
water over one of the best mats. This
| piece of business made Edie's face so
long that Robbie thought perhaps it
would be safer for him in the kitchen
| W III lllo lllpllltl anu 4Allll. % llt LOOK
himself off down the stairs while Edie
carefully wiped up the water from the
carpet, and re-arranged the kindlings
! in the CRATE. When Robbie'S chubby
legs had brought HIM safely down the
stairs, he pounded on the kitchen door
with both fists, and called Justify for
admittance:


LET me in, Let me in. Let me
in" he screamed; "Oh, Ann, let me
in and III tell you sometin', Open the
door quick and as Robbie's fists CON
| tinued to beat a tattoo on the door, and
mamma knew that the rather dark
| hall was a terrible bUgbear to Robbie,
who never could see the door closed
upon him with just such racket, it
was not long till the busy little man
was looking about for something upon
which to exercise his ingenuity il the
Kitchens


Mamma was busy making mince
pies, and could not be troubled with
him. He strayed into the pantry
where the rows of goodies looked SO
tempting that Robbie was Just debat-
ing in his mind whether Thanksgiv
ing to-day wouldn't be nicer than to-
morrow, when Ann settled the ques-
ton for him by hurrying him out Of
the pantry and depOsiting him i'll Il
chair behind the stove, with cookie
in one hand and Il bunch Of TaiSinS in
the other, so he concluded it was best
to be thankful for what he had, leaV-
ing tomorrow to take care of itself.
Very quietly he sat there for at least
five minutes; then, as his cookie dis
appeared, he thrust the raiSins into his
| pocket for future use-for his fertile
brain had not been idle during the five
minutes in which the fat legs and arms
and wriggling body had rested--then
he began to besiege mamma with Ques-
tions about the expected guests.
Grandma and Cousin Kate lived
three miles away, and 50 far as Robbie
was concerned, if they only came on
the morrow, it would matter little
whether any one else came or not, for
they were his favorites among all the
hosts of relatives.


"Mamma. say, mamma. what time
is Cousin Kate coming: Amt she
| coming till mOrning?'


"No, my dear, | guess not. Perhaps
Cousin Will will bring her in his new
sleigh. Won't that be nice?'


But Robbie looked as if he didn't
think it so very nice. To have to wait
all the afternoon and all night, when
Cousin Kate was coming, was more
than the little fellow thought he could
endure. "Mamma, I'm going for her
my own self this afternoon, with my
sled. Can't l? Fix me up quick, so |
can gon'


Mamma knew that run in the
clear, bracing air, cold as it was,
would do Robbie no harm, as he was
used to it, and whenever the snow was
on the ground he would take his lit
tie sled out behind the house, and
ride down the hill for an hour at a
time, with no other companion thai
"Old Mai" the faithful Newfound-
land, who would bound along by his
side and bark as if he entered into
the sport as heartily as Robbie him
self


So mamma bundled him up warm,
tied the little woolen tippet over his
ears, drew on the mittens which grand
ma had given him only the week be,
fore, on his birthday; then, never
dreaming that Robbie contemplated
going further than the hill, kissed
him fondly, and watched him trudge
away with his sled, while Major bound
ed and frisked along by his side. She
then returned to her pies with rather
feeling of satisfaction that there
would be no more interruptions for an
hour at least.


But Robbie had no thought OF
spending his afternoon at the hill.
He had fully resolved to go for Cousin
Kate. She had rather ride in his sled,
he knew, than in Cousin Wills new
sleigh, and Cousin VIII could bring
grandma in the morning; and then he
laughed. to think how sprised' his
mother would be when she saw him
coming home with Cousin Kate on his
sled. His only fear was lest grandma
should interfere with the plan.


So taken up was he with his plan
that the road he took was of very lit
tie Importance. To be sure, he had
been there many times, but then it
was with papa and mamma, and he
had given little heed to the direction
in which he went, and on this after
noon the path that looked the smooth
est and easiest for his little sled was
the one decided upon, and it proved to
be in an exactly opposite direction
from, grandma's,