Year: 1872

them some token from out the mysterious


somewhere so that they could find him.


But all the other pleasures of the day


sank INTO insignifisance compared with
Grandmother's royal dinner. Even the
uniest baby cousin sat in a high chain
and orandished a drum-stick, smearing
its fat little face and poking its own blue
eyes.


Young Tom was so engrossed that he
actually forgot to pinch Hepsy, although
ne sat by her side; and Hepsy was SO


busy taking care of Rose, who sat on the
other side, and protecting her new blue
frock from being decorated with gravy
and currant jelly, that she never noticed
Bridget's whispering to her Uncle Tom
and his leaving the room, and soon after
her mothers doing the same. Then they
both came back again with such happy
excited facesl All this passed entirely
unnoticed by Hepsy.


When the huge turkeys had been re-
duced to skeletons, and the mince pies
and plum pudding had vanished, Grand
mother seated the the ten little cousins
side by side, and placed little pie before
each one.


Tom was the first one TO open his, and
beneath the puffy upper crust he found a
huge jack-knife with countless blades,
and three bright gold dollars. Hepsy
came next, and her heart was made glad
with bottle of 'Lubin's Violet" and a
fine embroidered handkerchief. Funny
filling for pies, wasn't its But you must
remember there was only a wellbaked
upper crust and a clean little dish under
meath.


So each one OF the little cousins ex-
plored, and judging by their faces each
one was perfectly satisfied.


1t had long been a custom of Grand
father Browns to gather the children and
grandchildren around him just before
they were ready to go home, and ask each
one in turn what they had to be thank
full for. So tonight, after they had romped
to their hearts content, and even the noisi-
est were tired of "Puss In the Corner"
and Stage Coach" they all gathered
around the huge fire for quiet time be-
fore saying goodnight.


thank God for our childrenp said
Grandmother, and the tears started to her
eyes as she thought of one who had been
there year ago.


"Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for
He is good, for His mercy endureth for
ever" said the little mother, with a
strange flush upon her cheeks and intense
feeling in her voice.


"What do you thank Him for,
daughters" said Grandfather, turning
tenderly to Hepsy.


Now all the old loneliness and longing
for her father had come back with such
renewed force since night had come on,
and the other children had gathered
around their parents, that Hepsy felt as
If she could not endure it, and she burst
into tears, exclaiming: s'Ol Grandpa, 1
want my father; / can't thank Him until
He gives him hack tn mefo


"Hepsy, Hepsy" said Uncle Tom,
pointing to the door he had just entered.
Look there, HepsyI"


Hepsy turned her head, and with one
scream and bound she was across the
room with her arms around her fathers
neck. Pale, thin and haggsrd, to be
sure, but father for all that.


What an excitement there was then
and not until he had been kissed and cried
over by every member of the family flom
Grandfather down, and was finally seated
by the fire with Hepsy on his knee, and
Mamma close by his side, did they hear
the whole story.


How he had been stricken with sudden
sickness at Liverpool, and had been de-
hrious for long time, so that he could
give the good Samaritans who took care
of him no sort of clue to his friends; and
how he had written home during his con-
valescence letters which by some strange
fortune had never come; and how he had
finally been enabled to attempt the jour-
ney home, and had telegraphed from New
York to Uncle Tom that he would be
here this evening.


And that was why Uncle Tom had
called the little mother out of the room
and that was why the old bloom had
come back to her cheeks.


''What are you thankful for now, little
girl :" asked Grandfather as Hepsy
came to bid him goodnight, long after
her usual bedtime


"Give thanks unto the Lord, repeated
Hepsy, in low voice, ''for He is good,
for His mercy endureth hforever."-ChTis-
tidn Union. ,