his best
button boots, which absorbed and distracted him as much as Mr. Toot's
wristbands did on one occasion.

As Mr. and Mrs. Bhaer glanced at each other down the long table, with
those rows of happy faces on either side, they had a little thanksgiving
all to themselves, and without a word, for one heart said to the other,

"Our work has prospered, let us be grateful and go on."

The clatter of knives and forks prevented much conversation for a few
minutes, and Mary Ann with an amazing pink bow in her hair "flew round"
briskly, handing plates and ladling out gravy. Nearly every one had
contributed to the feast, so the dinner was a peculiarly interesting
ones to the eaters of it, who beguiled the pauses by remarks on their
own productions.

"If these are not good potatoes I never saw any," observed Jack, as he
received his fourth big mealy one.

"Some of my herbs are in the stuffing of the turkey, that's why it's so
nice," said Nan, taking a mouthful with intense satisfaction.

"My ducks are prime any way; Asia said she never cooked such fat ones,"
added Tommy.

"Well, our carrots are beautiful, ain't they, and our parsnips will
be ever so good when we dig them," put in Dick, and Dolly murmured his
assent from behind the bone he was picking.

"I helped make the pies with my pumpkin," called out Robby, with a laugh
which he stopped by retiring into his mug.

"I picked some of the apples that the cider is made of," said Demi.

"I raked the cranberries for the sauce," cried Nat.

"I got the nuts," added Dan, and so it went on all round the table.

"Who made up Thanksgiving?" asked Rob, for being lately promoted to
jacket and trousers he felt a new and manly interest in the institutions
of his country.

"See who can answer that question," and Mr. Bhaer nodded to one or two
of his best history boys.

"I know," said Demi, "the Pilgrims made it."

"What for?" asked Rob, without waiting to learn who the Pilgrims were.

"I forget," and Demi subsided.

"I believe it was because they were starved once, and so when they had a
good harvest, they said, 'We will thank God for it,' and they had a day
and called it Thanksgiving," said Dan, who liked the story of the brave
men who suffered so nobly for their faith.

"Good! I didn't think you would remember any thing but natural history,"
and Mr. Bhaer tapped gently on the table as applause for his pupil.

Dan looked pleased; and Mrs. Jo said to her son, "Now do y