SUSIE'S THANKSGIVING.
‘T was the day before Thanksgiving, but Susie was sure she had nothing to be thankful for, and all because mamma would not buy for her a beautiful new dolly, which she had hoped would be the envy of all her little cousins at grandma's party next day. All the morning Susie had sulked, and mamma had taken no notice; but just after dinner she said, "Come, Susie, don't you want to take a nice ride on the elevated railroad? I'll take you as far as it goes."
This offer proved a speedy cure to Susie's troubles, and she tripped away to the station with a happy face, though she did feel a little bad when they turned into Sixth Avenue, and she saw in a shop window a pretty wax doll such as she had wanted for so long.
But soon all else was forgotten in the pleasure of the rapid ride along the smooth airy track, now between the high houses, now looking out upon the broad Hudson, the long stretch of Central Park, or the funny towns of shanties perched upon the rocks, with all their geese and goats; then creeping round the great" double S," and flying on past houses, woods, and open lots, till they at last stopped at the end of the road.
"Now," said mamma, "we will take a little walk, and you shall see a boarding-school." They soon came to a fine large building, with grand old trees all around it, and a lovely river view before. A very pleasant gentleman welcomed them, and offered to show them the school. But what a funny school it was! Everybody busy scholars studying, and teachers teaching, but nobody saying a word only making signs and talking with their fingers and writing-boards and curious little writing-machines, but no sound at all.
Susie knew it must be a school for those who cannot hear. Little children of her own age were learning to read and write, others were studying geography and history, and they all looked so happy. There were young ladies and gentlemen who could read aloud and speak beautifully; but what interested Susie most was a class of six dear little girls, who stood up in a row and recited the Lord's Prayer in their beautiful language of signs and gestures. They recited "Home, Sweet Home," too, in the same way, while the tune was played softly upon the piano. Oh, how sweet the tune sounded to Susie, as she thought with tearful eyes that those little girls had never heard a song in their lives, and never could! She slipped away from her mamma's side when the song was ended; she wanted to speak to those little girls. But she could not do that, so she gave each one a kiss; and one little girl wrote on a blackboard for Susie to read," We are glad you came to see us, but you must not cry. We are not unhappy because we cannot hear. Some day, if we are good, we shall hear the angels sing."
Then Susie's mamma took her home; and the first thing the little girl did was to go to her playroom, and choosing from among her prettiest treasures, make up six neat little packages, to be sent as Thanksgiving presents to the little girls who could not sing. Susie never once thought while she was doing it of the beautiful dolly in the shop window; and when she joined her little cousins in their merry games next day, though no one knew her thoughts, she was thinking of how much she had to be thankful for.
Selected.
"Thanksgiving-day will soon be here;
Hurrah!" cries Curly-pate,
The gladdest day of all the year,
And I can hardly wait.
For then we go to grandmamma's,
And have a right good time;
We race and run, and have such fun,
I tell you it is prime.