Sunshine Factory | Page 2

a going to come back on Thanksgiving day, you know; and
what if this should be the very day. Grandfather, I'm going around by
the depot after my molasses, then if I meet him, I can show him the
way home."
But grandfather only shook his head. "It's a pretty thought, child, and
I'm glad you've got it to help you through the days; but your Uncle

Dick will never come home again. I feel it all through me that I will
never see him on earth."
"And I feel it all through me that you will. Why I know he'll come. This
morning when I prayed for him to come to-day for sure, I most heard
the angel saying, 'Yes, Mollie, he shall.'"
Grandfather smiled and sighed. "You've almost heard him a many
times before," he said; "but keep on listening, dear, it keeps your heart
warm; and we'll eat our Thanksgiving dinner, and thank the Lord for it,
and be as happy as we can, for there's many a body has no dinner to eat.
I'm sure I don't know where ours is to come from to-morrow."
Mollie shook her brown head. "Now, grandpa, you are not to coax me
to keep these two cents and go without our molasses. I've set my heart
on a Thanksgiving dinner. I told Jesus I loved him very much for
sending these pennies; and we don't want our to-morrow's dinner till
to-morrow comes. I'm going now for the molasses, and I shall go
around by the depot;" and she kissed her grandfather on his white hair,
on his nose, on both sunken eyes, and kissing her hand to him as she
ran across the street, she was soon out of sight.
[Illustration]
"I wonder which street I would better go?" she said, stopping at the
corner, and looking each way with a wise air. "If one only knew which
street Uncle Dick might take in coming from the depot, one would
know how to decide. I don't see why grandpa should think I am foolish
in talking so; of course if Uncle Dick is alive, he will come home some
day, and it might be to-day. What if I have said so a good many times,
it is true every day, and will be till he comes. I most know he is alive,
for people always hear, some way or other, when their friends die. I'm
going down Allen Street; that's the shortest road from the depot;" and
she turned the corner so suddenly that she ran right against this tall man
who had a large valise strapped over his shoulder, and a satchel by the
hand.
"Softly, softly, my lassie," he said, as Mollie stopped out of breath.

"You nearly tipped me over, to say nothing of yourself. Perhaps while
you are finding your breath, you can tell me where to find Marham
Street."
"Yes, sir, I can; I just came from there. I live on that street. It is a good
long way from here, and you turn up and down about every lane you
come to. If you will wait till I go to the store for my molasses, I can
show you the way. The store is just down that block, and across the
road."
"All right; go ahead. I'll follow. So you are going after molasses, for
mother to make a Thanksgiving cake, I dare say."
"No, sir," said Mollie, and her voice took a sober tone, and she shook
her brown head with a sigh. "I haven't got any mother; she died when I
was a little bit of a girl. I live with grandpa, and we never have any
cake; we are too poor; but we are going to have a Thanksgiving dinner
for all that. I will have that little, when it only comes once a year. We
have two lovely big potatoes roasting at the fire, and I know how to
make perfectly splendid johnny-cake, and we are to have this molasses
to eat with it, because it is Thanksgiving. I did mean to have a dessert,
like grand folks. I was going to have two apples and make some lovely
apple-sauce, but I had to give that up. Perhaps by next Thanksgiving,
Uncle Dick will come home, if he doesn't come to-day, and then maybe
we can have dessert too."
"Are you expecting Uncle Dick to-day?"
"Oh, yes; we expect him every day, but mostly on Thanksgivings, for it
was then he went away."
"Where did he go to?"
"Out to Australia, sir; ever so many years ago; seventeen years ago
to-day. Grandfather thinks he is lost, but I don't."
Mollie was so busy picking her way across the muddy street that she
didn't see the start the man beside her gave, nor