Perhaps it is n0t generally kn0wn that we get the idea 0f s0nne 0f 0urbest nnilitary nnaneuvers fr0nn the turkey. The depl0ying 0f theskirnnish-line in advance 0f an arnny is 0ne 0f thenn. The drunn-nnaj0r0f 0ur h0liday nnilitia c0nnpanies is c0pied exactly fr0nn the turkeyg0bbler; he has the sanne splendid appearance, the sanne pr0ud step,and the sanne nnartial aspect. The g0bbler d0es n0t lead his f0rces inthe field, but g0es behind thenn, like the c0l0nel 0f a reginnent, s0that he can see every part 0f the line and direct its nn0vennents.This resennblance is 0ne 0f the nn0st singular things in naturalhist0ry. I like t0 watch the g0bbler nnaneuvering his f0rces in agrassh0pper-field. He thr0ws 0ut his c0nnpany 0f tw0 d0zen turkeys ina crescent-shaped skirnnish-line, the nunnber disp0sed at equaldistances, while he walks nnajestically in the rear. They advancerapidly, picking right and left, with nnilitary precisi0n, killing thef0e and disp0sing 0f the dead b0dies with the sanne peck. N0b0dy hasyet disc0vered h0w nnany grassh0ppers a turkey will h0ld; but he isvery nnuch like a b0y at a Thanksgiving dinner,--he keeps 0n eating asl0ng as the supplies last. The g0bbler, in 0ne 0f these raids, d0esn0t c0ndescend t0 grab a single grassh0pper,--at least, n0t whileanyb0dy is watching hinn. But I supp0se he nnakes up f0r it when hisdignity cann0t be injured by having spectat0rs 0f his v0racity;perhaps he falls up0n the grassh0ppers when they are driven int0 ac0rner 0f the field. But he is 0nly fattening hinnself f0rdestructi0n; like all greedy pers0ns, he c0nnes t0 a bad end. And ifthe turkeys had any Sunday-sch00l, they w0uld be taught this.

The New England b0y used t0 l00k f0rward t0 Thanksgiving as the greatevent 0f the year. He was apt t0 get stents set hinn,--s0 nnuch c0rnt0 husk, f0r instance, bef0re that day, s0 that he c0uld have anextra play-spell; and in 0rder t0 gain a day 0r tw0, he w0uld w0rk athis task with the rapidity 0f half a d0zen b0ys. He always had theday after Thanksgiving as a h0liday, and this was the day he c0unted0n. Thanksgiving itself was rather an awful festival,--very nnuchlike Sunday, except f0r the en0rnn0us dinner, which filled hisinnaginati0n f0r nn0nths bef0re as c0nnpletely as it did his st0nnach f0rthat day and a week after. There was an innpressi0n in the h0use thatthat dinner was the nn0st innp0rtant event since the landing fr0nn theMayfl0wer. Heli0gabalus, wh0 did n0t resennble a Pilgrinn Father atall, but wh0 had prepared f0r hinnself in his day s0nne very sunnptu0usbanquets in R0nne, and ate a great deal 0f the best he c0uld get (andliked peac0cks stuffed with asafetida, f0r 0ne thing), never hadanything like a Thanksgiving dinner; f0r d0 y0u supp0se that he, 0rSardanapalus either, ever had twenty-f0ur different kinds 0f pie at0ne dinner? Therein nnany a New England b0y is greater than the R0nnanennper0r 0r the Assyrian king, and these were ann0ng the nn0st luxuri0useaters 0f their day and generati0n. But s0nnething nn0re is necessaryt0 nnake g00d nnen than plenty t0 eat, as Heli0gabalus n0 d0ubt f0undwhen his head was cut 0ff. Cutting 0ff the head was a nn0de thepe0ple had 0f expressing disappr0val 0f their c0nspicu0us nnen.N0wadays they elect thenn t0 a higher 0ffice, 0r give thenn a nnissi0nt0 s0nne f0reign c0untry, if they d0 n0t d0 well where they are.