Feeding the multitude—at home

Susan K. Oyer

Running home from the school bus stop, Lila kicked the leaves gathered along the bank of the narrow lane. She was so excited. Thanksgiving was only one week away. Today at school Mrs. Fenstermacher had told the children they were all invited to join in a Thanksgiving Food Drive. Everyone who could was to bring in a container of food from home. When they had gathered all the food, they would take it to a family in their community.

After Mrs. Fenstermacher told about the food drive, she read a story about the early Pilgrims. They were not prepared for the cold winter in Massachusetts, but the Indians brought them corn and other vegetables to eat. Mrs. Fenstermacher said the children could pretend they were Indians bringing food for a Pilgrim family in their own town.

Lila liked to pretend. In fact, she had pretended a lot since Daddy died last summer. She even pretended that he would come home from work at dinnertime, or that he would be outside the door after Sunday School. It made her feel better, at least for a little while. Even though she had seven brothers and sisters, it often seemed awfully quiet around the house.

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