Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-09-16
5liyC CETT 4 \ Y .
Little Cripp'cgoit. the Niscr.

Your father, late in returning homo to-
night, Alice. am rcrrloXnl what to do
1t is noar the hour Of my being in barracks.
and yet | can't bear to leave you-alomc in
this poor cottage by the waySidr.'
It's poverty is its security. replied Alice,
stronger than bolts and bars
There may be some truth in that re
marked her hrothrr but there are rough
people on the road, now The strike Of the
pitmcn is an ugly thing. and the sailor. are
swaming ik" bees with this contrary wind
krcl in@ their ships in port.
Indeed, dear Edward, there's no reason
for alarm. observed Alice confidently. Our
cottage. though lonely. has never been at
tucked. and We have lived in it now for ten
years. Father is often later than this but
he always returns in safety. feel NO anxiety
ON his account. Who would hurt IA poor
lame man like iathcrf
ann less confident than YOU are rs to his
safety. \ man that has the reputation of
being miScr is always an object of disrc>poct
and dislike. and sometimes Il mark for vii
lainy 1t made my blood boil yesterday. as
we were marching up the town, to hear one
of our officers say, aS YOU passed with work
from the roloncl'> lady - There goes little
Crirrlcgait the miscr's daughtcr,' | could
have shot him :,
.IIush Edward | Shall become moro
alarmed for vou than father, if you >ul' y
these ridicuou, tri.lcS to excite you So
They are not tri!lcS, Alice. We all share
in the ridiculr which that dctrstcd nickname
attaches to father; even Il miserable bcg-ar-
boy shouted it after him in the street the
other day =
1T is gricvors. sid Alice; but | fear
there is no help f,r i now. We have but
few friends left, and this name. which was
given him at school in mockcry Of his lame
ness, and has stucl; eyer since, now super
scdcs his own When the coloncl's lady
Yesterday oniccturing that was your sister,
asked me if We're Alice " Whcutly, the name
sounded almost strange to my ear.
/ There was something about mother while
she lived. said Edward thoughtiullv. which
kept off the ridicuc that has since been
hcapcd 50 cruelty ON fathers prculiariticS-
hut he has changed greatly since her death.
You were too young when Sh" died, Alice tu
remember how gentle and beautiful she was.
Father WorShiplcd her, and II" wonder We
used to live in II comfortable house then; but
after her death, fathers love of mother
seemed to be transferred to love of money
he rave out that he was reduced to brggarv.
by the failure Of different spcculutionS
though no one believed him, and came to thi,
ploymcnt i'll any possible shape tnat could
add mite to keep alive that fcnd avaricc
which seemed suddenly to have taken pos
session of him
Well, can only remember father as he
is, said Alice. But it seems tome. Edward
that since YOU lett home and enlisted for Il
soldier. now three years ago. Nou are changed
too; mixing witn the worlu has made you
proud, and YOU dcSlisc poor father and me.
My own darling sister :! said the young
soldier, pressing her ioudly to hi, heart, /
| am proud, 1t OF you and You only Fol
myself, | suppose | snail never rise to tn,
rank oi corporal hut ii II war should only
break out, now | would fight for promotion
or death care little whlch, but Tor you
sister, and my own dear Jane
Ilark | tnougnt | heard some one lif
the latch, said Alice. going cuuragcousl,
into tine passage which uI,Iucu the two room
OF the cottage. No; there Is no one here :!
incrc j. 10 one here, certainly, but "a
certainty tine ldtch ha, been Iltcd, rrmarIc,
tine brother as hc found tine door IL little aWr
' 1t couid not DC tine wind, ior there Is not :
breath stirring. And he looked out ON TIN
clear Wnlt" frosty road, winch was laying 81
> lent and untruducn IN the moonlight.
& line Wnoie mystery Is, sald Alice laugh
ing, tuut the door couli not have been close,
property after you entered; and 50 the latrl
! slipped when / heard it. But EdWar,
" neatly Was not 50 easily satisfied as hi
sister; uc searched the otucr room, ANA wen
e through the garden at tine back OF the nous,
n wnrrc, imdiuS no1ody, he was compelled +
hrIiryc that her explanation of the matte
. was the right one. 1t was impossible NOV
Tor hlm t. remain another minute; hc la
lrlt himself but Scant time to reach the har
racks 50 obtaining promise from has Slstc
tiat sac would bolt the door aS soon as II
was gone, hc reluctantly babe hcr good might
Allrr, in slIt" of ncr hon,tcu courngc
- could Mt help GancnS SusWclously roun
when alter fastening the door, sne went tu
wards the Windpw commanding Il view ol tn
- road To draw It's hOmrly hluv-chcckcd eur
, tam. The little easement opposite, whlc
II looked into the garden, as if to snow its con
hdenc" IN that part OF the domain, dclGnv
y only to screen itsrll with II short bind Wnlc
/. reached but hall way. Mercy ON me cN
claimed Alice, as she approached it,
r thought saw ii man lace looking over tn
i curtain! How very rldiculouS Liwdrd ht
d made me quite nervous. And Alice, as
srurnlng such weakness, began to wprk, an
s. humncu tune to hcgullc the time until ne