The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-08-16
VOLUME 27.7

uuSodDui DuI IHOu arr welcome 10 my OIL
and sup, for was waiting for him may bt
l it will put little warmth in thee to eat and
drink" so saying she took up mug of beel
from the hearth and pushed it towards him
with her share of the supper.
''Thank you," said the boy, ''but am
so wet | am making quite pool before
your fire with the drippings from my wei
clothes"
SAY, thou art wet, indeed" said the wo
man, and rising again she went to All old
box in which she began to search and pres
emily came to the fire with a perfectly clean
check shirt in her hand and tolerably good
suit of clothes.
There, said she, showing them with no
small pride, 'these be my masters Sunday
clothes, and if thou wilt be very careful of
them, I'll let thee wear them till thine be
dry She then explained that she was go,
ing to put her ''bairn" to bed, and proceed
ed up ladder into the room above, leaving
the boy to array himself in these respectable
and desirable garments
/ When she came down. her guest had dome
himself in the laborer's clothes he had ha
time to warm himself, and he was eatin g
and drinking with much relish. He had
thrown his muddy clothes on the floor in a
heap, and, as she proceeded to lift them up,
she said "Ah lad, lad, | doubt thy head
has been under water; thy mother would
have been sorely frightened if she could
have seen thee awile ago."
Yes, " said the boy, and in imagination
the cottage dame saw this said mother a
care-worn, hard-working creature like her.
self; while the youthful guest saw in i'm.
or .F.1 I. j.
and both saw the same love, the same anx-
iety the same terror at sight of lonely
boy struggling in the moonlight through
breaking ice with no one to help him,
catching at the frozen reeds and then creep
ing up, shivering and benumbed, to cot
tage door.
Bot even as she stopped the woman for
got her imagination, for she had taken a
waistcoat into her hands, such as had never
passed between them before; gold pencil
case dropped from the pocket, and on the
floor, among heap of mud that covered
the outer garments lay white shirt sleeve
so white, indeed, and fine, that she thought
it could hardly be worn by a squire
She glanced from the clothes to the own.
er. He had thrown down his cap, and his
fair curly hair and broad forehead convinced
her that he was of gentle birth but while
she hesitated to sit down, he sat chair for
her, and said with boyous frankness 81
say, what a lonely place this is if you had
not let me in, the water would have all fro
zen on me before l reached home Catch
me duck shooting again by myself"
cts very cold sport, sir" said the wo-
man.
The young gentleman assented most
readily, and asked if he might stir the fire.
"And welcome sir" said the woman
She felt curiosity to know who lie was
and he partly satisfied her by remarking
that he was staying at Dean Hall, house
about five miles off, adding that in the
morning he had broken a hole in the ice
very near the decoy, but it had iced over so
fast, that in the dusk ne had missed it and
fallen in, for it would not bear him. He
had made some landmarks and taken every
precaution, but he supposed the sport had
excited him so much that, in the moonlight,
he had passed them by.
He then told her of his attempt to get
shelter in the other cottage
''Sir," said the woman, eff you had said
you were a gentleman"
The boy laughed, Il don't think knew
it, my good woman" be replied, 'my SEN
ses were so benumbed for | was some time
struggling at the waters edge among the.
broken ice, and then believe was nearly
an hour creeping up to your cottage door,
| remember it all rather indstincty, but as
soon l felt the fire, and drank the warm
beer, was different creature,'
While they still talked the husband came
in, and while he was eating his supper. they
agreed that he could walk to Dean Hall, and
let its inmates know of the gentIemans safe
ty ; and when he was gone they made up
the fire with all the coal that remained to
that poor household, and then the woman
crept up to bed and left her guest to lie
down and rest before it.
In the grey of dawn the laborer returned,
with servant leading the horse and bring
ing fresh suit of clothes.
The young gentleman took his leave with
many thanks, slipping three half crowns
into the woman's hand, probably all the
money he had about him. And must not
forget to mention that he kissed the baby,
for, when she tells the story the mother al
ways adverts to that circumstance with
great PRIDE adding that her child, being as
clean as wax, was quite fit to be kissed by
anybody !"
''Missis," said her husband, as they stood
in the doorway, looking after their guest,
''who dost think that be?''
II don't know" answered the missis.
'Ihen I'll justltell thee; that be young
Lord W.; so thou mayest be proud wo
man, thou sits and talks with lords and
asks them in to supper-ha, hal" So say
ing, her master shouldered his spade and
went his way, leaving her clinking the three
half crowns in her hand, and considering
what she should do with them Her neigh
Dor from the other cottage presently stepped
in, and when she heard the tale and saw the
money, her heart was ready to break with
envy and jealousy. 80 to think that good
luck should have come to her door, and she
should have been so foolish as to turn it
away. Seven shillings and sixpence for
morsel of food and nights shelter, why,
it was nearly weeks wages!"
So there, as they both supposed, the mat
ter ended, and the next week the frost was
sharper than ever. Sheep were frozen in the
fenny fields, and poultry on their perohes,
but the good woman had walked to the
nearest town and bought blanket. 1t was
welcome addition to their bed covering,
and 1t was many long year since they had
been so comfortable.
But it CHANGED one day at noon, that,
looking out at her easement, she spied three
young gentleman skating along the ice to-
ward her cottage They sprang on to the
bank, took off their skates and made for
her door. The young nobleman informed
her that he had such severe cold he could
not come to see her before ''He spoke as
pleasantly" she observed, In telling the
story, ''as if had been lady and no less
and then he brought parcel out of his
pocket, and Ive been over to B , he says,
and bought you a book for keeps axe. and
| hope you will accept it, and then they all
talked as pretty as could be for a matter Of
ten minutes, and went away. So l waited
till my master came home, and we opened
the parcel, and there was fine Bible inside