The Portland daily press., 1866-03-12
Z Miscellany.
The w ID Duck Shooter.

the poorl
Call tosmind the coolest day you ever expe-
rienced. Think of the bitter Wnd anu uils
ing snow; think how you shook and snVereu
how the sharp white particles were driven
up against your face how, within doors, the
carnats were lifted like biliows along the floors
the wind howled and moancd IN the chlmneys,
windows ratified, doors creaked, and every
now and then heavy Jumps OF snow came
thundering down with a dull weight from the
roof.
Now hear my story.
In one of the broad open plains of Lincoln
shire. the is a Ions, leedy sheet of water, a
fayorite resort OF wild DUCKS. AT its northern
extremity stand two mud cottages, old, and
out Of repair.
One bitter, bitter night, when the snow lay
three feet deep on the ground, and cutting
east wind was driving it about, and whistling
in the dry frozen reeds by the waters edge,
and swinging the bare willow trees till their
branches swept the ice, an old woman sat
spinning in one of these cottages before
moderately cheerful fire. Her kettle was sing
ing ON the Goals; she had a reed-candle, or
home made rush light on her table, but the
full moon shone in, and was the brighter OF
the two. These two cottages were far from
any road, or any other habitation; the old wo-
man was, therefore, surprised. as she SAT draw
ing out her thread, and grooming an oid horIh-
country song, to hear sudden knock al the
door. a .sls5l
n was loud and inpatient, not like the
knock of her neighbors in the other cottage;
but the door was bolted, and the old woman
rose, and shutting to the window, looked out,
and saw a shivering figure, apparently that Of
youth. !, >, ..,a t,o d, ,,o,,,,, o...
tiously, "tramping folk be not wanted here !"
DO saying she went back to the fire without
deigning to answer the door.
The youth, upon this, tried the door and
called TO her to beg admittance. She heard
him rap the snow from his shoes against her
Intel, and again knock as if he thought her
deaf, and he should surely gain admittance if
he could only make her hear.
The old woman, surprised at his audacity,
went TO the easement, and, with all pride OF
possession, opened it and inquired his bust
ness. ss,.s..s = ~ .ls-.F5Hu
"Good woman, only want seat at your
fire. : Dfg@ 81 Vsa- 'i
aNay," said the old woman, giving effect to
her words BY her uncouth dialogue, "thouPt
get no shelter here: Ive nought to give to beg
gars--a dirty, wet critter," she continued,
Wrathfully slamnling to the window, sits
wonder where he found any water, too, see
ing it freezes so hard, body can get none for
the, kettle, save WHAT'S broken up with
hatchet.n -...s...s...
On this the beggar turned hastily away.
And at this point in his narrative, the person
who told it me stopped and said, 'Do you
think the old woman was very much to
blameP sa5at aHs
"She might have acted more kindly, but
because" said he, II have heard her con-
duct SO much reflected on by some who would
have thought nothing of it it it had not been
for the consequences" /51r
"She might have turned him away less
roughly y observed.
@That Is true, but in any case, think
though wemight give them food or money, we
should hardly invite beggars in to sit by the
fire." i3tl srs..s-sir Is is....,r4 -Gug L
Certainly not and this woman could not
tell that the begsar was honest" / answered.
"No," said he, "but must so on with my
narrative. The stranger turned very hastily
from her door, and waded through the deep
enow towards the other cottage. The bitter
wind helped to drive him towards it. 1t look
ed no less poor than the first; and, when he
had tried the door, found it bolted, and knock
ed swice without attracting attention, his
heart sank within him. His hand was so
numbed with cold that he had made scarcely
any noise; he tried again.
A rush candle was burning within, and a
,nstronly looking woman sat before the fire.
She held an infant in her arms. and had drop
ped asleep; but his third knock aroused her,
and, wrapping her apron round the child, she
opened the door very little way and demand
ed what he wanted
"Good woman" the youth began, II have
had the misfortune to fall in the water this
bitter night, and I am SO numbed I can scarce
ly walk" ....s -. ,,.r..-...,.
The woman gave him a sudden, earnest
look, and then sighed.
"Come in," she said; "thou art so nigh the
size of my Jem, / thought at first it was him
come home from sea-" .ft. ....at
The youth stepped across the threshold,
trembling with cold and wet; and no wonder,
for his clothes were completely encased in wet
mud, and the water dripped from them with
every step he took on the sanded floor. IL
GThou art in sorry plight" said the wo-
man, @and it be two miles to the highest
housen; come and kneel down afore the Ere;
thy teeth chatter so pitifuily, can scarce bear
to hear them" F" t-s
She looked at him more attentively, and saw
that he was mere boy, not more than sixteen
years Of age. Her motheriy heart was touch
cd for him. "Art hungry she asked, turn
ing to the table; "thou art wet to the skim
What hast been doing ~ Glli
"Shooting wild ducks" said the boy. d5'.
"Ohw said his hostess, @thou art one of the
keepers boys, then, reckon?"
He followed the direction OF her eyes, and
saw two portions OF bread set upon the table,
with small piece of bacon on each. a- -.
"My master be very Late" she observed, for
charity did not make lef use elegant language,
and by her master she meant her husband
"but thou art welcome to my bit and sup, Tor
I was waiting for him; maybe it will put lit
tie warmth in thee to eat and drink" SO say
ing she took up mug OF beer from the hearth,
and pushed 1t 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 lrippings from my clothes"
"Ay, thou art wet, indeed" said the woman,
and, rising again, she went to an old box in
which she began to search, and presently 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 witt be rery careful of
them, I'll let thee wear them till thine be dry"
She then explained that she was going to put
her ubairn" to bed, and proceeded up a
ladder into the room above, leaving the boy to
array himself in these respectable and desira-
bic garments. ~ i-i- .t-
When she came down her guest had dressed
himself In the laborer's clothes; he had had
time to warm himself, and he was eating and
drinking with hungry relish. He had thrown
and, as she proceeded to lit them up, she said
~Ah! lad, lad, / doubt thy head has been I'M
der water; thy poor mother would have been
sorely frightened il she had seen thee awhile
ago.
"fessp said the boy; and, in imagination,
the cottage dame saw this said mother, a care
worn, hard-workng creature like herself;
while the youthful guest saw, in Imagination,
. beautiful and courtly lady; and both saw the
same love, the same anxiety, the same terror
at sight OF lonely boy struggling in the moon
light through breaking ice, with no one to
help him, catching at the frozen reeds, and
then creeping up, shyering and benumbed, to
q cottage door. *. y..l
But even as she stopped the woman forgot
her imagination, for she had taken waistcoat
into her hands, such as had never passed be-
tween them before; gold pencil case dropped
from the pocket, and, on the floor, among
heap of mud that covered the outer garments.
Ian Nyy,ifo ahirt-slaevp so white. intlead and