The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-03-09

/ her property, and its care and i'm
provement, in q manner surprising
when one remembered she was child
less. All those wide lands, and all
that heaped-up gold could be left to
no one she knew or cared for; and SO
people said and thought. Only one
woman--a black nurse, who had
known Mrs. Munson from childhood
understood her motive. Mad as
the idea seemed, the mother believed
that her son was living, and would re-
turn to her.
at is for him / do all this" she
would say, as she over-tasked her
strength in cares for her estate, or with
mighty trouble saved dollar or two
Of her thousands 81 feel sure he will
come back some day before ! die"
And black bIinty would answer:
Lord send him, missus, and nothing
more.
Then the lady, pacing the floor and
looking into space, would talk to
her black servant OF this long cherished
hope.
They'd have found the poor little
body had he been drowned she
would say, and ! should have known
it by that strange red mark on his left
breast You remember it?'
eyes, missus like "a cross a most.
True-you saw it first; and then he
could say his name, Willy. Remem-
/ be that if l die first, l shall leave all
to him. All my boy" And she
would weep as though she had but
lost him yesterday.
On o certain night worn and Grip
pied man, in tattered, soldiers garb,
came limping on his clutches, to her
door The winter eve had set in with
bitter blasts and driving sleet, and it
was weather in which one would
scarcely have turned a dog from the
door The Munson mansion stood
quite alone. For a long distance on
either hand no roof arose; for its gar
dens and fields spread far and wide,
and were edged about with woods be
longing to- the property. 1t semcd
ass the soldier stood upon the porch
as though he could take no step fur
Their. He gave a feeble rap and lis
tened. There was no answer bat the
barking Of dog. Another, and after
an interval the door was opened by
black Minty.
+ lie told his story-a sad one-oi
Imprisonment and wounds and hum
ger.
I'm trying to travel on crutches tc
where they know me, he said. But
see what a night it is, and I'm weaker
than ] Thought
Black AIinty eyed the young man
ruefully.
"AIissue is Gurus, she said; dunno
what she'll say-Ill try, though.
And she left him and made her way
to sitting-room which opened from
the hall The soldier heard her voice
then another shrill and sharp:
'Beggars again. win there be NO
end of them I tell YOU / won't en-
courage them. Send him away; and
without waiting for the cruel answer
old Minty must relunctanuy bring, be
hobbled away, growing sitter and
fainter with cold and hunger at every
moment
Mrs. Munson went back TO her fire
and sat warming her fingers at the
blaze. Alintg stood near, looking
guilty and unhappy. She was priv
legged person, and by and by expressed
her feelings in words.
Pears like l shouldn't sleep nohow
tonight, Missns,'
"Why not?'
"That socr, Missus dreadful sorry
for him. Lame, you know, Missus
an SO young an pretty-jes' about
the age young massad a been if he'd
ised.
"AIinty-he is alive somewhere
You know it's for his sake ] try tC
save | can't waste his substance Of
impostors."
'No, Missus, only didn't Missui
think of one thing. If he's alive
mebbe he's a sojer. too. Laws, they
have hard times-I knows; p'raps hei
wounded, and begging Couldn't Z
turned this I'm away noways, if ic
been Mssus. Had Massa Wills eyes
decd he had, Missus."
Mrs. Munson put her hand on hel
heart.
"You frighten me- she said, "Cal
him back.
"Too far gone, Alissus.'
"Send John Why didn't you tel
ne? Wills eyes you only say SO.
Blessed truii, Missus" said Minty.
AT that Mrs. Munson grew excited
A man servant was sent out to fin'
the soldier and bring him back; bu
in vain. The night was dark and tn
sleet fell fast 1t was impossible t.
search long. After hall an hour tn
p man came back, and went sulllily L
| bed in his attic. The other servant
retired also; but Mrs Munson, though
? she went to her room, did not I'm
dress. She sat before the fire in he
= scarlet shawl, thinking
Wills eyosl could it be? Old Min
ty had spoken truth. 1t was possibl
that her boy might be soldier
wounded, too. She had used the poo
: fellow cruelty and would have giyel
| hundreds to bring him back.
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