Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-07-06

keeper boys then, | reckon
lie followed the direction Of her eyes, and
saw two portions Of bread set upon the table
with small piece Of bacon on each.
My master be very late" she observed
ior charity did not make her Use elegant
language, and by her master she meant her
husband "but thou art welcome to my bit
and sup, for ! was waiting for him may be
il Will put a little warmth in thee 10 eat and
drink, 50 saying she took up mug Of beer
ir0m tue hearth, and pushed It towards him,
with her share Of the supper.
Thank you. said tie boy, "but am 50
wet lam making quite a pool before your
ire with the drpIings from my clothes
"Ay, thou art wet, indeed, sand the
woman, and rising again, she went to au old
box in which she began 10 search. ana pres
entity came to the fire with perfectly clean
check shirt in her hand and t1lcrably good
suit # clothes.
There, said she, showing them with no
small pride, "these be my masters Sunday
clothes, ana i thou wilt be very careful Of
them, il let thee wear them tall thine be
dry She then explained that she was 20
ing to put her "bairn" to bed, and proceed
Cd up a ladder into the room above, leaving
the boy 10 array himself IN these respectable
and desirable garments.
When she came down her guest had Or, IS
Cd himself in the laborers clothes be had
had time 10 warm himself, and be was cat
ing and drinking with much relish. lie had
thrown bis muddy clothes IN a heap on the
floor, and, - she proceeded to liii them up,
she said, "Ah lad, lad, doubt Thy head
has teen under water; thy mother would
nave been soroly frightened If She could have
seen thee awhile ago.
"les, sald the boy. and IN Imagination
tie cottage dame saw this said mother a
care worn, hard working creature like her
self. while tie youthful guest saw IN i'm
agiuation. beautiful and cOgrtly lady and
both saw the same love, the same anxiety,
the same terror at sight OF a lonely boy
struggling IN the moonlight through break
ing ice, with No one 10 help him, catching
az the frozen reeds, and then creeping up.
shlyerins and bluumbtd. To a cottage door.
But even as sFe stooUtd the woman for-
got her Imagination. for size had taken
waistcoat INTO her hands such as had never
passed between them before. a gold pencil
case dropIed from the pocket, and on the
floor. among a heap Of mud that covered the
outer garments, lay white shirt sleeve, SO
white. indeed, and fine, thatrhc thought It
could hardly be worn by a sqairc.
she glanced from the cloth 20 the ownc-.
lie had thrown down his cap. and his far.
curly hair and broad forehead convinced her
that be was Ot gentle birth but while she
hesi:atod To lit down, lac set chair tor hor,
and said with boyish frankuess 81 say,
what lonely place this l.; II Won lad not
let me in, tue water would have al frozen
on me before | reached nome. Catch me a
duck shooting again by myself.
"I;'s very cod SPORT that, sir sald the
woman.
The young gentleman assented most
readily, and asked If he might stir be fire.
And welcome sir, sa'd the woman. She
ielt a curiosity % kn1w who he was. and
be partly satisfied her by rcmarking that he
was staying at Deem Hall, a house about F.
FIVE miles If, adding that IN the morning
be had broken hole IN the ice very near /
the dccoy but IL had iced over 50 fast, that
in the dusk he had missed it and fallen in.
for It would not bear him. lie had made
some land mark and taken every Vrecautiun I
but he supposed the sport had excited him .
so much that. IN the moonlight. he had
passed them by.
lie then tod lor OF his attempt to get .
shelter in the other cottage.
Sir said the woman, III you had said .
you were gentleman-'
The boy laughed, Il don't think | knew
it, nv good woman he replied, ''my senses /
were 80 benumbcd for | was some time |
struggling at the waters edge among the /.
broken ice, and then believe | was nearly /.
an hour creeping up 10 your cottage door. |
| remember it all rather indIstinctly, but as |
soon as | had ftlt the FIRE, and drank the I.
warm beer, was a different creature
While they still talked the husband came /
in, and while he was eating his supper, I
they agreed that be could walk to Deem |
Hall, aud let its inmates know of the gentle /
mans safety and when be was gone they |
made up the FIRE with all the coal that re- /
maincd to that poor household, and the |
woman crept up to bed and left her guest |
to lie down and rest before it.
Ia the gray OF dawn the lab0rer returned, /
with q servant leading the horse, and bring I
idg fresh suit of clothes.
The young gentleman took hls leave with |
many thanks, slipping three half CROWNS |
into the Noman's hand, probably all the |
money be had about him. and | must not /
foIget to mention that he kissed the baby, 1
for when she tells the story, the mother |
always adycrts to that circumstance with I
gleat pride, adding that her child, beng as
s.ciean 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?'
81 don't know, - answered the Missis.
Then I'll Just tell thee, that be young
Lord W, so thou maYest be a proud |
woman, thou sits and talks with lords, and |
asks them in to supper-ha, ha - So saying, /
her master shouldered his spade and went 1
his way, leaving her clinEing the three half |
crowns in her hand and considering what /
she should do with them. Her neighbor |
from the other cottage presently stepped in, |
and when che 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 alVe Ecs 80 foolish as turn 1t |
away. Seven shIllings and sixpence fOr
morsel Of focd and nights shelter, why, |
it was nearly a weeks wages :"
So there, as they both supposed, the mat
ter ended, and the next week the frost was |
sharper than ever. Sheep were frUzen in
the fenny fields, and poultry on their |
perches, but the good woman had Talked |
to the nearest toEn apd bcagh. blanket:
1t vas q welcome addition to their bed |
covering, and it was many long year since |
they had been 90 comfortable.
But it CHANGED one day at noon, that, look
ingout at her easement. she spied three |
young gentlemen skating along the ice tow
ard her cottage. They sprang on to the |
bank, took of their skates and made fef her
DOOR. The young nobleman informed her
that he had such severe cold be could not
come TO see her before. "He spoke as pleas
antiy, she observed, in telling the story,
''as II L had been lady and no less and
thep he brought parcel out of his pocket,
and I've been over to B. be says, 'and
bought you book for keepsake, and !
hope you will accept it, and then they all
talked as pretty as could be for matter Of