Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1866-05-25
Tile WILD DUCK SHOOTER.
BY JEAN INGELOw,

BY JEAN INGELOw.
The charity of the rich is much to be
commended, but how beautiful is the
charity of the poor.
Call to mind the coldest day YOU ever
experienced. Think of the bitter wind
and driving snow; think how you
shook and shivered - how the sharp
white particles We're driven against
your face-how, within doors, the car
pets were lifted like pillows along the
floors, the wind howled and moaned in
the chimneys, windows creaked, doors
ratified, and every now and then heavy
Jumps of snow came laundering down
with dull weight from the root.
Now, hear my story.
In one of the broad, open plains of
Lincolnshire there is long, reedy sheet
OF water, favoritc resort of wild ducks.
AT It's northern extremity stands two
mud cottages, old and out of repair.
One bitter, bitter night, when the
snow lay three feet deep on the ground.
aud cutting east wind was driving it
about, and whistling in the dry frozen
reeds by the waters edge, and swing
ing 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 singing on the Goals; she
had a reed-candle, or homemade rush
light on her table, but the full moon
shone in, and was the brighter light of
the two. These two cottages were far
from the road, or any other habtation;
the oldwoman was, therefore, surprised,
as she sat drawing out her thread, Groom
ing an old north country song, to hear
a sudden knock at the door.
1t was loud and impatient, not like
the knock of her neighbors in the other
cottages; but the door was bolted, and
the old woman rose, and shuiflng to
the window, looked out and saw shiv-
ering figure, apparently that of a youth.
"Trampers!" said the old woman.
sententiously,. tramping folk be not
wanted here" so 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 she was deaf, and he
should surely gain admittance, if he
could only make her hear.
The old woman, surprised ut his au-
dacity,. went to the easement, and with
all pride of possession, opened it and in
quired his business.
Good woman" the stranger began,
~ only want a seat at your iire.n
Nay" said the old woman, giving
effect to her words by her uucouth dia-
logue, " thou'lt get no shelter hear; I've
naught to give to beggars--a dirty wet
crtter," she continued, wrathfulIy
slamming to the window, "it's Il won-
der where he found any water, too, see
ing 1t freezes 80 hard, body can get
! IL wiz
ken up with hatchet.''
On this the beggar turned hastily
away.
And at this point in his narrative, the
person who told it to me stopped and
said, "Do you think the old woman
was very much to blame"
"She might have acted more kindly"
l replied; but why do you ask ?"
Because said he, have heard
her conduct SO much reflected on by
some who would have thought nothing
of it If 1t had not been for the conse-
quences."
"Sho might have turned him away
less roughly" observed.
That is true" he continued, "but
in any case, l think, though we might
give them food or money, we should
hardly invite beggars in to sit by the
| fire."
Certainly not" 1 replied; "and
this woman could not tell that the beg
gar was honest"
No." said he, but must go on with
my narrative. The stranger turned
very hastily from her door, and wadcd
through the deep snow toward the 9TH
er cottage. The bitter wind helped to
drive him toward it. 1t looked no less
poor than the first; and when he had
A Il
Knocked twice without attracting at
tention, his heart sank within him
his hand was so numb with cold, he
had made scarcely any noise; he tried
again.
A rush candle was burning within,
and a matronly-looking woman sat be-
fore the fire. She held an infant in her
arms, and had dropped asleep; but his
third knock reused her. and wrapping
her apron round her child, she opened
the door very little, and demanded
what he wanted.
Good woman the youth began,
=" have had the misfortune to fall in
the water this bitter night, and am so
numbed that can scarcely walk"
The woman gave him sudden, earn
est 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-"
The youth stepped across the thresh-
hold, trembling with cold and wet; and |
no wonder, for his clothes were COM
pletely incased in wet mud, and the
water dripped from them with every
step he took on the sandcd floor.
Thou art in a sorry plight" said the |
woman" "and il betwo miles to the nigh
est house come and kneel down before
the fire; thy teeth chatter so pitifully, |
can scarce bear to hear them.'
She looked at him more attentively, |
ana saw that he was mere boy, not |
more than sixteen years of age. Her /
motherly heart was touched for him.
{" Art hungry"' she asked, turning to |
the table; thou art wet to the skim
What hast been doing?n
shooting wild ducks" said the boy.
"O!' said the hostess, thou art one |
OF the keepers boys, then, reckon 2"
He 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 OBJ
served, for charity did not make her
use elegant language, and by her mas
ter she meant husband; but thou art
welcome to my bit and sup, for was
waiting for him; may be it will put
little warmth In thee to eat and drink :" /
80 saying she took up mug of beer
from the hearth and pushed it toward /
him, with her share of the supper.
Thank you," said the boy, "but
am so wet l am making quite pool /
before your fire with the drippings
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
perfectly-clean check shirt in her hand,
and tolerably good suit of clothes.
There" said she, showing them I
with no small pride. these be my
masters Sunday clothes, and If thou
wilt be very careful of them, I'll let
the wear them till thine be dry" She |
then explained that she was going to +
put her BARN " to bed, and proceeded .
up ladder into room above, leaving /
the boy to array himself in these respec-
table and desirable garments.
l.. L