The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-09-26

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some brown son.
And there lie was in MS uniform wild
his pretty shoulder straps and as hearty
as II he had never been through any
hardships.
| He.had to leave me to put the horse up
and thenI had him by the fire again nis
own boy. And Druslla, who had been
up stairs, and had been crying, why, /
wonder?-came down in futter-for
they were like brother and sister-and
he kissed her and she kissed him, and
then away she went to set the table, and
the nice hot things smoked on cloth as
white as snow; and now Charlie enjoyed
| them. But once in the midst of all, |
felt frightened feeling come over me,
and [ knew | turned pale, for Drusilla
said, ''What is the matter aunt Fairfax?'
| I said nothing but it was this kind Of
| like the ghost of a voice saying:
! Let ME lie on the floor before your
| fire. and give me any kind of a crust. ;, =
Kind of like seeing some one who had
| mother, dropping down on the wintry
road, and feeling and starving to death
there. That was what it was But |
put it away and only thought Of Charlie
We drew up together by the fire, when
tea was done AMI he told US things about
the war I'd never heard before How
the soldiers suffered, what weary march
es and short rations they sometimes had
And then he told me how his life had
been in danger; how he had been set
upon by rebels and badly wounded and
how at the risk of his own life fellow
soldier had saved him and carried him
away, fighting his path back to the camp.
Il d never seen you but for him,
says my Charlie ''And if there is
man on earth love, it is Rob Hadaway
the dearest, best fellow We've shar
ed each others rations. and drank from
the same canteen many and many time;
and if ever | had brother, | couldn't
think more of him. - a'i - 3
''Why didn't you bring him home to
see your mother, Charley p said L
why, I'd Ioye him too and anything |
could do for him, for. the man who saved
my boys life. couidn't be enough. Send
for him Charlie" But Charlie Shook
his head, and covered his face with his
hands. ~
Mother" said he, II don know
whether Rob Hadaway is alive or dead
to-day. While [ was still in the ranks be
was taken prisoner And the rebel priss-
ons are poor places to live in, mother.
]. give my right hand to be able to do
him any good. out / can find no trace of
him. And he mas mother, too, and she
IS SO fond of him She lives at Green
bank old lady My dear, good,
noble Rob, the preserver of my life
And [ saw Charlie nearly crying Not
to let, US sec the tears, he got up and
went TO mantle piece. L did not look
around until I heard a cry. =
Great Heavens. what is this p And
[ turned, and Charlie had the tobacco
pouch the man had dropped. in his hand.
'W here did this come from - said be.
Il feel as though had seen a ghost. |
gave this to Rob Hadaway the day he
saved me- We soldiers haye not much
to give, you know, and he vowed never
to part with it while he lived. How iid
it come here mother?''
And | fell back in my chair, white and
cold and said l.: "A wandering tramp lett
it here. Never your Rob, my dear
never your Rob- He must have been an
imposter, couldn't have turned away
person really in want. Oh no, no it
another pouch child not that, or he
stole it. 4 tall fellow with blue eyes and
yellow brown hair, rounded, he said and
going to his mother at Greenbank. Not
your Rob .
And Charlie stared at me with clinch-
ell hands; and said he, 1T was my dear
old Rob, wounded and starving my dear
old Rob who saved my life, and you have
driven hun out in such night as this,
mother. My mother, to use Rob SO f.!
Course me, Charlie said [, curse
me ii you like. III afraid God VIII.
Three times he came back. Three times
he asked only for crust and place to
lie, and | drove. him away -L-he's
lying on the road now. Oh if 1 had
but known. -
And Charlie caught up his nat. I'll
find ann ii he is alive said he O bob
my dear friend.
And then-I never saw the girl in such
knees, as if she was saying her prayers,
it !" And says she again to me :: 20
knowing what you d say to me. | took
him In the kitchen way, [ could not see
him go faint and hungry and wounded,
and | put him in the spare chamber over
the parlor, and I've been SO frightened
all the while. -
Never was an old sinner so happy as |
was that night, so thankful to the good
Lord and it would have done your heart
good if you had seen the two meet in the
morning -Charlie and his friend Ron
And Charlie who had got on so well, Z d
had IA mother that was not poor eithe
helped Rob into business, and he got over
his wounds at last, and grew handsome
as picture, and to-day week is going to
marry Drusilla
I'D give you anything [ have, said
|. and [ wont refuse Drusilla, when
he asked me, telling me that he had loved
her ever since she was so kind TO him on
the night have told you of
Charlie is to stand up with him and |
am to give Drusilla away, and Rob's sis
ter from Greenbank is to be brides maid,
and | have a. guess that some day Char
lie will bring her home to me to take
Drasilla's place. dr. A. Ifar
| don't drive beggars from the door
now as | used, and no doubt I'm often
imposed upon, but this is what [ say,
better to be imposed upon always, than
to tie cruel 10 ONE who really needs help.
And We read my Bible better of late.
and | know who says, Even as We have
done it unto one of the least OF these, ye
have done it unto me.