National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1867-07-19

1 picked 1t up. 1t was an old tObac-
go pouch, ever so much like the one
| gave Charlie, With fringe around
! 1t, and written on it with ink. From
{. +. to Il. II. = and inside was a bit
OF tobacco, and an old pipe, AID
letter, and when | spread it out |
saw at the top, my dear SON.
| knew the beggar must have
dropped it, and then my heart gave
one big thump, as il it had been
turned into hammer.
Perhaps the story was true and
he had Il mother. | shivered all
over, and the fire and candles and
the nice comfortable smells might
as we'll not been at all. was cold
and wretched.
And over and over again ! had to
say to myself what I'd heard our
pastor say so often, Never give any
thing tochancc beggars, my friends
always bcStow Your aims on worthy
persons, through well orgonized so
cieties,' before could get a bit of
comfort And what a fool | was to
cry, | thought, when | found my
cheeks so wet.
But | did not cry long; for, as |
sat there dash and crash and Jingle
came sleigh over the road, and it
/ stopped at our gate, and | heard my
Charles voice crying.
'liallod, mOthern
And | went out to the door, and
had him IN my arms, my great, tall,
handsome brown son.
And there he was in his uniform,
with his pretty shoulder straps, and
as hearty as if he had never been
through hardships. lie h al to
leave to put the horse up, and then
! had by the fire again my own boy.
And DruSilla, who had been up stairs,
and had been crying-why, | Won
der !-camc down in tiutter-tor
they were like brother and sister
and kissed her, and she kissed him.
and then away she went to set the
table, and the nice hot things smok-
ed on cloth as white as snow; and
how Charlie enjoyed them! But
once, in the midst of all, felt Il
frightened feeling come over me,
and | knew | turned pale, for Dru-
silla said, what is the matter, aunt
| Fairfax ?
l said nothing, but it was this !:
Kind o like the ghost of a.step, go
ing champ, champ, over the frozen
snow; kind o like the ghost of "A
voice, saying, let me lie on the floor
before your fire, and give me any
kind of il crust;' : kind o like AeeiaAN
some one who had a motMYn
ping down on the wintry - ~
freezing and starving to de6 ~
That was what it was. III
away, and only thought dkV5J1ll1s -
We drew up together by TIE fife,
when tea was done, and he told us
things about the war I'd never heard
before. How the soldiers suffered,
and what weary marches 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 wound
ed ; and how at the risk of his owl
life, a fellow soldier had saved him
and carried him away fighting hi'
path back to camp.
I'D never have seen you but to
him. says my Charlie. And i
there's man on earth | love, it il
Rob Hadaway-the dearest, beS
fellow. We've shared each othcr''
. rations, and drank from the same
cantcen many and many time, ant
if ever l. had Il brother, | couldn'
think moro of him.
Why didn't You bring him HON,
to see Nour mother, Charlie 2 said |
sWhy I'd loved him too, and any
thing | could do for him, for the
man who saved my boy, Hft
couldn't be enough. Send for hin
Charlie But Charlie shook hi
, head, and covered his face with hi
1 hands.
; Mother said he, Il don't kno'
whether Rob Hadaway is alive {
dead to-day. While ! was still
). the ranks he was taken prisonc
!. And the rebel prisons are poor pli
/ ces TO live in. mother. I'll give III
> right hand To be able to do lllm an
:. rood buN can find no trace OF hin
% And he has Il mother, too, and 81
n is SO fond of him. She lives
r. Grccnbank-poor old lady. NJ
ii dear, good, noble Rob, the Wescrv'
d of my life!
And SAW Charlie WAS near
=, crying.
' Not to let us see the tears he z
,r up and went Ia the mantle-piet
~ did uot look around until | hea
". IA cry.
m Great heavens what is this
II. And | turned, and Charlie had t
is I tobacco pouch, the man had dropl
y. in his hand.
nd Where did this come from 7 s'I
on he. Il feel US though | had seen
ks ghost. | gave this to Rob liadaW'
the day he saved me.
,d We soldiers havenot much to CIV
or you know, and he vowed never
part with it while he lived i'o
,ot did il come here, mother Z =.
he And | fell back in my char, Whl
nd and cold. and said !. a wal'd,lIl
nj tromp left il here. Never your 10
NV ~ nv dear never your Rob. lie m,l
W. ~ have been an inpostor, l wouldi
,a hnvo turncd away u person rcal
~ IN want. ooh no, no; it's anotll
~, noucb. child not that, or he stole
NJ IN o,Ilov with blue eyes and y