St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-08-30
The Han at the Door.

the bare trees were groaning and moan
ING as if they suffered in the storm. "No
iramps here | am lone woman, and
I'm 'traid of en-"
Then the man | hadn't seen yet for
the dark, went away from the door.
champ, champ, champ, through the
slnsh, and heard the gate creek as eur
gate always does, and then champ, champ,
champ, came the man back again, and
he knocked on the door-knocked not
half so loud as he did beforehand l
opened it hct and angry. This time
saw his face, pale ghost of face, with
yellow brown hair cropped close, and
great staring blue eye; and he put his
hand against the door and held it
open.
''ilow near is the next house, ma am ?"
said he
'Three miles or more,' said /.
''And that is not a tavern ?"
''No,' said | 'no drinks to be got
there its Miss Mitten's, and she's as
set agin tramps as am"
81 don't want drink" said the man.
though | do want food. You needn't
be afraid to let ne in, ma'am. I've been
wounded and am not able to walk far,
and my clothes are thin. and it is bitter
cold. I've been trying to get to my par
ents in Greenbank, where | can rest un-
til am better; and all my money was
stolen from me three days ago. You
needn't be afraid let me Just lie before
the fire, and only give me a crust of
bread to keep me from starving, and the
Lord will bless You for it."
And then he looked at me with his
wild blue eyes in such way that would
have made me do it, if hadn't seen so
much OF these impostors The war was
Just over, and every beggar that came
along said he was Il soldier, travelling
home and had been wounded and rob-
bed. One that l had been fool enough
to help, limped away cut of sight, as he
thought, and then, for was at the gar
ret window, shouldered his crutches and
tramped it with the strongest.
"No doubt but your pocket is full of
money ] said, ''and you want chance
to rob and murder me- Go away with
YOU
Drusilla, that's my niece, was baking
shorl-cakcs in the kitchen. just then
she came TO the door and motioned with
her mouth to me. DO let him stav,
aunty," and ii | hadn't had good sense |
might, but | knew better than chit OF
sixteen.
''Go away with you,' said l, louder
than before, Il won't have this anv long
er"
And he gave a kind Of q groan, and
took his hand from the latch, and went
champ, champ, champ, through the
frozen snow again, and | thought him
gonc when there he was again, with
hardly Il knock at ala faint touch like
i chIld's now.
When | opened the door again, he
came quite in, and stood leaning on his
cane, pale as ghost. and his eyes bigger
than ever.
. Wcll, OF all impulence,' said |.
lie looked at me, and said he, Mad
ame, have mother at Greenbank.
: want TO live to see her. | shall not, if
20 any further Tonight"
They all want to see their mothers,
said |, and just then it came into my
mind that | hoped NJ son Charlie, who
had been real soldier, and officer he
had come to be, mind you, wanted to see
his mother, and would soon.
Il have been wounded as you see,
said he.
'.Dont 60 to showing me your hurts,
- sal! |. "Ihey buy 'em so they told me
to 90 a begging with. Tramps are my
abomination. And as for keeping yol
all night, you can't expect that of decent
- iolkS-go..'
DrusiIIa came to the door, and said
Let him stay, aunty," with her lip
lgain, but | took no notice.
SO he went, and this time did not conn
l. back, and sat down by the fire, and list
enel to the wind and sleet, and felt tn
warm fire, and smelt the baking cake
Y and the apples stewIng, and the te
drawing ON the kitchen stove, and
ought to have been very comfortable
out | wasn't. Something seemed tuggin
). away at my heart all the time.
gave the fire poke, and lit anothe
candle to cheer myself up, and went t
my work basket to get the sock I'd bee
g knitting for Charlie, and as | went t
y get it l saw something lying Oh the floor
tv picked up. 1t was an old tobacc
9. pouch, ever so much like the one | CAV
or Charlie with fringe around it, and writ
ten on it with ink wass, "From c. f. t
n. Il. H., and inside was bit Of tobbacc
and an Old pipe, and letter, a rumple
letter, and when spread it out at tt
top saw ''my dear SON"
knew the beggar must have droppe
- it, and then my heart gave one big thum
lis if it had been turned into han
:, mer.
lei Perhaps the story was true and
Aad a mother | shivered all over, al
e., the fire and candles and nice comfortab
,n4 ai smells might as well not have been
T1S ntn all. l was wretched and cold
me-, n,s And over and over again l had to 81
'!Ss s, to myself, Never give anything to chan
beggars, always bestow your aims {
stu. worthy persons before l could get
n''- Of comfort. And what a fool | way
=: t, cry, l thought, when found my chez
lst- 80 wet.
.oit But l did not cry long; for, as | 5
$ there, dash and crash and jingle came
aHa Hd sleigh over the road, and it stopped
y1i ela our gate, and | heard my Charles Vol
nis' Itn crying:
,oe 'IIallao, mother -
ms And | went to the door, and had HI
sOr, in my arms, my great, tall, handson
brown son.