National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1867-07-19
The Man at the Door.
By MAR Z kILE DALLAS.

{
No tramps here said | and
shut the door in his face | did. The
wind blew SO | could hardly do it,
and the Sleet was beating on the
paneS, and the bare trees were groan-
ing and moaning as if they suffered
i'll the storm. No tramps here I'm
"a lone woman, and l'm afraid of en-
Then the man | hadn't seen yet
/ for the dark went away from the
door, champ. champ, champ, through
the slush, and | heard the gate creak,
as our gate always does and then
champ, champ, champ, came the
maH back again, and he knocked on
the door knocked not half so loud
as he did before and | opened it
hot and angry. This time | saw his
face, pale ghost of a face, with yel-
low-brown hair cropped close, and
short, and great staring blue eyes
and lie put his hand against the
door and held it open.
How near is the next house.
ma'am" said he.
Three miles or more said |.
And that is not Il tavern 2
No. said | no drinks to he got
there ; it's Miss Mittcn's and she's
as set aGin tramps as | am
Il don't want drink, said the man.
| though | do want food. You needn't
be afraid to let me in ma'am, Eve
been wounded, and am not able to
walk far, and my clothes are thin,
and it's bitter cold. I've been try
ing to get to my parents at Green
bank. where | can rest until | am
better and all my money was stolen
from me three daySago. You needn't
be afraid let me Just lie before the
fire, and only give me n crust, 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 Il way that
would have made me do it ifit hadn't
been I'd seen so much of these i'm
posters. The war was inst overland
every bcggar that came along said
he was a soldier, travelling home,
and had becn wounded and robbed.
One that had been fool enough to
help limped away out of sight, as hc
thought, and then, for ! was ut the
garnet window, shouldered h $
crutches and tramped it Wit the
strongest.
no doubt hut your pocket is full
Of money | said, 'and You only
want chance to rob and murder
me. Go away with YOU.
DruSilla, that's my niece, was bak.
ing short cakes in the kitchen. just
then she came to the door and mo.
toned with her mouth to me, 'Do
let him stay, aunty, and If | hadn't
good sense | might, hut | knew bet
ter than a chit of sixteen.
Go away with YOU said |, louder
than before, Il wont have this any
longer
And lie gave a kind of groan.
and took his hand from the latch
and went champ, champ, champ,
through the frozen snow again and
thought him gone. when there he
was once more, hardly with knock
at ALA faint touch like a child'r
now.
When | opened the door again h'
came quite in, and stood leaning ol
his cane, pale as ghost, and his eye
, bigger than ever.
; well, of all impudence, said |.
. He looked at me, and said he
+ Madam, | have a mother at Greer
C bank. want to live to see her.
Y shall not if go any further tonight
G 'They all want to see their mott
c ers,' said |; and just then it cam
Il into my mind that | hoped my SO
It Charlie, who had been q real Soldlcj
o an officer he had come to be, nm
lc YOU, wanted to see hts mother an
would SOON
=, 4 have been wounded, as YOU see
said he.
II Don't go to showing me yut
hurts said | 'they buy 'en,, 50 the
of told me, to go begging with no'
II. read the papers, | tell yc, ana l
principlcd. and SOS our clergyma
Y, agin giving anything, unless 1t
II. through some well organized soclet
ID rramps are my abonnatlon. Al
lie as for keeping you all night, "
as cannot expect that of decent fol
70. -gov
of Drusilla came to the door, ~
le, said, Let him stay, aunty,' with II
or lips again, but | took no notice.
~ So he went, and this time did II
m. come back, and ! sat down by I
Iat fire, and bstcued to the wind u
If. slcct, and felt the warm fire u
ve smelt the baking cakes ana the
id, pies stcwing, and the tea drawing
the kitchen stove; and ought
he have been very comfortable, bu
ise wasn't Something seemed tuggl
ou away at my heart all the time.
.ys gave tue fire poke ana ilt
nd other candle, to cheer lny@,i
tbc and went to my work basket
get the sock I'd been kiiltting
she my Charlie and as went 10 ge'