Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-10-31
G,huite Misfsllanu.
THE MAN AT THE DOOR.

NO urampS mere, SQlu ana SUuU
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 groaning and moaning as
if they suffered in the storm. "No
tramps here; | I'M lone woman, and
I'M afraid Of EN-"
Then the man, had MT 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 man back again, and he
knocked on the door-knocked not half
as loud as he had before, and 1 opened it
hot and angry. This time saw his face
"a pale, ghost of "a face, with yellow
brown hair cropped close, and great star
the door and held it open.
"How near is the next house, ma'am?"
said he.
"Three miles or MORE" said I.
"And that is not tavern?"
"No," said /; "no drinks to be got
there; it IS Miss Mitten's and she's as set
agin tramps as l am"
"I do MT want drink" said the man,
Though do want food. You, need MI
be afraid to let me in ma'am. I've been
wounded and am not able to walk far,
anu ClOlIiCS ilS anu IL blttCl
cold. I've been trying to get to my par
ents at Greenbank where L can rest I'M
til Pm better; and all my money was
stolen from me three days ago. You
need MT be afraid let ME just lie before
the fire, and only give 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 way that would have
made me do it if hadn't seen so much
of those imposters. The war was just
over, and every heggar that came along
said he WAS a soldier travelling home
and had been wounded and robbed. One
that had been fool enough to help, limp
ed out of sight, as he thought, and then,
for | was at the garret window, shoulder
ed his crltches, and tramped it with the
strongest.
"No doubt your pocket is full of mon
ey," said !, "and you only want chance
to rob and murder me. Go away with
youW ....-...r.. ..
Drusilla, that's my niece, was baking
short cakes in the kitchen. Just then
she came to the door and motioned with
her mouth to me. do let him stay,
auntie," and if / had MT had good sense
| might, but / knew better than chit
of sixteen.
"Go away with YOU" said I, louder
than before. 81 won't have this any
longer"
And he gave kind of groan, and took
hishand from the latch, and went champ,
champ, champ champ, through the fro
zen snow again; and thought him gone,
when there was once more, hardly with
knock at ala faint touch like child's
now.
And when opened the door again he
came quite in, and stood leaning on his
cane, pale as a CHOSE, his eyes bigger
than ever.
"Well, of all impudence, said I.
He looked at me. and said he, Madam,
have mother at Greenbank. / want
to live to see her. I shall not if l try to
go any further tonight"
."They all want to see their mothers,
said and just then it came into my
mind that hoped my son Charlie, who
had been real soldier, an officer he had
come to be, mind, wanted to see his, and
would soon be at home.
~ have been wounded, as you see"
said he.
"Do MT go showing me your hurts, I"
said 1; they buy 'em, so they tell me,
to 20 a begging with now. I read the
papers, tell We, and I'm principled, and
so Is our Clergyman, agin giving anything,
unless it IS through some well organized
society. Tramps are my abomination.
And as for keeping you all night, you
can't expect that Of decent folks. Go"
Drusilla came to the door and said ''Let
him stay, auntie," with her lips again,
but took no notice.
So he went and this time did not
come back; and sat down by the fire
and listened to the wind and sleet, and
felt the warm fire and smelt the baking
cakes and the apples stewing, and the
tea drawing on the kitchen stove, and
ought to have been very comfortable, but
I was MT. Something kept tugging at
my heart all the time.
gave the fire poke, and lit another
candle to cheer myself up, and went to
my work basket to get the sock I'd been
for my Charlie; and as went
to get it saw something lying on the
floor. picked 1t up. 1t was an old to-
bacco pouch, ever so much like the one
/ gave to Charlie, with fringe around it,
and written on 1t in ink, "From G. f. to
r. H." and inside was a bit of tobacco
and an old pipe, and letter-a rampled
old letter, and when Ispread it out l saw
at the top j" My dear son."
Iknew the beggar must have dropped
II, and my heart gave one big thump, as
though IL had been turned into ham
Yoey.T Itlf.. -G'I Ia't t'.N NJ.