The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-08-20
dow, looked out, and saw shivering figure


tentiously "tramping folks be not wah .tu
here.n So saving, she went back 10 III.
fire. without deigning to answer the ooo,
The youth upon this tried the door, S She
called unon her to beg admittance. on.
hoard him rap tho snow from ms S .cs.s
aoainst her Intel, and again knock as II ne
tboucbt shc was deaf, and he shonid surrey
na;n adn,ittancc if he could only make
her hear. -, o,5,
The old woman, surprised at his auda'
o;tr wont to the easement, and with al
bar nr;de of possession, opened it, and In
ouircd his business.
:" Good woman" the stranger began, "]
only want a seat at your fire."
NAV" said the old woman, giving
effect to her words by her uncouth dia-
logue, "thou'll get no shelter here !; I've
naught to give to beggers-a dirty, wei
critter," she continued, wrathfully, slam
ming to the window, its a wonder where
he found any water, too, seeing it freezes
so hard body can get none for the Kettle
saving what is broken up with Ratchet.
On this the beggar turned hastily away.
And at this point in his narrative the
person who told it to me stopped and said
"Do you think the old woman was very
much to blamc?"
"She might have acted more kindly"
replied; "but why do you ask -
Because" he said, 81 have heard her
conduct so much reflected upon by those
who would have thought nothing of it if it
had not been for the consequences"
"She might have turned him away less
roughly" / observed.
"That is true" he continued; "but in
any case, l think, though we might give
them food or money, we should hardly
invite beggars in to sit by the fire.
"Certainly not" ] replied; "and this
woman could not tell that the beggar was
honest"
"No," said he. "But | must 60 on
with my narrative"
The stranger turned very hastily away
from the door and waded through the deep
snow toward the other cottage. The Bit
ter wind helped to drive him toward it.
1t looked no less poor than the first and
when he had tried the door, found it bolted,
and knocked twice without attracting at
tention, his heart sank within him. His
hand was so numb with cold that he made
scarcely any noise lie tried again.
A rush candle was burning within, and
a matronly- looking woman sat before the
fire. She held an infant in her arms, and
had dropped asleep; but his third knock
reused her, and, wrapping her apron
around her child, she opened the door a
little way and demanded what he wanted
"Good woman" the youth began,
have had the misfortune to fall in the
water this bitter nj ght, and am so numb
ed l can hardly walk"
The woman gave him sudden, earnes
| look, and then sighed.
"Come in," she said "thou art so nigl
the size of my Jem, thought at first i
was him come home from sea.
The youth stepped across the threshold
trembling with wet and cold, and no won
der, for his clothes were completely in
| cascd in wet and mud, and the waite
dropped from them with every step h'
| took on the sanded floor.
"Thou art in sorry plight said thu
woman, " and it be two miles to the nlghcS
house thy teeth chatter so pitifully Cal
scarce bear to hear them"
She looked at him more attentively, AM
saw that he was mere boy, not more thai
sixteen years of age. Her mothcrly hear
was touched for him. cart hungry :" sh
asked, turning to the table; "thou art we
to the skin. What hast been doing %
"Shooting wild ducks" said the boy.
con. :" said the hostess, "thou art on
Of the keepers boys then, | reckon -
He followed the direction Of her eyes
and saw two portions Of bread set upo
the table, with small piece Of bacon o
, each.
"My master is very late,' she observed
for charity did not make her use elegan
, language, and by her master she near
, her husband; but thou art welcome to m
S bit and sup, for Pm waiting for him; ma
be it will put little warmth in thee to ca
and drink; so saying she took up mu
: of beer from the hearth and pushed it tc
$ wards him, with her share of the supper
"Thank you," said the boy, "but ] ar
so wet ] am making quite pool .befor
your fire with the drippings from M
clothes"
cay, thou art wet, indeed" said tn
woman, and rising again, she began t
search, and presently came to the fire wit
q perfectly clean check shirt in her hand
!, and tolcrably good suit Of clothes.
"Therc,' said she, showing them wit
no small pride, "thcse be my MASTER
Sunday clothes, and if thou wilt be yer
careful Of them, I'll let thee wear ther
tin thine be dry ;" She then explaine,
that she was going to put her "bairn " t.
bed, and proceeded up ladder into tn
room above, leaving the hoy to array him
self in these respectable and desirabl
garments.
| When she came down, her guest ha
dressed himself in the laborer's clothes
/ he had time to warm himself and he wa
eating and drinking with much relish. II
had thrown his muddy clothes in hea
upon the floor, and as she proceeded
lift them up, she said:
"Ah, lad, lad, l doubt thy head ha
been under water thy mother would hay
| been sorely frightened if she could hay
seen thee while ago."
EYES," said the boy and in imaginatio
the cottage dame saw this said mother
care-worn, Woodworking creature like hel
self-while the youthful guest saw in lima
-; gination beautiful and courtly lady-an
both the same love, the same anxiety, tn
same terror at sight of q lonely boy strug
Cling in the moonlight through breakin
, ice, with no one to help him, catching a
the frozen reeds, and then creeping NJ
shivering and benumbed, to cottag
door.
But even as she stopped, the woman for
got her imagination, for she had taken
waiStcoaSt into her hands, such as she ha
never passed between them before-a gol