St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-08-30

TIE hidst ol all, felt frightened feel
ing come over me, and knew l turned
pale, for Drusilla said, ''What is the
matter, Aunt Fairfax %
l said nothing, but it was this: Kind
@ like the ghost of a step, going champ,
champ, champ, over the frozen snow ::
kind o like the ghost Of a voice, saying
''Let Inc lie on the floor before your fire,
and give me any kind of crust to eat :"
kind o like seeing some one who had a
mother, dropping down on the wintry
road, and freezing and starving to death
here. That was what it was. But l
put 1t away, and thought only of Char
lie
We drew up together by the fire when
tea was done, and he told US things about
the war that I'd never heard before. How
the soldiers suffered, and what weary
marches and short rations they sometimes
had. And then he told lie how he had
been set upon by rebels and badly wound
ed, and how at the risk Of his own life,
a fellow soldier had saved him, and car
rled him, fighting his path, back to
camp.
sd never have seen YOU but for him, -"
said my Charlie, "and if there is man
on earth that love. it is Rob Hathaway
the dearest, best fellow. We've shared
each others ration>, and drank from the
same canteen many and many time ,and
If ever | had 4 brother, couldn't think
more of him"
"Why didn't you bring him home TO
see your mother, Charlie ," said |. why
I'd loved him too, and anything | could
do for him-tOr the man who saved nv
boys life, couldn't be enough. Send tor
him. Charlie"
But Charlie shook his head, and COW
cred his face with his hands. ..Mother.''
said he, Il do not know whether Rob
Hathaway is alive or dead to-day. When
| was still i'll the ranks he was taken
prisoner. And the rebel prisons are
poor places to live in. mother. I'd give
my right hand to be able TO do him any
good, but | can find no traces of him.
And he has mother, too, and she is SO
fond him. She lives at Grcenbank-
poor old lady. My dear, good, noble
Rob, the preserver of my life
And | saw Charlie was nearly crying.
Not to let us see the tears, he got up and
went to the mantle piece | did not look
around until heard CRY
Good Heavens, What is this o.
And turned and Charlie had the tobacco
pouch the man had dropped in hs hand.
"Whcre did til ; come from ? | feel a:
though | had seen 4 ghost. l gave thi,
10 Rob Hathaway the day he saved me.
We soldiers have not much to give, YOU
know, and he vowed never to part with
it while he lived. How came it here
mother ~
fell back in my chair, White and
cold. and said: : a wandering tramp
left it here. Never your Rob, my dear,
never your Rob. He must have been al
impostor, | wouldn't have turned away
a person really in want Oh /, no, no
its another pouch, Charlie, not that; OIL
he stole it. A tall fellow, with blue eye:
and yellow brown hair, wounded he saiG
and going to his mother at Greenbank
Not your Rob"
And Charles stood staring at me with
clenched hands, and said
"It was my Rob-my dear old Rob
wounded and starving - my dear Ole
Rob who saved my lite, and you have
driven him out in such 4 night as this,
mother ? My mother, TO use Rob So
Curse me, Charlie, if you like" salt
|, II am afraid God will Three time
he asked only for a crust of bread and ;
place to lie in, and | drove him away
|, land he's lying ON the road now
Oh If Id only known -
Charles caught up his hat, and SAID
''Ill find him if he is alive Oh, Rob
my dear, dear friend ~
And them never saw the girl il
such taking-down went DruslIla o.
her knees, as if she was saying her pray
ers, and said, Thank God, | dared /
do it. o, aunt, I've been tremblin
with fright, not knowing what you'd 81,
to me, | took him in the kitchen way
could not see him 20 away faint, an
hungry and wounded, and | put him i
the spare chamber over the parlor, an
I've been SO frightened all the while"
Lord bless you, Drusilla :" said Char
; lie, and ''Amen said |.
} And she, she getting boIder. went on
"And | took him up a hot short cah
and apple sauce and tea, and also
candle and a hot brick for his feet and
, told him to 90 to bed in the best chan
, bar, Aunt Fairfax, with the wife cour
terpane and all, and | lockd him in IN
} put the key in ray pocket, and told hi
} he should have one nights rest, and ths
no one should turn him out unless the
walked over my dead body
And Drusilla said it like an actress
! a tragedy, and went off into Mysteries Il
. moment the words were out of her moutI
: Shed been expecting to be half murde
ed for doing it, you know, and the gi
e was but sixteen, and always before min'
/ ed me as if had been her mother.
e Never was an old sinner so happy as
t was on that night-so thankful to II
good Lord; and it would have done yC
y good to have seen the two meet in Il
e morning - Charlie and Bob. Al
n Charlie, who had got on so well, and b;
It a mother that was not poor either, help,
o Rob into business. And he got over b
S wounds at last, and grew handsome as
picture, and to-day in a week he is goil
i to marry Drusllla.
a 'Tll give you anything l have" sa
1t !, "and | won't even refuse you Drus
'e la" when he asked me, telling me tn
he had loved her ever since she was
kind to him, the night | have told y
m Of
e, And Charlie is to stand up with hil
and I'm to give Drusilla away, and RoI
In lSt. or L