The weekly Butte record., 1867-11-30
THE MAN AT THE DOOR.

''No tramps here" said /, and | shut
the door in his face, / did. The wind
blew Sd could hardly do it, and the
sleet was beating against the panes, and
the bare trees moaned and groaned as
if they suffered in the storm. s'No
tramps here; I'm lone woman, and
Pm afraid of 'em.''
Then the man / hadn't seen yet for
the dark, went away from the door,
champ, champ, champ, through the
slush, and then heard the gate creak,
as our gate always does ). and then
champ; champ, champ, the man came
back again, and he knocked on the door
knocked not half so loud as he did
beforehand j opened it, hot and an
CRY. This time saw his face, pale
ghost of a face, with yellow brown hair
cropped close, and great staring blue
eyes; and he put his hand against the
door and held it open.
''How far 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's Miss Mitten's, and she's as
set agln tramps as am
81 don't want drink" said the man,
though l do want food. You needn't
be afraid to let me in, ma am; Eve
hoo,, u-o,,p1ol ooI on, NOT ,Ilo 20 w. H.
far, and my clothes are thin, and it's
bitter cold. I've been trying to get to
my parents at Greenbank, where | can
rest until am better, and all my mon
ey was stolen from me three days ago.
You needn't be afraid let me just lie
before the fire, and only give me crust,
the stalest crust, to keep from starving,
and the Lord will bless you for it,
And then he looked at me with his
mild blue eyes in a way that would have
made me do it if l had not seen so
much of those impostors. The war was
just over, and every beggar that came
along said he was a soldier, travelling
home, and had been wounded and rob
bed. One that | had been fool enough
to help, limped away cut of sight, as
he thought; and then, for was at the
garnet window, shouldered his crutches,
and tramped it with the strongest.
''No doubt your pocket is full of
money!" said |, J" "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 motion
ed with her mouth to me, "do let him
stay, aunty," and if had not had good
sense | might, but knew better than
chit of sixteen.
$50 away with you," says l, louder
than before. 81 won't have this any
longer"
And he gave me kind of a 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 child's now.
And when | opened the door again
he came quite in, and stood leaning on
his cane, pale as ghost, his eyes big
ger than ever.
"Well, of all impudence !" said l.
He looked at me, and said, . mad
am, have mother in Greenbank. l
want to live to see her. | shall not, if
try to 90 any further tonight
''Thev all want to see their moth
ers,.' said l; and it just then come in
to my mind that hoped that my son
Charlie, who had been real soldier,
and officer he came to be. mind you,
would want to see his, and would soon.
''Haye been wounded, as you see,"
said he.
Don't goa showing me your hurts" +"
said /, "they buy 'em, so they told me,
to go begging with now. | read the
papers, tell ye, and I'm principled,
and SOS our clergyman, again giving
anything unless it's through some well
organized society. Tramps are my
abomination. And as for keeping You
all night, you can't expect that Of de-
cent folks-eo.' .
Drusilla came to the door, and said,
''let him stay, aunty," with her lips
again. but took no notice of it.
So he went, and this time did not
come back: and | sat down by the FIRE,
and listened to the wind aud sleet, and
felt the warm fre, and smelt the bak-
ing cakes and the apples stewing, and
the tea drawing on the kitchen stove !;
and | ought to have been very comfort
able, bat wasn's. Something seem
ed tugging at my heart all the time.
gave the FIRE poke, and lit another
candle to cheer myself up. and | went
to my work-b basket to get the sock I'd
been knitting 70 rmy Charlie and as |
went te. get 1t | saw something lying
on the floor. picked it up. 1t was
an old tobacco pouch, ever SO much like
the old one gave Charlie, with fringe
around it, and written on it in ink, &c.
F. to r. H. and inside was a bit of
tobacco, an old pipe, and letter, an
7 --.....~ J