The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-09-26
THE MIN IL THE DOOR.

THE MIN If THE DOOR.
No tramps therel' said [, and shut
the door in his face, | did. The wind
blew 50 | could hardly 40 it, and the
sieet was beating on the panes and the
bare trees were groaning and moaning, as
If they suffered IN the storm. No tramps
here [ IN lone woman, and III afraid
of en-.
Then the man hadn't seen yet, for
the dark went away from the door champ,
champ, though the siush, and | heard
the gate creak, as our gate always does
and then champ, champ, champ, came
the man back again and he knocked Oh
the door-knocked not halt so loud as he
did Beforehand [ opened it hot and
angry. This time | saw his face, pale,
ghost OF face, with yellow brow hair
cropped close and short, and he put his
hand against the door and held it OPEN
'5How near IS 1t to the next house,
ma am p
Three miles or more, said [.
And that Is not a tavern %
con, said [, no drinks to be got
there, it's Miss Mitten and she 5 as set
agln tramps as | am
Il don want drink, said the man,
though / do want food. You needn't
be afraid to let me IN ma am. I've been
wounded, and am not able to walk far,
and my clothes are thin, and it $ bitter
Cold L We been trying to get 20 my par
eats At Greenbank, where [ can rest until
L ain better; aud al MY money was
stolen from me three days ago. You
neol not be # aid let me in before the
ire, and only give me crust to keep me
f ON starving, aud he L ,rd will bless
you for IT,
And then he booked at me with his
mia, blue eyes IN way 5hat would have
made me d. lt, Ii [ haJn t seen 50 mach
OF these inposters. The war was Just
over, and every beggar that came along
said that he was soldier, travelling home
an had been wounle and robbed One
that | had been fool enough u help
Hnped away out OF ny sight as he
thought, and then. for I was 45 the garrett
winlow, shoulle.ej ms crutches and
tramped with the strongest.
No douot yaur pockets full of mon
ey, said l. and you only want chance
to roo and murder me. 90 away with
you.
Dr,:sila Is my niece-was bak-
ing short CAKES III the kitchen just
then she cam to the door and motioned
wi h her ,aouth to me, do let him stay
aunt, and if | ha.ln had good sense |
might but | knew better than chit of
sixteen.
Go away with you" said [, louder
than before Il won t have this any
longer
And he gave kind of groan, and
took his hand from the latch, and went
champ, champ, champ, through the
frozen snow again; aud | thought him
gone, when there he was once more hardly
with a knock at ala faint touch like "a
child 5 now
We'll, of all impudencen said |.
He looked at me, and said he, Mad
anne, | have a mother at Greenbank. [
want to live to see her. | shall not if |
go any further to night
They all want to see their mothers
said | !, and just then it came into my
mind that hoped my son Charley, who
had been real sodier,-an officer, he
had become mind you,-wanted to see
bis mother, and would soon
'Dou go to show me your hurts, =
said l. they buy EN-, so they told me,
to 90 a=beggng with now, | read the pa
pers, | tell We, and I'm principled, and
So our clergyman, agin giving anything,
sos ,elmps are my abotnlu.t, .oli
All rs ha' keeping yoa AL -usgag, you
canlot e2,pect that OF decent folks-go. :"
Dr'tsiiia came To the door, aud said
Let hIm stay aunty, with her lips
again, but | took 10 notice
80 he went, ami this a.ne did not come
back, and sat dow. ~ ,ne IRE ana list-
encd to the witid and >leet and teii the
warm IRE, and suaeit the taking cakes
andtihe apples Sewing, ana the tea draw
ing "a the Kitchen stove; aud ought tc
haze bcen comfortable out | WASH t.
Something seemed ouggiag az my hear,
ali the time
!, / gave the fire a hearty poke and Iii
another candle 10 cheer l3yself an and
walt t. my work basket TO get the sock
Id been knitting for lay Charlie and a.
| Wen to get it saw something wing on
my iioor; | picked ii up it was an ole
toba: eco pouch, ever 50 much ike The
one | gave Charlie, with fringe around
1t, From Z. /. 10 r. H. and inside
WAS an old pipe, aud letter, "a rumpied
Old letter, and when | spread it out
saw at the top My Dear Son.
4 knew the beggar must have dropned
It,and then my heart gave one big thuml
as II ,t had been turned into a hammer
Perhaps the story was true and he haC
a mo'ler. | shivered all over, and RI,
ire AMI candles and the nice comfortable
smells might as well have not been at all
1 was cold aud wrctched.
Aud over aud over again | had to "a,
to myself what | had heard nv paste
say 50 often, Never give anything t,
chance beggars, my friends always bestoy
your ains on worthy persons through wei
! organized societies, before could ge
any comfort. And what fool to crv,
thought when | found my cheeks wet.
But / did not cry long; for as | sa
there. dash and crash came sleigh owe
sthe road and it stopped at our gate, an
i heard my Charlie voice crying.
~ "Hall0a, mother =