The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-01-23

1Nft@ iftYr NNf y N~Nf'"f@7
you all night, you cannot expect
that of decent folksr7so gcl"1qI.f
Z rDrusilla came to the door and
said, "let him stay, aunty," with
herllips again, but ItoOk 40 no.
tIce, ga }dqiI .sgia5 baa s7ohlrods !
So he went this time. and did not
come back; and ] sat down by tho
fired and listeped TO, the wind and
sleet, and felt the warm fire. and
smelt the, baking cakes and the
apples stewipg, and the tea draw.
ing on-the kitchen. stove, and /
ought to have, been very comforta.
ble,o but L wasn't. Something
seemed :ugging atmy heart all the
time. 90 eS5ft - 10 s5Ia3--aUOIH
u gave the Are a pokeY aDdTlit
another candle 10 cheer nj yBeIf by,
and | wentsto my worksbaskot 10
get the sock Z IGbSd2 been knitting
fof NY ChafiIc 2 and qas 1 vent to
get il 1 saw somethiugiyleg on the
Aoor. Q L picked iitnp. ioItwas an
old tobacco pouch, ever so much
like the one I gave Charlie, with
fringe around It. and written OMIT
ini ink ,Ju0. ITO R. n, and inside .
was a bit of tobacco and an old
pipe and aletter; and when spread
itout Isaw at the top, sMy dear
son." l knew tho beggar must
have dropped II, oand my heart
gave one big nthump'a as though It
had been turned into a hammer. Z
aPerhaps9the was truc and
he had a mother. g 1shivered all
over, and the fireeand eandics and
the nice , comfortable smell might
as well not have been at all, l was
SO cold and wretchcd. a'1lo s4ia
And over and over again | had
10 say'to myself what i had beard
our pastor say 30 often, "Ncvor
give anything TO chance beggars,
my friends, always bestow your
aims on worthy persons, through
we'll organized societies. before |
coun get bit Of comfort. And
what an old fool / was 10 cry,
thought, when l found my check
wet. Z Ig'.o Do So Mt1aE alaa.
But 1 did not cry long, for as j
sat there hash and crash and jing-
ling came a sleigh over the road.
and it stopped at our gate, and l
heard my Charley's voice crying
'.Hallo, mothorl' And OUT | went
to tho door and had him id my
arms, my great, tall, handsome,
brown son. And there he was in
his uniform, with his pretty shoul-
der straps, and hearty as if he had
never been through any hardships
He had TO leave me 10 put his horse
up, and then" had by the fire
again'my own boy. And Drusilla,
who had been up stairs, and had
been crying-wby, 1 wonder
came down in fut.er--for they
elike brothers and sisters--and
he kissed her, aud she kissed him,
and away she went to set the table,
and The nice hot things smoked on
a cloth as white as snow; and
how Charlie enjoyed them i
But once in the midst of all | felt
a frightened feeling como over me,
and / kLow'd Id turn pale, for
Drusilla said, "What is tho matter,
Aunt Fairfax ?" .g
/ said Nothing" but it was this;
Kind o like the ghost Of u step,
going champ, champ over the fro
zen snow; kind o like the ghost Of
a voice saying, ''let mo lie on the
floor before your fire and give me
any kind of crust;" kind o like
seoing some ono who had moth
er, dropping down on the wintry
road, and freezing and starving tC
death there. That was what il
was, but | put ii away, and only
thought of Charlie. ''o.
n We drew up togctherby the fire
when tea was done, and he told ut
things about the war Id never
heard before. How the soldiers
suffered, and what weary marches
and short rations they sometimes
had. And he told how his life had
been set upon and how he was bad
ly wounded; and how at tho risk
ofhislownllife, u fellow soldier had
saved him, and carried him way
fighting his way back TO camp !,
nd never have seen you but fol
him." says my Charlie. Sand il
there's man on earth l love, it il
Bob Hadaway-4the dearest, best
fellow, We've shared each others
rations, and drank from the sam,
cahteen many'a time; and if evel
/ had a brother, l couldn't othinl
moro of him. ai1 lna.sr oa
"Why don'tyou bring him home
to see your mother, Charlio2' said
L. ''''O ''2' ''
"Why, I'd love him too, and any
thing [ could do for him, for The
man who saved my boys lie
couldn't be enough Send for him
Charlie" But Charley shook biz
head and covered his face with hil
hands. aa'' 7oa ~ 'sa ge1'I a.g i
"Mother,'' said he, II don't know
whether Bob Hadaway is alive or
dead to-day. While | was in the
ranks be was.taken prisoner. And
tho prisons are poor places to live
in, mother. I'd give my right
hand 70 be ableto do him any
good {; but / can find no trace o.
him. \ And hes has a mother, too
she lives at GreeDbank-poor old
lady. MY dear, good, noble Bob
the preserver fmy lifol" And
saw Charlie nearly crying.
n a D u n ia. a |aI.I- 80. -