The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1868-01-01

the apples stewing, and the tea
drawing on the kitchen stove
and I ought to have been very
comfortable, but I wasn't. Some
thing seemed tugging at my heart
all the time.
; I gave the fire a poke and Iii
another candle to cheer myself by.
and I went to my work basket tc
get the sock l had been knitting
for my Charlie; and as I went to
get it | saw something lying on
the floor I picked it up. 1t was
an old tobaecopouch, ever so much
like the one / gave Charlie, with
fringe around it, and written on
with ink, &c. F. to r. H." and in.
side was a bit Of tobacco and an
old pipe, and a letter; and when ]
spread it out [ saw at the top,
"My dear son."
I knew the beggar must have
dropped it, and, my heart gave
one big thump as: though. it had
been turned into a hammer.
Perhaps the story was true and
he had a mother. I shivered all
over, and the fire and the candles
and the: nice comfortable smell
might not have been at all, l was
so cold and wretched,.
And over and over again I had
to say to myself what l had heard
ourspastor say so. often, Z @Never
give anything to chance beggars;
my dear friends, always bestow
your aims ON worthy persons,
through well organized societies" !"
before I could get q abitof comfort.
And what an old fool I was to cry,
I thought, when I found my cheeks
wet. "sr.. ..:.-.' - ..-....i'. :.... .
But I did not cry long, for as
sat there, hash and crash, and jim
gle came a sleigh, over the road,
and itsstopped5 at our gate, and I
heard my Charles voice crying,
"Hallo lnotherI" And out l went
to thesdoor and had him in my
arms. my great, tall, handsome,
brown SON. Andthera-ha in
ms uniform; with his pretty
shoulder straps, and hearty as, if
he>had never been through any
bardships. He had to leave me
to put his horse up; and then ]
had by the fire again my own boy.
: And Drusilla who had been up
stairs and been :crying-why, l
wonder-eame down in a hutter-
for, they were. like brother and
sister-and he kissed her, and she
kissed him, ard then away she
went to set; tho table, and the
nice hot things smoked On a cloth
rs white-as snow ; and how Char
lie enjoyed them! But once in
the midst of all, I felt a frightened
feeling come over me, and I
knowed I turned pale, for Drusiila
said, "What is the matter, Aunt
Fairfax p,
/ said nothing, but it was this.
Kind Of like the ghost Of the step,
going champ, champ, over the
frozen snow, kind O. like the ghost
Of a voice saying, "Let me lie on
the floor before your fire, and give
me any kind Of a crust; kind O. like
seeing some one who had a moth
er, dropping down on the wintry
road, and freezing and starving to
death there. That was what it
was, but I put it away and only
thought Of Charlie.
We drew up together by the fire
when tea was done, and he told US
things about the war I'd never
heard before. How the soldiers
suffered, and what weary marches
and short rations they sometimes
had. And he told me how his life
had been set upon and he was bad
y wounded; and how at the risk
IF his own life, a fellow soldier
had saved him, and carried him
sway fighting his way back to
camp.
'1'd never have seen you but
for him." says my Charlie. "And
f there's a man on earth I love,
It's Rob Hadway-the dearest,
best fellow. We've shared each
other's rations, drunk from the
same canteen many time and
f ever [ bad brother, I couldn't
;hink moro of him"
"Why don't you bring hin,
nome to see your mother, Char
ey ?" said I. "Why I'd love him
90, and anything l could do for
1im, for the man who saved my
ooy's life, couldn't be enough
Send for him Charlie" But Char
lie shook his head, and covered
lis face with his hands.
"Mother," said he, II don't
Know whether Rob Halfway is
live or dead to-day. While I
Vas still in the ranks he was ta-
zen prisoner. And the prisons
re poor places to live in, mother.
ID give my right hand to be able