The Ottawa free trader., 1868-04-04

/ COul0 not Cell tu8U VSBBos " - e~oWS
narrative" "N ',N "Dr
\ The stranger turued very hastily away from
the door and waded through the desp spQX r.
!, .s$: a.; st,:;$a g : NV: ff3ssa6t. &C: =
than the first; and when he had tried the door,
found it bolted, and Knocked twice, without
attracting attention, his heart sank within him.
His hand was so numb with cold that he made
scarcely any noise; hstried again! i
| A rush candle was burning within, and ma.
| trcnly Hooking woman sat before the fire. She
held an infant in her arms. and had dropped
asleep: but his third. knock. ropsed her. and
wfappih { her apron srSund her dkiid M opslef
the door little way and demanded what he
waated. t,,...t. f.,
Good woman" the youth began, ~ havs had
the misfortune to fall in the water this bitter
night aud ] am so iluInhed thatSI can hardly
walk"
The woman gave him sudddee1 earnest l99okE'
, Come in." said she "tho. art q nigh tho
size Of my Jen, II th5ugght at Rrst it was him
come llome from sea-"
The youth stepped across the threshold, trem-
bling with wet aud cold, and no, w9nder, for his
clothes were completely incased in wet and mud,
hnd the water dropped from them with every
stem he took on the sanded foor.. / a. ~ , W
| upH dIb III IL suiiy piiShS oSiu s0C "ouhahS
land it be two miles to the hightst house; thy
teeth chatter 50 pififully, 4 can scarce bear to
| hear ,+,-t,.ty,
| She looked at him more attentively, and saw
| that he Nas mere boy, not more than sixteen
wears Of age. Her notherly heart was touched
for him.
cart hangry z" she asked turning to the
table, "thou art wet to the skin. What has
been FDiug w IL;uN.Q 2
~ L.: Al 1o.xrrf 81. GIA
/ Ohi""ysaid the hostess, thou art one Of the
keepers Joys then, Il reckon!'dia " sdl COOS
| He followed the direction Of her eyes, and saw
two portions of bread ist upon the table, %ttR q
small piece of bacon on each.
| ,SSsIy master is very }ate,' yshe observed, for
charity didaot make bet use lelegslt language,
and by her master she meant her husband "but
art welcome to my bit and sup, for I'm waiting
for him ; may be it will put a little warmth in
thee to eat and drink ;" SO saving she took up
mug Of beer from the hearth apd pushed it to-
woEdstin, with her shps Of ths sqpter y
II Thank you" said the boy, "but am so wet
I am making quite pool before your fro with
the drirpings from ny clothes" A TLIE-IHE
/ "Ay thou art wet, indeed" said the woman,
and rising again, she began to search and pre-
sently came TO the fire with "a perfectly clean
check aAdrt in her hand, and tolersbly good
sait OF clothes. ~
! There said she, showing them with no small
| pride, these be my masters Sunday clothes,
and If thou wilt be very careful of them, I'll let
thee wear them till thine be dry, She then ex-
plained that she was going to put her "bairn" TO
bed and proceeded up ladder into the room
above, leaving the boy to array himself in these
I respectable and desirable garments.
| When she came down her guest had dressed
| himself in the laberer's clothes he had time to
warm himself, and he was eating and drinking
with much relish. He had thrown his muddy
clothes irra heaPuppnthe aoor; and Is she pro-
ceeded tolift Them npsAhe said. J n "
"Ah, lad, lad, doubt thy head has been un-
der water: thy mother would have been sorely
frightened if she could haze seen thee while
ago" .xyr.,,,,, t,5t
| Yes said the boy, and in Imagination the
cottage dame ssw th;s sn;I -...iy. a .areworn,
| i.aln-working creature like herself while the
youthful guest saw in imagination beautiful
and courtiy lady; and both the same love, the
same anxiety the same terror at sight of lone
boy struggling in the moonlight through
breaking ice, with no one to help rhim, catching
at the frozen reeds, and creeping up, shivering
and benumbed, to cottage door.
But even as she stopped the woman forgot her
Imagination, for she had taken a ,waistooat into
her HANGS such}as had never passed sbetween
them before gold pencil-case dropped from
the pocket and on the floor, among a heap of
mud thatcovered the outer garments, lay white
shirt sleeve, SO white indeed, and fine that she
thoushtit could hardly be worn BY a squire.
She glanced from the clothes to the owner
He had thrown down his cap, and his fair curly
hair and broad forehead convinced her that he
was OF gentle birth, but while she hesitated to
sit dos1,lm get "a chair for her, and said With
Observation-Disclosures; a say what q lonely place
this is; if You had not let me in, the water
would have all frozen on me before l reached
home: Catch me duck.shooting again by
T:Eao IISoid .pJrt tAt!si.,s sssl III ssS.amas. LAX
The young gentleman assented hses, readily,
and asked if'he might stif Tho Hs's IA
"And welcome, sir" aaid the woman. She
felt curiosity to know Who he was, and he
partly satisfied her BY remarking that he was
staying at Dean Rail, q house about fve miles
oh, adding that in tho mornifig he had broken
hole in tic Zee very near the decoy, but il had
iced over so very fast that in the dusk he had
missed it,and fallen in, for it would not bear him
lie had made some landmarks and taken every
frecauton, but he supposed the sport had ex.
cited him SO much that, in the moonlight he had
passed them by. ,...,,.
lie then told her Of Ills attempt to get shelter
In tho other cottage. ri'''
I''Sir," said the womar, "if you had said you
were a gentleman-'
Tho hoy laughed> 81 dopt think knew it,
my good woman, my senses were SO benumbed
for was sometime struggling in the waters edge
among the broken ice, and tlleu believe was
nearly an hear creeping to your cottage door.
remember il ell rather indistnctiy, but as I felt
the fire and Crank the warm beer, / was differ
ent creaturo.s
While th6y still talked the husband came in
and while he was eating his supper, they agreed
that he would walk to Dean Hall, asd let its ia-
mates know of the gentleman's safety, and wkcu