Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-07-28
The Strange Guest.
INsrINcr OF A MoruEn's mann.

Inc StranSe GueSt.
INSTINCT OF MOTHERS HEART
In little post town among the Highlands
of Scotland, far away from any great city,
there lived few years ago woman much
respected and well beloved, though of lowly !
birth and humble fortune-one Mrs. Jean
Anderson. She had been left a widow with |
one son, the youngest and last of seven prom
ising children. She was poor aud her indus |
try and economy were taxed to the utmost to .
keep herself and her SON. who was fine,
clever lad, and to give him the education he |
so ardently desired At the early age of
sixteen Malcom Anderson resolved to seek /
his fortune in the wide world, and become |
sailor. He made several voyages to India |
and China, and always, like the good boy he |
was, brought home some useful present to his |
mother, to whom he gavealso a large portion |
of his earnings.
But he never liked a seafaring life, though |
he grew strong and stalwart in it and when
about nineteen, he obtained humble position |
in large mercantile house in Calcutta where, |
being shrewd, enterprising and honest, like
most of his countrymen, he gradually rose to
u NluNt VI Aiuoi duu anu uilillN
to partnership. As his fortune improved,
his mothers circumstances were made much
easier. He remitted money enough to her to
secure her the old cottage home, repaired and
enlarged, with garden and lawn; and placed
at her command, annually, sum sufficient to
meet all her wants and to pay the wages Of a
faithful servant, rather companion; for
the brisk, independent old lady stoutly re-
fused to be served by any one.
Entangled in business cares, Mr.. Anderson
never found time and freedom for the long
voyage and visit home till at last failing
health and the necessity ofeducating his chill |
dren, compelled him to abruptly wind up his
affairs and return to Scotland. He was then
a man somewhat over forty, but looking far
older than his years showing all the usual
i'll effects of the trying climate Of India. His
complexion was sallow brown; he was gray
and somewhat bald, with here aud there
dash of white, in his dark auburn beard he
was thin and little bent, but his youthful
smile remained full of quiet drollery, and his
eye had not lost its bright lustre and gleeful
sparkle by pouring over ledgers and counting
dollars
He had married countrywoman the
daughter of Scotch surgeon, and had two
children, a son and daughter. He did not
write to his mother that hewas coming home,
as he wished to surprise her aud test her
memory of her sailor boy. The voyage was
made in safety.
One summer afternoon, Mr.. Malcom An
derson arrived with his family at his native
town. Putting up at a littlein, he proceeded
to dress himself in suit of sailor clothes and
then walked out alone BY path he well
knew, and then through shady lane, dear to
his young hazel-nuttng days, all strangely
unchanged he approached his mothers cot
tage. He stopped for few moments on the
lawn outside, to curb down the heart that was
bounding to meet that mother and clear his
eyes Ofa sudden mist stofhappy tears Through
the window he caught a glimpse Of her, sitting
alone at her spinning wheel, as in the olden
time But, alas how changed Bowed
was the dear form, once so erect and silvered
the locks once so brown, and dimmed the eye
once so full of tender brightness, like the dew
stained violets But the voice with which
she was grooming softly to herself was still
sweet, and there was on her cheek the same
lovely peach-bossom of twenty years ago.
At length he knocked, and the dear remem-
bered voice called to him, Coon ben %
(come in.) The widow rose at the sight of
the stranger, and courteously offered him
chair. Thanking her in an assumed voice,
somewhat gruf, he sank down, as though
weary, saying that he was a wayfarer,
stranger to the country, and asking the way
to the next town. The twilight favored him
in his little ruse he saw she did not recog-
nize him, even as one she had ever known
But after giving him the information he de-
sired, she asked him if he was Scotchman
by birth.
4" Yes, madam," he replied, =" but l. have
been away in foreign parts many years. |
doubt If my mother would know me now,
though she was very fondof me before | went
to sea-"
All, mon its little ye ken aboot mith-
ers gin ye think sac. can tell ye there is
ma mortal memory like theirs" the widow
warmly replied; then added
" And where hae ye been sac long time,
that ye hae lost the Scotch fra your speech ?"
"In Inda---in Calcutta, madam"
All, then it's likely ye ken something of
my son, my Malcom Anderson"
" Anderson ?" repeated the visitor, as
though striving to remember. There may
NC many Vi iuo uuiht III Naituth but ~ ,
your son a rich merchant, man about my
age and size, with something such a figure !
head? 2"
q" My son is rich merchant, but he is
younger than you by many a year, and beg
ging your pardon, SIR far BONNER. He is
tall aud straight, wi hands and feet like
lassies he has brown curling hair, sac thick q
aud glossy aud cheeks like the rose, and
brow like the snaw, and big blue cen, wi a !
CLINT in them like the light in the evening
star. Ma ma ye are a guid enough body, !,
/ dinna doubt, and u decent woman's son. i,
Here the masquerading merchant, consid-
erably taken down. made movement as
though to leave, but the hospitable dame
stayed him, saying "Giu 20 hae travelled J
the way fra India yc maup be tired and hun