Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-04-06
The Man at the Door.

] asN lAtAiA tAN AtAN DNVAs
40 tramps here said and | shut the
door in his face The wind blew so | could
hardly do it, and the scct was beating on the
pane, and the bare trees were groaning as if
they suffered in the storm "No tramps
here, I'm a lone woman, and I'm afraid
of en-"
/ Then the man hadn't seen yet for the
( dark, went away from the door-champ,
champ, came through the slush, as heard
the gate creak as the gate always does and
/ then champ, champ, came the man back again,
and he knocked on the door-knocked not
half so loud as he had belore-and | opened
it hot and angry This time | saw his face,
with yellow brown hair, cropped close, and
great staring blue eyes; and he put his hand
against the door and held it open.
How far is it to the next house, ma am ?''
he inquired.
Three miles or more, said |.
"And that is not a tavern ?"
"No,' said /, "no drinks to be got there
it's Miss Mitten's, aud she's as set against
tramps az | am."
IL don't want to drink" said the man,
but 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's bitter cold. I've been trying to
get to my parents at Greenbank, where | can
rest until I'm better; and all my money was
stolen from me three days ago. You needn't
be afraid just let me lie before the fire, and
only give me a crust to keep me from starving,
aud the Lord will bless you for it,"
And then he looked at me with his mild
blue eyes in a way that would have made me
do it, if it hadn't been that | had seen so
many Of those impostors The war was just
over, and every beggar that came along said
he was a soldier travelling home, and had
been wounded and robbed. One that | had
been fool enough to help, limpcd away out oi
= sight as he thought, and then, for | was al
the garret window, shoudered his crutches
and tramped it with the strongest.
" No doubt your pocket is full of money,
said |, " and you only want chance to rob
and murder me. Go away with YOU
Drusilla, that's my niece was baking short.
cakes in the kitchen just then she came tc
the door and motioned with her mouth to me
" DO let him stay, aunty," and if | hadn't
had good sense | might, but knew better
than chit of sixteen,
" Go away with you" says |, louder than
before. IL won't have this any longer"
And he gave { kind Of a groan, and tool
his hand from the latch, aud went champ
champ, through the frozen snow again; anC
| thought him gone when there he was one
more, hardly with knock at ala iain
touch like chid's now.
And when | opened the door, he cam
quite in, and stood leaning on his cane, pal,
3 as ghost, his eyes bigger than ever
We'll, Of all impudence," said |.
He looked at me, and, said he, Madam
/, have mother at Greenbank. want t,
live to see her. | shall not if try to &c
further tonight
They all want to see their mothers" saiC
|, and just then il came into my mind that
hoped my sou Charles, who had been n sol
dior-an officer he had got to be- mind you
wanted to sec his, aud would soon.
> I've been wounded as you see, said he
Don't 60 a showing me your hurts" sal
] |. " They buy EN-, so they told me, to g
begging with now. read the papers, | tel
e yo, and I'm principled, SOS our clergyman
= agin giving anything, unless it's throug
some well organized society. Tramps are m,
denominations. And as for keeping you al
night you can't expect that Of decent folk
G --gom
Drusilla came to the door, and said, (" Le
him stay, aunty' with her lips again, but
7 took no notice.
So he went, and this time did not com
i back, and sat down by the fire, and listener
to the wind and sleet, and felt the warm fire
and smelt the baking cakes and the apple
stewing, and the tea drawing on the kitchel
stove; and | ought to have been very com
Portable, but | wasn't. Something seeme
tugging at my heart all the time
n | gave the fire poke and lit another can
Is die to cheer myself by and | went to IN
r work basket to get the sock had been knittin
G for my Charlie. As | went to get it say
h something lying on the floor. picked it uT
+ 1t was an old tobacco pouch, ever so muc
i like the one gave Charlie with fringe aroun
it, and written on in ink &c. +. to Il. H.,
: and inside was bit of tobacco and an ol
y pipe, and letter, and when | spread it OF
), | saw at the top, MY dear son.
l. 1 knew the beggar must have dropped i
:, and my heart gave one big thump, as thoug
5, it had been turned into a hammer.
r Perhaps the story was true, and he had
IS mother shiyored all over, aud the fire an
< the candles aud the nice comfortable SINE
II might not have been at all, was so cold an
% wretched.
% And over and over again | had to say
& myself what had heard our pastor say S
7, often, " Never give anything to chance beg
10 gars, my dear friends always bestow you
e aims on worthy persons, through well-orgaI
ir lied societies." before | could get bit
4 comfort. And what an old fool was to or,
os thought when found my checks wet
G. But did not cry long, for as | sat ther
y dash and crash and jingle came sleigh ov,
ID the road, aud it stopped at our gate, and
g heard my Charles voice crying, Hall
tc mother !" And out | went to the door an
< had him in my arms, my great, tall, handsom
h brown son. And there he was in his uniform
r with his pretty shoulder straps, and hearty I
l. If he had never been through any hardship
r lie had to leave mo TO put his horse up; AT
L. then | had by the fire again my own bo
ic And Drusilla, who had been up stairs and ha
Of been cryiug--why | wonder,-cams down a
y in a futter---lor they were like brother an
ie sister-and he kissed her, and she kissed hin
ir and then away she went to set tho table, an
'e the nice hot things smoked on the cloth
j. white as snow and how Charlie enloye
81 "A a. -. II II t..lt