Daily Kennebec journal., 1870-07-29
AUGUSTA, ME. FRIDAY MORNING. JULY 49, 1870
THE MAN AT THE DOOR.

"No tramps here" said l and shut
the door in his face. The wind blew so
could hardly do it, and the sleet was beat
ing on the pane, and the bare trees were
groaning and moaning as if they suffered
in the storm, ''No tramps here, I'm lone
woman and | am afraid of EN-"
Then the man hadn't seen yet for the
dark, went away from the door-champ,
champ, champ came the man back again
and knocked on the door-knOcked not
half so loud as he had beforehand l open
ed 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.
GLOW far is it to the next house, ma'amP"
said he.
Three miles or more" said l.
''And that is not tavern?"
"No,n said Il mo drinks to be got
there; it's Miss Mitten's, and she is as set
against tramps as am
81 don't want to drink said the man,
"but do want food. You need not 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 l can rest until I'm bet
ter 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 crust to keep me from starving, and
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 much OF these impostors. The war
was just over, and every beggar that came
along said that he was soldier travelling
home, and had been wounded and robbed.
One that had been fool enough to help
limped away out of sight, as he thought,
and then, for | was at the garnet window,
shouldered his crutches and tramped it
with the stronges+.
mo doubt your pocket is full of money!"
said l, and you only want a chance TO rob
and murder me. Go away with you"
Drusiila, that's my niece, was baking
short cake in the kitchen. Just then she
came to the door and motioned with her
and if hadn't good sense might, but |
knew better than chit of sixteen.
$50 away with you," said |, louder than
before 81 won't have this any longer"
And he gave me a kind of groan, and
took his hand from the latch, and went
champ, champ through the frozen snow
again and | thought him gone, when there
he was once more, hardly with knock at
ala faint touch like a child, now.
And when / opened the door he came
quite in, and stood leaning ON his cane,
paler than ghost, his eyes bigger than
ever.
"Well of all impudence," said I.
He looked at me, and said he, Madam,
have mother at Greenbank. l want
to live to see her | shall not if l try to
go further tonight"
They all want to see their mothers" :"
said l, and just then it came into my mind
that | hoped my son Charles, who had
been soldier-an officer he had got to
be, mind you-wanted to see his, and
would soon.
II have been wounded, as you see,"
said he.
Don't 60 a showing me your hurts"
said /. They buy 'em, to go begging
with now, so they tell me. | read the pa
pers-i read the papers, tell ye, and m
principled and SOS our clergyman, agin
givin' anything, unless it is through some
well-organiZed society. Tramps are my
abomination. As for keeping you all
night, you can't expect that OF decent folks
go"
Drusilla came to rthe door, and said,
'Let him stay with her lips again, but |
took no notice.
so he went and this time did not come
back, and | sat down by the fire, and lis
tened TO the wind and sleet, and felt
the warm fire, and smclt the baking cakes
in the kitchen stove and | ought to have
been very comfortable, but | wasn't.
Something seemed tugging at my heart
all the time.
gave the fire a poke and lit another
candle to cheer myself by and went to my
work basket to get the sock ! had been
knitting for my Charlie, and as went to
get it | saw something lying on the floor.
| picked it up. 1t was an old tobacco
pouch, ever so much like the one | gave
Charlie, with fringe around it, and ON it
written in ink, &C. +. to r. H." and in
side was a bit of tobacco, an old pipe,
and letter; and when | spread it out |
saw at the top, my dear son."
knew the beggar had dropped it, and
my heart gave one big thump, as though
it had been turned into hammer.
Perhaps the story was true. and he had
a mother Il shivered all over. and the fire
and the candles and the nice comfortable
smell might not have been at all, was SO
cold and wretched
And oveS and over again | had to say
to mvseR what had heard my pastor say
so often, "Neyer give anything to chance
beggars, my dear friends, always bestow
YOUR aims on worthy persons, through
wen organized societies." before | could
oet bit of comfort. And what an old
fool was to cry, thought, when | found
my cheeks wet,
But did not cry long, for as set there
dash and crash, and gingle come "a sleigh
over the road, and it stopped at our gate,
and heard my Charles voice crying,
"IIallo, mother!" (" and out went to the
door and had him in my arms, my great,
tall handsome brown son; and there he
was in his uniform, with his pretty should
der straps, and hearty as it he had never
been through amy hardships. lie had to
leave me to put his horse up, and then |
had by the fire again my own boy; and