Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-01-12
THE MAN AT THE DOOR.

No tramps here, | said and | shut
the door in his face. 1t blew so could
hardly do it, and the sleet was beating
on the pane, and the bare trees were
moaning and groaning as if they suffered
in the storm NO tramps here; I'm a
lone woman; and Pm 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 at the door,
knocked not half so loud as he had
knocked beforehand 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 amp said he.
Three miles or more, said |.
And that is not tavern?
No. said /; mo drinks to be got
there it's Miss Mitteu's, and she's sci
against tramps as | am
i don't want to drink, said the man,
but | do want food. You need not be
afraid to let me in, ma'am. | have
been wounded, and 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 better; and all my money
was stolen from me three days ago.
You needn't be afraid just let me lay
before the fire, and only give me crust
to keep me from starving, and the Lord
will bless you for it,
Aud theu he looked at me with his
mild blue eyes in mild way that would
have made me do it, if it hadn't been
that had seen 50 much Of those impos-
tiers. 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, limped away
out of sight, as he thought, and then,
shouldered his crutches and tramped it
with the strongest
No doubt your pocket is full of mo
ney, said |, 'and you only want chance
to rob and murder me. GO away with
YOU
Druslla, that's my niece, was baking
shortcake in the kitchen. Just then she
came to the door and motioned with her
mouth to me. DO let him stay, aunty,
and if had not had good sense | might,
but | knew better than a chit of sixteen.
60 away with you, said J, louder
than before. 4 won't have it any
longer.'
And he gave kind of groan, and
took his hand from the latch, and went
clamp, clamp, through the frozen snow
again; and thought him gone, when
there he was once more, hardly with a
knock at ala faint touch like a child
now. And when [ opened the door
he came in, and stood leaning on his
cane, paler thar a ghost, his eyes bigger
than ever.
We'll, Of all impudence !! said I.
He looked al me, and said he, mad.
am, | have mother at Greenbank.
want to live to see her. l shall not if l
try to so any further tonight
They all want to see their mother,
said l, 'and just then it came into my
mind that l hoped my sou Charles, who
had been a soldier, an officer he had got
to be, mind you wanted to see his, and
would soon.'
i have been wounded, as you see,
said he.
Don't go a showing me your hurts,
said |. They buy 'em, to go begging
with now, so they tell me. Tread the
papers, l tell ye, and I'm principled,
and SOS our clergyman, agiu givin' any
thing, unless it's through some we'll or.