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

you anrexpect that Of decen; folks--go.
DrusilIa came to the door and said
'Lct him stay, auuty,' 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 listened to the wind and sleet, and
felt the warm fire, and smelt the baking
cakes in the kitchen stove; and | ought
TO have been very comfortable, but
wasn't. Something seemed tugging al
my heart all the time.
gave the fire 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, | lpckcd it up. 1t was an
old tobacco pouch, ever 50 much like the
one gave Charlie, with the fringe
around it, aud written on it in ink, &C..
+. to r. H., and in the inside was bit
of tobacco; 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 ham
mer.
Perhaps the story was true, and he
had u mother. | shivered all over and
the fire and the candles and nice com
Portable smell might as we'll not have
been at all | was so cold and wretched.
And over and over again | had to say
to myself what had so often heard my
pastor say, Never give anything to
chance beggarS, my dear friends al
ways bestow your aims on worthy per-
sous, through well organized societies,
before | could get bit Of comfort. And
what all old fool was to cry, | thought,
when | found my cheeks wet.
But did not cry long, for, as [ sat
there, dash and crash anu jingle came q
sleigh over the road and it stopped at
our gate, aud | heard my Charles s
voice crying Halo, mother!' And out
| went to the door aud had him in my
arms, my great, tall, handsome, brown
son. And there he was in his uniform,
and with his pretty shoulder straps, and
hearty as if he had never been through
any hardships. He had to leave me to
put his horse up, and then | had by the
fire again my own boy And Drusilla,
who had been up stairs and had been
crying-why, | wonder-came down all
in hutter-(or they were brother and
sister-and he kissed her, and then she
kissed him, and then she went and set
the table, and the nice things smoked on
a cloth as white as snow aud how
Charlie enjoyed them. But once, in the
midst Of all, | felt u frightened feeling
come over me, and know'd | turned pale,
for Drusila said, 'What is the matter,
Aunt Fairfax"
| said nothing, bnt it was this, kind
o like the ghost Of a step, going champ,
champ, over the frozen snow, kind o
like the ghost voice saying, Let me lie
on the floor before the fire, and give me
any kind of crust kind o like seeing
some one that had a mother, dropping
down on the wintry road, and freezing
aud starving to death there. That is
what it was, but put it away and only
thought of Charlie.
We drew up together by the fire when
tea was done, and he told us things about
the war I'd never heard before. How
the soldiers suffered and what weary
marches and short rationS they some
times had. And he told me how his
life had ocen set upon and he was badly
wounded and how, at the risk of his
own life, a fellow soldier had saved his,
aud carried him away, fighting his path
back to camp.
I'D never have seen you but for him,
said my Charlie. Aud if there's man
90 earth | love, it's Rob Hadway-the
dearest, best fellow. We've shared each
others rations and drank from the same
cantceu many a time and if ever | had
brother | couldn't think more of him.
why don't you bring him home to
see your mother, Charlie?' asked l.
'Why, I'd love him, too, and anything |
could do for him, for the man who saved
my boys life, couldn't be enough. Send
for him Charlie.
But Charlie shook his head and cov-
cred his face with his hands.
Mother said he, Il don't know
whether Rob Hallway is alive or dead
to-day. While [ was still in the ranks
he was taken prisoner; aud the prisons
are poor places 20 1--we in mother. I'd
give my right hand to be able to do him
any good but | cant find any trace Of
him. And he has u mother, too; she
lives at Greenbank-poor old lady. My
dear, good noble Rob, the preserver of
my life!' And 1 saw Charley nearly
crying.
Not to let us see the tears, he got up
and went to the mantle piece.
Great heavens What is this?' And
l turned, and Charlie had the tobacco
pouch the man had dropped, in his hand.
Where did this come from? said he.