The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1879-08-07
- q l q Ct II ale.
TURNED FROM THE DOOR.

"No tramps here, said I, aud /
shut the door in his face, did The
wind blew 80 L could hardly do it,
and the sleet was beating upon the
panes, aud the bare trees were
groanipg and moaning as If they suf+
fered in tue storm. No tramps here
I'm lone woman, and I'm afraid of
'em.
Then tho man I hadn't seen yet,
for the dark, went away from the
door. Champ, champ, champ, came
the man back again, aud Knocked a..
the door-knocked not half 80 loud
as he did before and i opened it,
hot aud angry. This time ! saw his
face--a pale ghost Of u face-with
yellow-brown hair, cropped close,
aud great, staring blue eyes, aud he
put his hand against the door and
held it open.
"How near is the next house, ma
am said he.
three miles or more, said /; mo
drinks to be got there it is Miss
Mitten's, and she's as set again
tramps as l am,
IL don't want drink, said the man,
"though do want food. You needn t
be afraid to let me iu, ma'am. I've
been wounded, aud am not able to
walk far, and my clothes are thin,
and it's bitter cold. I've been trying
to get to iny parentslat Greenbank,
where 1 Gun rest Til I'm better ali
any mouey was stolen from me three
days ago. You needn't be afraid
let me lie just before the fire, and
only give me crust, the stalest
crust to keep me from starving, and
Tho Lord will bless you for it.
And then he looked ut me with his
mild blue eyes in a way that would
bsve made me do it il it hadn't been
Id seen so much Of these impostors
The war was just over, and every
beggar that Came along said he was
y soldier and travelling home, and
had been wounded and robbed. One
that l had been foolish enoigh to
help limped away out of sight, as he
thought, aud then for l was at the
galret W i n d w-sbouldered his
crutches and trampcd with the
strongest.
"No doubt your pockets are full
OF money, said Land you only want
chance to rob and murder me. Get
away with you
Drusilla, that's my niece, was bak
ing cakes in the kitchen. Just then
che came to the door and motioned
with her mouth to me, do let him
stay, auntie, and if hadn't had good
sense l might. but l knew better
than q chick OF sixteen.
"Go away with you !! says I, loud.
or than before. 81 won't have this
any longer
And he gave o kind of groan, and
took his hand from the latch, and
went champ, champ, through tho
frozen snow again and l thought
him gone, when there he was once
more, hardly with knock at all
faint touch, like child's now
And When | opened again he came
quite in, and stood leaning on his
cane, pale as ghost, his eyes big
ger than ever.
We'll, Of all impudence ! said /,
He looked at me and said "Mad-
am, / have q mother at Greenbank,
/ want to like to see her. / shall
not il ! try to 60 any further to-
night
They all want to see their moth
ers, and just then it came to my
mind hoped that my son Charlie,
who had been real soldier, an Of
hcer no had come TO be, mind you,
wanted to sec his and would soon.
u have been wounded, as you
see,' said he.
Don't 60 showing mo your hurts,
said they buy 'em, SO they told
me- to go q begging with now. /
read the papers, ! tell ye, and Tm
principled, and SO is our clergyman,
aagin giving anything unless it's
through some we'll organized society.
tramps are my abomination. And
as to keeping all night, you can't OK
pect that Of decent folks-go!
Drusilla came to the door and
SAID, Let him stay, auntie, with hor
ups again, but I took no notice.
80 he went, and this time he did
not come back, and I sat down by
!ae hrs. smelt the baking cakes and
!ne apples stewing, and the tea
drswing on the kitchen stove, and ]
caght to have boon very comfortable,
Dat ! wasn't Something seemed
tagGiPg 81 my heart all the time.
tvAve We are Q poke, aud lit an
tner candle fs cheer mysslf up, and
/ vooe 70 ne N0gk-baskst 70 get q
~ hAd ben kuitilng for my
~ 40 {; vset = gst u !