Louisiana capitolian., 1879-08-09

organized society. Tramps are my
abomination. Aud as to my keeping
you all night, you can't expect that OF
decent folks--go.'
Drusilla came to the door, anu SAID:
Let him stay, auntie,' with her lips
again, but l took no notice.
So he went, and this time he did not
come back, and | sat down by the fire,
and smelt the cakes baking and the ap-
pies stewing, and the tea drawing on
the kitchen stove, and ought to have
been comfortable, but was not: Some
thing seemed tugging at my heart all
the time.
gave tho fire poke aud lit another
candle to cheer myself up, and | went
to my work basket to get sock l had
been knitting for my Charlie, and as l
went to get it, I saw something lying
on the floor. l picked it up. 1t was
an old tobacco pouch, over so much like
the one gave Charlie with the fringe
around it, and written OH it in ink,
From C. f. to r. H. and inside was a
little tobacco and an old pipe, and a
letter, rumplcd old letter, and when |
spread it out | saw on tho top, My dear
| son.
! knew the beggar must have dropped
it, and my heart gave ono light thump,
| as though it had been hammer.
Perhaps the story was true and he
had mother. | shiyered all over, and
the fire and candles, and the nice, COM
Portable smells might as we'll not have
been at all. | was cold and wretched.
And over and over again had | to say
what | had heard my pastor say often :
Never give anything to chance beg
gars, my dear friends; always bestow
your aims on worthy persons through
well-organzed societies. before could
Get bit of cOmfort:" And what an old
fool was to cry, | thought, when |
found my checks wot.
But did not cry long, for, as l sat
there, dash and crash and jungle came a
sleigh over the road, and it stopped at
our gate, and | heard my Charities voice
crying.
'Halloa, mothern
And out | went to the door, and had
him in my arms-nly great, tall, hand
some, brown son. And there he was in
his uniform, with his pretty shoulder
straps, and as hardy as if he had never
been through any hardships. He had
to leave me to put the horse up, and
then l had by tho fire my own son. And
Drusilla, who had been up stairs an6
had been crying, came down all in {
flutter-tor they were like brother an(
sister-and he kissed her and she kiSse(
him, and then away she went to set The
table, and the nice hot things smoked
on cloth as white as snow; and how
Charlie enjoyed them! But once in th(
midst Of them all / felt frightened
feeling come over me, und | knew
turned pale; but it was thus: kind Z
like the ghost of &c step, going champ
champ. over the frozen show; kind e
like the ghost Of voice saying, lie
me lie on the floor before your fire, ant
give me any kind Of crust;' kind ;,
like some that had q mother down OIL
the wintry road, and freezing and starv
ing to death there. This is what it was
But put it away, and only thought O
Charlie.
We drew up by the fire when the tet
was done, and he told us things abou
the war | had never heard beiore-hov
the soldiers suffered, and what wear,
marches and short ratons they some
times had. And then he told me hi
life had been in danger; how he hat
been set upon by the foe and been badl,
wounded; and how, at the risk of hi
own life, fellow-sodier had saved an,
carried him away, fighting bis way bacl
to camp.
4 would never see you but for him,
says Charlie. And if there is man OF
earth l love, it is Bob Hadaway-th
dearest, best fellow. We've shared eacl
others ratons and drank from the sam
canteen many and many time; and
| had a brother couldn't think more o
him.
why didn't you bring him to see you
mother, CharlesT said |, Why wonlt
love him too, and anything / could d'
for him, for the mau who saved N,
boys life could not be enough. Send 70
him, Charlie
But Charlie shook his head and GOV