The Newtown bee., 1879-08-06

l knitting tor my Charlie, and as l went To get it 1 saw something ly ing on the floor. I picked it up. It was an old to-
 bacco pouch, ever so much like the one
 gave Charlie with the fringe around it, and written on it in ink, $ From c. +. to R. H. ;'' and on the inside was bit of tobacco, and an old pipe, and letter, a rumpled old letter; and when I spread it out l saw on the top, My dear son.
 I knew the beggar must have dropped it, and my heart gave one light thump, as though it had been turned into ham, mer- .-.
 Perhaps the story was true and he had a mother. I shivered all over, and the lire and candles and the nice comfortable smells might as we'll not have been at all. l was cold and wretched.
 And over and over again I had to say to myself what I heard our pastor say often "Never give anything to chance heggars, my dear friends; always bestow your aims on worthy persons, through well-organized societies" :" before I could get a bit of comfort. And what an old 1 fool l was to cry, 1 thought, when l found my cheeks wet.
 But I did not cry long, for as I sat there, dash and crash and jingle came a sleigh over the road, and it stopped at our gate, and heard my Charlie's voice crying, "Halloa, mother!" And I vents 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 shoulder-straps, and as hand oS if 1n hof no hDar, 1pho hardships. He had to leave me to put the horse up, and then I had by the fire my own son. And Drusilla, who had been up stairs and had been crying why, 1 wonderP-came down all in a tlutter-for they were like brother and sister-and he kissed her and she kissed him, and then she went to set the table and how nice the things smoked on a cloth white as snow; and how Charlie enjoyed them! But once in the midst of all I felt frightened feeling come over me, and I knew I turned pale, for Dru- fila said: "What is the matter, Aunt FairfaX?"
 l said nothing; but it was this: Kind O like the ghost of a step, going champ, champ over the frozen snow; kind O like the ghost of a voice saying: Let me lie on the floor before your fire, and give me any kind of crust:" kind O like some one that had a mother down on the wintry road, freezing and starv- ing to death there. This 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 Inever heard before-how the soldiers suffered, and what weary marches and short rations they some times had. And then he told me his life had been in danger; how he had been set upon by the foe and been badly wounded; and how, at the risk of his own life, a fellow had saved him, and carried him away, fighting his way back to camp.
 "I would never have seen you but for him." says Charlie. And if there's a man on earth I love, it's Rob Hadawav -~the dearest, best fellow! We've shared each others rations and drank from the same canteen many and many time; and if I had a brother I could not think more of him."
 "Why didn't you bring him home to see your mother, Charles?" said I.
 'Why, I'd love him, too, and any thing I could do tor him, tor 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, II don't know whether Rob Hathaway is alive or dead | to-day. While l was still in the ranks he was taken prisoner. And military prisons are poor places to live in, mother I'd give my right hand to be able to do | him any good; but I can find no trace of | him. And he has mother, too, and she is so fond of him She lives at Green bank-poor old lady. My dear, good, noble Rob, the preserver of my ife!' [
 And l saw Charlie was nearly crying.
 Not to let us see the tears he got up and went to the mantle-piece. I did not look around until I heard a cry: |
 "Great heaven! what is it?"
 And I turned, and Charlie had the tobacco pouch ths man had dropped in his hand.
 "Where did this come fromp I feel as though I had seen q ghost. I gave this to Rob Hathaway the day he saved me. We soldiers had not much to give, you know, and he vowed never to part | with it while he lived How did it | come here, motherp"
 And fell back in my chair, white and cold. Said I:
 "A wandering tramp left it here. Never your Rob, my dear, never your Rob. He must have been an impostor, l wouldn't have turned away person really in want. Oh, no, no; it's another pouch, child, or he stole it. A tall fel- low with blue eyes and yellow brown