The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1879-08-07

gave Charlie with tho fringe around
it, and written on il in ink, From G.
/. to X. II. : aud on the inside was
a bit Of tobacco, and an old pipe, and
a letter, rumpled old letter and
when spread it out / saw on the
top. My dear son.
knew the boggar must havo
dropped it, and my heart gave one
light thump, as though it had boon
turned into hammer.
Perhaps the story was truo aud he
had mother. | shivered all over,
and the fire aud candies aud the
nice comfortable smells might rs well
not bavo been at all / was cold and
wretched.
And over aud over again | had to
say to myself what | heard our pas,
tor say ofton Never give anything
to chance beggars, my dear friends
always bostOw your alms on worthy,
persons, through woll-orgaui2ed So
cietios,' before | could got bit of
comfort. And what an old fool | WAS
to cry, | thought, when | fodnd my
cheeks wet.
But l did not cry long, for as !
sat there, dash aud crash aud jingle
came sloigh over the road, and il
stopped at our gato, and heard my
Charles voice crying, "hallo, moth
er y And went TO tho door, and
had him III my arms-my great, tall,
handsome brown son. And there
bo was in his uniform, with his pret.
ty shoulder straps, and as hand
some as il he had mover been through
any hardsLips. He had to leave mo
TO put the horse up, all then | had
by the fire my own son. Aud Dru.
silla, who had been up stairs and
had been crying-why, l wonder ]!
came down all in II flutter-for they
were like brother aud sister--aud ho
kissed her aud she kissed him, aud
then she went to set the table aud
how nice the things smoked ON
cloth white as snow aud how Char
lie enjoyed them 4! Bpt once in the
midst Of all | felt fMghtened feel
ing come over me, and l knew
turned pale, for Druilla said What
is the matter, Aunt Fairfax ?
/ said nothing but it was this :
Kind o like the ghost of u step go
ing champ, champ over tho frozen
snow; kind O like the ghost Of II
voice saying "Let me lie ON the
1oor before your fire, aud give me
any kind Of a crust kind o like
some one that had mother down
On the wintry road, i,eezing aud
starving to death there. THIS is
what it was. But L put it away, I'd
only thought of Charlie.
We drew up together by the fire
when tea was done, and he told us
.. iIgs about the war 1 never heard
before-Aow the soldiers suffered,
aud what weary marches and shoit
rations they sometimes had. And
then he told me his life had been il
danger how he had becn set upon
by tho foe and been badly wounded Z,
and how, ut the risk of his own life,
fellow had saved him, and carried
him away. fighting bis way buck to
camp.
II would never havo seen you bat
for him. says Charlie And il
there's IL man on earth | love, its
Rob Hadaway-the dearest best fol~
low! We've shared each others
rations and drank from tho same
canteen many and many time and
if / had brother could not tb..ik
more Of him.
"Why didn't you bring him rome
to see your mother, Charles ? said
|. "Why, I'd love him, too, and
anything / could do for him, for the
man who saved my boys life, could
not be enough. Send for him
Charlie.
But Charlie shook his head and
covered his face with his hands.
"Mothor,' said he, Il don't know
whether Rob Hadaway is alive or
dead to-day. While | was still in
the ranks he was taken prisoner.
And the military prisons are poor
places to 1.-Two in, mother. I'd give
my right hand to be able to do him
any good but can find no traces
OF him. And ho has mother, too,
aud she is so fond Of him She lives
at GreenbanL-poor old lady. My
dear, good, noble Rob, the proserver
of my life !!
And saw Charley was nearly
crying.
Not to let us 500 the tears he got
up and went TO the mantal piece
did not look around until l heard
q cry:
'6reat heaven what is it y
And l turned, and Charlie had the
tobacco pouch tho man lad drop
ped in his hand.
"Where did this come from ? i
feel as though 1 had seen n ghost, ]
gave this to Rob Hadaway 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 como here moth
err
And ! fell back in my chair, white
and cold. Said L:
"a wandering tramp left it here.
Never your Rob, my dear, never
-. ID H. ,.raf hava haau an