The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-08-09

"
him in my arms-my great, tail, hand
some, brown son. And there he was in
his uniform, with his pretty shoulder
straps, and as hearty as if he had never
been through any hardships. He had to
leave me to put the horse up, and then !
had by the fire my own son. And Dru-
silla, who had been up stairs, and had
been crying-why, / wonder2-came
brother and sister-and he kissed her,
and she kissed him, and then she went to
set the table, and the nice hot things
smoked on cloth as white as snow; and
how Charlie enjoyed theml But once,
in the midst of all, l felt a frightened
feeling come over me, and / knew /
turned pale, for Drusilla said, "What il
the matter, Aunt FairfaxT'
said nothing, but it was this: Kind
o like the ghost of a step goin' 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 mother down on the
wintry road, and freezing and starving
to death down there. That is what it
was. But / put it away, and only
thought of Charlie.
We drew up together by the fire when
the tea was done, and he told us things
about the war I'd never heard of before,
how the soldiers suffered, and what
! weary marches and short rations they
sometimes had. And then he told me
how his life had been in danger; how he
had been set upon by the foe and badly
wounded; and how, at the risk of his
own life, a fellow soldier had saved him
and carried him away, fighting his way
back to camp.
"Pd never seen you but for him."
says my. Charlie. "And il there's man
on earth / love, it's Rob Hadway-the
dearest, best fellowl We've shared each
others rations and drank from the same
canteen many and many a time; and if
l had brother, could not think more
of him." --,s
"Why didn't you bring him home to
see your mother, Charlie?' said /. "Why
I'd love him, too, and anything | could
do for the man who saved my boys life,
couldn't be enough. Send for him,
Charlie"
But Charlie shook his head and COW
cred his face with his hands
Mother" said he, 1 don't know
whether Rob Hallway is alive or dead to-
day. While / was still in the ranks he
was taken prisoner. And military pris-
ons are poor places to live in, mother
I'd give my right hand to be able to do
him any good; but can find no trace of
him. And he has mother, too, and she
is SO fond of himl She lives at Green
back, poor, old ladyl My dear, good,
noble Rob, the preserver of my lifep'
And | saw Charlie was nearly crying.
Not to let us see the tears he got up and
went to the mantel-piece. did not look
around until l heard cry:
"Great Heavenl what is itT
And | turned, and Charlie had the to-
bacco pouch, the man had dropped, in
his hand.
"Where did this come fromT' said he;
81 feel as though | had seen ghost. 1
gave this to Rob Hallway 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, motherf
And fell back in my chair, white ana
cold, and said l.:
"a wandering tramp left it here.
Never your Rob, my dear; never your
Rob. He must have been an impostor.
| wouldn't have turned away a person
really in want. @, no, no; it's another
| pouch, child, or he stole it. A tall fell
low, with blue eyes and yellow-brown
hair; wounded, he said, and going to his
mother at Greenland. Not your Rob-"
And Charlie stood staring at me with
clenched hands, and said he:
1t was my Rob! it was my dear old
Rob, wounded and starvingl-my dear
old Rob, who saved my life, and you
have driven him out such a night as
this, mother My mother to use Rob So"
Condemn me, Charlie" said |; "con-
denim me, if you like; Pm afraid God
will. Three times he came back; three
times he asked only for crust and
place to lie, and drove him away IL
and he's lying in the road now. Oil if
| had knownp
And Charlie caught up his hav.
I'm find him if he's alive" said he.
ooh, Robl my dear friend"
And then never saw the girl in such
a-taking on. Down went Drusilla on
her knees as if she were saying her
| prayers, and says she:
Thank God, dared to do itp'
And she says again to me:
| "Oh, aunt, I've been trembling with
fright, not knowing what you'd say to
me. | took him in the kitchen wav. I
couldn't see him go faint and hungry and
wounded, and put him in the spare
chamber; and Pve been so frightened all
the while"
Lord bless you, Drusillal" said
| Charlie.
| "Amen," said |.
And she, getting holder, went on.
And | took him up some hot short
cakes and apple-sass and tea. And took
him candle, and hot brick for his feet;
and | told him to eat and 90 to bed in
the best chamber, Aunt Fairfax, with
the white counterpart and all; and 1
locked him in and put the key in nv
pocket, and told him he should have
one nights rest, and that no one should
TURF, him out unless they walked over
my dead body"
And Drusilla said it like an actress in
a tragedy, and went off into Mysteries
the moment the words were out of her
mouth. She'd been expecting to be half
murdered, you know, and the girl was
but sixteen, and had always minded me