Weekly Trinity journal., 1879-08-30
TURNED FROM THE DOOR.

the door in his fnce. The wind blew 80
could hardly do il. and The seet was beat
ing up the panes, and The bare trees were
groaning and moaning rs if they suffered
in the storm. "No iramps here; IN n
lone woman, and I'm nfiaid Of them"
Then the man hadn't seen yet, for
the dark, went away from the door.
Champ, champ, champ, came the man
back again, and knocked Mt the door
Knocked not half So loud as he did before
and l opened it, hot and angry. Ti,
time l saw mis- face-a pale ghost of face
with yellow brown hair cropped cin-e,
and great staring blue eyes, anG he put
his hand against the dor and held 1t
open.
How far is it to the next house ma 'am?'
said he.
"Three miles or more" said /; 'no
drinks to be got there: it i. Miss MtteH' :
and she's set agin tramps as | am"
~ dom want drink" said the man.
Though ! do want food. You needn't he
afraid to let me in ma'nm. I've been
wounded and can't walk far and my
clothes are thin, and it's bitter cold I've
been trying 20 get to my parents at Green
bank, where l can rest till | am better;
all my money was stolen from me three
days ago. You needn't lac afraid let me
lie jus: before the fIe, and only give me
q crust, the stalest crust, to keep me from
starving, and the Lord will bless you for
it,
And then he looked at ne with his
mid blue eyes in way that would have
made me do it if il hadn't been that I'd
seen so many OF these impostors. The
war was just over, and every beggsr that
came along said he was soldier and
travelling home. and he hnd been wound
cd and robbed. One that | IhnC en- fool,
ish enough TO help limped away out OF
sight, as he thought. and then-ior | wa.
nt the garret window w-shoudered his
erutches and tramped with the strongest.
mo doubt your pockets nre full Of
money" said l, ''nnd you only want
with you"
Drusilla, that's my y iece, was BAKING
cakes in the kitchen. Just then she
came to the door ard motioned with her
mouth TO me, do let him stay auatie,"
aed if hadn I good sense | might, but |
knew better than chick of sixteen.
"Go away With you" says l.. louder
than before. Il wont have this any
longer"
And he gave II kind Of groan. and took
his hand from the latch, and went champ
champ, through the frozen snow again;
aud thought him gone, when there he
was once more, hardly with u knock at
ALA faint touch, like chds now.
And when opened again he came
quite in. and stood leaning "n his cane,
pale AS a ghost, his eyes bigger nan ever.
"Well Of AL impudrnce !" snid /.
He looked Mt me and said: MADAM,
I have mother AT Grecnhnnk. | wnnt
to live TO see her. shall not if Try 10
90 much further tonight"
"They all want to see their Mothers"
and just then it came to my mind that
/ hoped my son Charlie. who Ind beon a
real soldier, M officer, mind you, want,
ed To see h is, and would soon.
''l have been wounded. us you see,'
said he.
Don't go showing mo your hurts"
taid I, 'they buy them. So they told me,
to go n begging with now. | rrnd the
papers, tel ye, and I'm principl4d, and
So is our clergyman, ngin giving any
thing unless It s through some we'll or
gaBized society. Trtmps are my abomi-
Dation. And as to Keeping ynu nil night
you can't expect that ofdecaut iolks-gon
Dfusilia came To the door and said,
Let him ttny, nuntir," with her lips
again, Dat / took no notice.
So he went. and this time he did not
come back, and | sn; down 10y the lire,
smelt the BAKING cakes and the apples
stewinR and the tea drawing on the
Kitchen stove, aud ought To have been
very comfortable, butI wasn't. Sume-
thing seemed tugg ing at my heart all the
time.
Ig.ve the fire n poke, and lit another
candle to cheer myself up, and | went to
the work basket to get sock | had been
for my Charlie, and rs | went to
get it, saw something lying on the floor.
! picked it up. 1t was an old tobacco
pouch. ever so much like the one | gave
Chaylie With the fringe around it, and
written on i. in ink, From G, T. to II.
II. and on the in, ide was II biz of tobacco
and an old pipe. and II letter, and when
spread it out | saw on the top, my dear
son :"
knew the beggar must have dropped
IL, and my heart gRve one light thump
IS though it had been tlrncd into a ham-
iner.
Perhaps the story was true and he had
= mether. | shjvered all over, and the
fire and the candles and the n ice eomfor-
table smells might as well have not been
st all. | WAS cold and wretchcd.
And over and over again had to say
10 myself what | heard our pastor say
often: "Never give anything to chance
beggars, my dear friends; always be.tow
your aims on worthy persons. through
well organized soc ieties, " before could
get bit Of comf,rJ. Aud what an old
70 i | WAS to cry. | thought. when | found
my checks wet.
But did not cry long, for as I sat
the g. dash and crash aud jingle came
sleigh over the road and it stopped at our
gate, and / heard my Charles voice
crying, "Holloa, mother !" And went