The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-08-09
eUR STORY TELLER,
THE MAN AT THE DOOR.

The MAN All The DOOR.
"No tramps here" said ], and shut the
door in his face, j did. The wind blew
so that could hardly do it, and the sleet
was beating on the pane, and the bare
trees were groaning and moaning as if
they suffered in the storm. "No tramps
here; Pm lone woman, and afraid Of
'em."
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 at the door
knocked not half so loud as he did be-
fore-and l opened it hot and angry.
This time saw his face-a pale ghost Of
q face, with yellow brown hair cropped
close, and great staring blue eyes, and he
put his hand against the door and held it
open.
How near is the nexthouse, ma am p
said he.
"Three miles or MORE" said |.
&c And that is not tavernT'
NO." said | mo drinks to be got
there. 1t is Miss Mitten's, and she's set
against tramps as am"
don't want drink" said the man,
though | do want food. You needn't be
afraid to let me in, ma'am. Eve been
wounded, and am not able to walk far,
and MY clothes are thin, and it's bitter
cold. I've been trying to get to my
parents at Greenback, where / can rest
until I'm better, and all my money was
stolen from me three days ago. You
needn't be afraid; let me Just lie before
the fire, and only give me a crust, to keep
me from starving, and the Lord will bless
you for it."
And then he looked up at me with his
wild blue eyes in way that would have
made me do it, if hadn't seen so many of
these impostors. The war was Just over,
and every beggar that came along said
he was soldier travelling home, and had
been wounded and robbed One that
had been fool enough to help lmped
away out of sight, as he thought, and
then-for [ was at the garnet window
shouldered his crutches and tramped it
with the strongest.
No doubt your pocket is full OF
money" said /, "and you only want a
chance to rob and marder me- Go away
with your
Drusilla, that's my niece, was baking
cakes in the kitchen. Just then she
came to the door and motioned with her
mouth to me: Do let him stay, auntie."
And if hadn't good sense, / might, but
i knew better than chick of sixteen.
Go away with youl' says I, loader
than before. 81 won't have this any
longer"
And he gave kind of groan and
took his hand from the latch, and went
champ, champ, champ, through the
frozen snow again, and l thought him
gone, when there he was once more,
hardly with aknock at ALA faint touch
like child's, now.
81 And when he opened the door he was
quite in, and stood leaning on his cane.
pale as ghost, his eyes bigger than ever.
Well, of all impudencel" said L.
He looked at me, and he said: Madam,
l have mother at Greenback. | want
to live to see her. / shall not if try to
go any further tonight"
They all want to see their mothers;"
and just then it came into my mind that
hoped my son Charlie, who had been a
real soldier Gan officer he had come to
be, mind you), wanted to see his, and
would soon.
II have been wounded, you see,"
said he.
Don't 60 a,showing me your hurts"
said | they buy 'em, SO they told me,
to go a-begging with now. / read the
papers, yer. see, and I'm principled, and
sos our clergyman, agin giving any
thing unless it's through some well-or-
y ganized society. Tramps are my abom-
nation. And as for keeping you all
night you can't expect that of decent
folks. Co.
fHruc;I1o oo,,,o - a. - i -
Let him stay, auntie," with her lips
] again, butt took no notice. So he went,
and this time he did not come back; and
l sat down by the fire and smelt the
baking cakes, and the apples stewing, and
The tea drawing on the stove, and !
ought to have been very comfortable,
put ! wasn't. Something seemed tug
ging at my heart all the time.
gave the fire polk, 9 I'd lit another
candle, to cheer myself Up, and / went
10 my work-basket to rel the sock had
been knitting for ny Charlie, and, as /
went TO get 1T, saw something lying on
the floor. ] picked it up 1t was a to-
pscco pouch, ever SO much like the one
gave Charlie, with a fringe around it,
and written on it in ink, From G. F.
TO K. ID. !" and inside was bit of to-
bacco and an old pipe and letter-a
rumpled old letter; and when l spread
II out saw ON the top, "My dear son."
= knew the beggar must have dropped
It, and my heart gave one big thump, az
though 1t had been turned into hammer
~ Herhaps the story was true, and he had
mother. l shivered all over, and the fire
and candles and the nice comfortable
smells might as well not have been at all.
was cold and wretched.
And over and over again had 1 to say
TO myself what had heard our pastor
say 20 often, Never give anything to
chance beggars, my friends always be-
stow your aims on worthy persons through
weil-organized societies." before | could
get bit of comfort. And what an old
fool ] was to cry, thought, when
found my cheeks wet.
But | did not cry long, for, as / sat