Daily globe., 1879-06-22
THE MAN AT THE DOOR.

so that 1 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; I'm a lone woman, and I'm afraid
of en-
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 as loud as he did beforehand I
opened it hot and angry. This time I
saw his face-a pale ghost of a 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 it to the next house,
ma 'am?" said he.
''Three miles or more," said I.
''And that is not tavern?"
"No," said I; ''no drinks to be got
there. 1t is Miss Mitten's, and she's as
set again tramps as I am.''
II don't want drink said the man,
Though do want food You needn't
be afraid to let me in, ma'am. I've been
wounded, and am not able to walk far,
and my clothes are thin, and it's bitter
parents at Greenbank, where l can rest
till Pm 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, the
stalest crust, to keep me, from starving,
and the Lord will bless you for it,"
And then he looked at me with his wild
blue eve in o Way that would have made
do it, if it hadn't been that I'd seen
so much Of those impostors. The war
was just over, and every beggar that came
along said he was a soldier travelling
home, and had been wounded and robbed.
One who I had been fool enough to help
limped away out of sight, as he thought,
and then-for was at the garret window
-shouldered his crutches and tramped it
with the strongest.
"No doubt your pocket is full of mon
ey," said I: land you only want a chance
to rob and murder me. Go away with
you"
Drusilla, that's my niece, was baking
cakes in the kitchen. Just then she came
to the d ,or and motioned with her mouth
to me: "Do let him stay, auntie." And
if 1 hadn't had good sense, might, but
l knew better than chick of sixteen.
$50 away with your says I, louder
than before. 81 won't have this any long.
er."
And he gave kind Of groan, and
took his hand from the latch, and went
champ, champ, through the frozen snow
again and I thought him gone, wher
there he was once more, hardly with &
knock at ala faint touch like q child'<
now.
And when I opened the door again he
was quite in, and stood leaning on his
cane, pale as ghost, his eyes bigger thar
ever.
"Wcll, of all impudencer said I.
He looked at me, and he said, "Madam
have a mother at Greenbank. I wan
to live to see her. I shall not if try tt
90 any further to night"
''They all want to see their mothers :;
and Just then it came into my mind tina
I hoped my son Charlie, who had been
real soldier Gan officer he had come to be
mind you), wanted to see his, and woul'
soon.
II have been wounded, as you see,
said he.
''Don't go a-showing me your hurts,
said I, "Thcy buy 'em, so they told me
to go a begging with now. 1 read tn
papers, yer see, and I'm Principled, an
SOS our clergyman, agin giving any thing
unless it's through some well-organize
society. Tramps are my abominatio1
And as for my keeping you all night
YOU can't expect that of decent folks
Co."
Drusilla came to the door and said
"Let him stay, auntie,'' with her lip
again, but took nc notice.
So he went, and this time he did nc
come back; and sat down by the fir
and smelt the baking cakes and the az
Piles stewing and the tea drawing on til
stove, and I ought to have been very con
Portable; but wasn't. Something SCENE
tugging at my heart all the time.
1 gave the fire a poke. and lit anothe
candle to cheer myself up, and I went
my work-basket to get the sock ha
been knitting for my Charlie, and, as
went to get it, saw something lying Q
the floor. l picked it up. 1t was tt
bacco-p o-pouch, ever so much like the one
gave Charlie, with fringe around it. an
written on it in ink, "From G. F. to I
H." and inside was bit of tobacco an
an old pipe and letter, rumpled oil
letter; and when spread it out, saw Q
the top, "My dear son."
knew the beggar must have droppe
it, and my heart gave one big thump,
though it had been turned into han
mer. Gat
Perhaps the story was true and he hs
mother. I shivered all over, and Il
fire and candles and the nice comfortab
smells might as we'll not have been
all. I was cold and wretched.