Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-02-13
THE WILD-DUCK SHOOTER


The charity of the rich is much to be COM
mended but how beautiful is the charity of
the poor
Call to mind the coolest day you ever ex-
perienctd. Think of the bitter wind and
driving snow think how you shook and shiv-
ered-how the sharp white particles were
driven up against your face-how, within
doors, the carpets were lifted like billows
along the floors, the wind howled and moaned
in the chimnoys. windows cronked, doors rat
tied and every now and then heavy Jumps of
snow came laundering down with a dull
weight from the roof.
Now hear my story.
In one of the broad open plains Of Lincoln
shire there is a long reedy sheet Of water a
favorite resort Of wild ducks. At its northern
extremity stand two mud cottages, old and
out of repair.
One bitter, bitter night, when the snow lay
three feet deep on the ground, and n cutting
east wind was driving it about, and whstling
in the dry frozen reeds by the waters edge,
and swinging the bare willow trees till their
branches swept the ice, an old woman sat
spinning in one of these cottages before a
moderately cheerful fire. Her kettle was sing
ing on the Goals she had a reed-candle, or
home made rushlight on her table, but the
full moon shone in and was the brighter light
of the two These two cottages were far
from any road, or any other habitatiou; the
old woman was. therefore, surprised, rs she
sat drawing out her thread, and grooming an
old north-couutry song to hear sudden
knock at the door.
1t was loud and impatient, not likesthe
knock of her neighbors in the other cottage :;
but the door was bolted and the old woman
rose, and shufiling to the window looked out,
and saw shiyering figure, apparently that Of
n youth.
'"Trampers !" said the old woman, senten-
tiously 'trlmping folks be not wanted here; :"
and so saying, she went back to the fire with
out deigning to answer the door
The youth, upon this, tried the door, and
called to her to beg admittance. She heard
him rap the snow from his shoes against her
Intel and again knock as il he thought she
was deaf, andhe should surely gain admittance
if he could only make her hear.
The old woman, surprised at his audacity,
went to the easement, and, with all the pride
of possession, opened it, and inquired his
business.
Good woman" the stranger began, II on
ly want a seat at your fire."
NAY" said the old woman, giving effect
to her words by her uncouth dialect, "thoult
get no shelter here; I've nought to give beg
gars-a dirty, wet critter," she continued,
wrathfully, slamming to the window ''it's
wonder where he found any water, too, see
ing it freezes so hard, body can get none
for the kettle, saving what's broken up with
a hatchet."
On this the beggar turned hastily away
And at this point in his narrative, the per
son who told it to me stopped and said, "Do
you think the old woman WAS very much to
blame 2"
"She might have acted more kindly" I re-
piled "but why do you ask Z"
Because, said he, II have heard her con-
duct so much reflected on by some who
would have thought nothing of it if it had not
been for the consequences"
"She might have turned him away less
roughly" l observed
THAT is true" he answered but in any
case, think, though we might give them
food or money, we should hardly invite beg
gars in to sit by the fire."
Certainly not" 1 replied ''and this wo-
man could not tell that the beggar was hon
est"
mo, said he "but must go on with my
narrative"
The stranger turned very hastily from her
door, and waded through the deep snow
towards the other cottage. The bitter wind
helped to drive him towards it. 1t looked no
less poor than the first AMI, when he had
tried the door, found it bolted, and knocked
twice without attracting attention, his heart
sank within him. His hand was SO numbed
with cold that he had made scarcely any
noise he tried again.
rush candle was burning within, mat
ronly-looking woman sat before the fire She
held an infant in her arms, and had dropped
asleep but his third knock reused her and
wrapping her apron round the child, she
opened the door very little way, and de-
manded what he wanted.
Good woman" the youth began 81 have
had the misfortune to fall in the water this
bitter night, and am so numbed that can
scarcely walk"
The woman gave him sudden, earnest
look, and then sighed.
Come in," she said 'thou art so nigh the
size of my Jem, l thought at first it was him
come home from sea-"
The youth stepped across the threshold,
trembling with cold and wet and no wonder,
for his clothes were completely encased in
wet mud, and the water dripped from them
with every step he took on the sanded floor.
"Thou art in a sorry plight, said the wo-
man, 'and it be two miles to the highest
housen come and kneel down before the