Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-04-19

Legs CrOftS from father To son from De-
fore the memory of man. leave Leyc
Croft"' he muttered. "A good joke
that; as if there could be Leys Croft
without Blackthorn! When l leave
it. at last, they'll have to change the
name-yes, change the name" But,
short and easy as the walk was, and
varied with cows and memories, he was
slouching yet more heavily on his stick
BY the time he reached the foot of the
slope; and he looked wearily at the
beech clump that had still to be gained.
1T has got to be long way-a
very long way, somehow" unused he.
They must have been doing some
thing to the path to make it longer, or
shifted the beaches farther away. Or
may be they've been cutting some Of
the nearest down. I must SEQ about
that when l get home; and If any
body's been up to mischief, and think
my eye isn't on 'em. they'll find out
who's master still. No-I don't think
I'll go up to the beeches to-day. They
won't run away; I'll do tho rest
another time-another time"
There was, to put the case fully. an
exceedingly low. broad and tempting
stile on the path at the foot of the
slope; and resistance to impulse had
never been Tom Blackthorn's strong
point even in his strongest days. His
strength, or weakness, lay in sticking
to the results of impulse whatever they
might be. So he sat on the stile, and,
having once yielded. there he was con-
tent to stay. Presently he began to
want q pipe-which he found in his
pocket. and his tobacco. too. But.
alas! when the bowl was filed and
wanted nothing but fire, he turned out
his pockets for his tinder-box in vain.
Millions will sympathize with Tom
Blackthorn; or at any rate so many a
will hear of him. What sorrow, after
all, can be greater in its pathetic help
lessness than that of 4 worn-out old
man falling back upon his pipe. and,
when it Is At his very lips, deprived Of
its solace for the want of one little
spark of flame? Poor old Tom had
passed through . whole army of
memories patiently. But now he was
ready to cry. And then the sun was
80 warm on his bowed shoulders, and
the air so crsply sweet, that the army
he had passed through formed their
ranks, and, led by that pipe of Tan
tulus, came on.
And he might have disarmed them
with a Whit was cruel.
But presently hope downed A man
was coming towards him from the d.
rection of Hmchester-a man might
have a tinder-box and tinder to spare
for charity. But might he might
not; and that would be the mockery of
fate indeed. The man came nearer.
But no sooner was he full in view than
he began to turn sharp up the level path
and move up the hill.
Such balk was not to be borne. The
farmer put his hat on the end of his
stick and waved it in the air. "Yo-
hoy!" he shouted; not with the lungs
of old. but with some very effective re-
mains.
And his signal was seen. The man
turned back. came to within half q
dozen yards Of the stile, and looking at
the farmer without speaking.
Il want to light my pipe," said Tom
Blsckthorn, in a rather querulous way.
Have you got such thing as q tinder
box? thought you were never going
to hear. But 'tis strange how deal
everybody's growing. I suppose that's s
what makes them all humble so that
nobody else can hear email but my
girl"
The man was one to whom Farmer
Blackthorn would never have spoken in
the old times save to drive him of his
land, if there he had caught him. with
lifted stick and hard words. For he
was tramp; and tramp Of what was
then held the worst and most danger
Gus sort of tramp-a wandering sol
dier. Il was always tho soldier tramp
who was made answerable for the
burned hayrick, and the farmers wife
stopped and plundersd on hor way
from market and for the entries into
houses that stood alone, and for the ex-
cesses Of alehouse joIlity. Considering
what our soldiers were doing. it was
amazing how grateful we all we're 70
them whenever they CHANGED to come
home. Ana, unhappily, they we're often
hard put to il to find an honest living,
and 30 took, or returned to dishonest
ones, while many soldier who traded
On his scars bad never crossed salt
water and had himaeH manufactured
his own stock-in-trade. So, after all,
nobody was 50 very much to be blamed.
Under the circumstances, however.
the tramp was not one whom Q feeble
and eldcriy man with . good ooat thal
had pockets in it would oaze to uasl
alone in the fields in those rough times
He was q sadly dilapidsted tramp in the
matter of ragged regimentals, and too
Etalwart and young to make it fitting
that he should be out Of voFk, Il but q
labor@'s. There was something pe-
culiar in his look. too, as he looked on
Farmer Blackthosn iwithout speaking .
word.
Cant you speak, man? Have yen .
tinder-box-ay or no?"
The mans hand made a dive some
where, and brought out battered tin
box, once round in shape, that brought
q sparkle into Tom Blackthorn's eyes
Thank you, my good fellow. A
friend in need is q friend indeed" He
drew in the first smoke, all the sweetm
for delay, and exhaled it with , grunt
and sigh.
so you're soldierP' asked b.
Il have been q soldier" said the
man "Don't you-don't you know
who"
"Ah; I'm sharp enough thought
so, by your clothes. A soldier ah.
Soldiers sad word to me- But proud
one, too"
He must have changed, indeed, to be
sitting on q stile and chatting with q
wandering soldier. So changed that
he half SMILED in the others eyes, as II
counting question, SO that be might
have an excuse for chatting . hseis