South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1893-03-03

that Of decent folks. Co."
Drusiila came to the door and
said, ''Let him stay. auntis," with
her lips again, and took no no.
tice.
So he went. and this time did
not come back; aud | sat down by
tho fire, and smelt the baking
cakes and the apples stewing, and
the tea drawing on the kitchen
stove, and / ought to have been
very comfortable; but l wasn't.
Something seemed Juggling at my
heart all the time.
/ gave the fire a poke, and lit
another candle, to cheer myself up
and / went to my work basket to
get the sock I'D been knitting for
my Charlie; and as l went to getit
saw something lying on the floor.
picked it up. 1t was an old to-
bacco pouch, ever go much like the
one l gave Charlie, with fringe
around it, and written on 1t in ink,
"From G. +. to r. H., ;" and in
side was piece of tobacco and an
old pipe, and a letter. rumpled
old letter, and when l spread it out
l saw at the top "MY dear SON."
! i knew the beggar must have
dropped it, and my heart gave one
big thump, as though it had been
turned into hammer.
| Perhaps the story was true, ard
he had q mother. i shivered all
over, and the Ere and the candles,
and the nice, comfortable smells
might as well not have been at all.
was cold and wretched.
And over and over again l had
to say to myself what l heard our
pastor say so often, s.Never give
anything to chance beggars, my
dear friend, always bestow your
aims on worthy persons through
well organized societies." before l
could get bit of comfort. Aud
what an old fool ] was to cry,
thought, when found my cheeks
wet.
| But L did not cry long, for as
sat there, dash and crash and jim
gle came sleigh over the road, and
it stopped at our gate, and l heard
my Charities voice crying, "Hello,
motherl" And out l went to the
door, and had him in my arms. my
great tail, handsome, brown son.
And there he was in his uniform,
with his pretty shoulder straps, and
as hearty as if he had never been
through any hardships. He had
to leave me to put the horse up,
and then had by the fire again my
own boy. And Drusilla, who had
been up stairs, and had been cry
ing-why l wonder?-came down
and in futter-for they were like
brother and sister-and she kissed
him, and then, away she went to
set the table, and the nice hot
things smoked on o cloth as white
as snow; and how Charlie enjoyed
them. Bat once, in the midst Of
all felt frightened feeling come
over nae, and l know turned pale,
for DrusiIla said, "What is the mat
ter, Aunt fairfax"
l said nothing, but it was this
kind O. ike the ghost Of step, go
ing, champ, champ over the frozen
snow; kind o. like the ghost Of
voice saying, "Let me lie on the
floor before your Gre and give me
any kind of a CRUST" kind o. like
seeing some one that had a mother
dropping down on the wintry road
and freezing and starving to death
there. That was what it was. But
/ put it away and only thought of
Charlie.
We drew up together by the FIRE
when tea was done, and he told us
things about the war. I'd never
heard before. How the soldiers
suffered, and what with heavy
marches and short rations they
sometimes died. And he told me
how his life had been in danger;
how he had been set upon by enc
mics and badly wounded; and how
at the risk Of his own life a fellow
soldier had saved him, and carried |
him away fighting his path back
to camp.
'I'd never have seen you bat for
him." says my Charlie. "Aud IL |
there's a man on earth love, it is I
Rob Hadaway-the dearest, bost /
Il