Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-06-03

Have you no family to look after
you2"
Yes" answered the old man; 81
have a son, but have not seen him
for more than 20 years. He was
fine lad. At Alma the colonel said to
me, after l had saved his life: 'Pri-
vate Redfern, how shall reward you?
You may ask me anything, and will
do il for YOU Look after my son, ;
l said, If you would be 40 kind. He
has no mother, and he is fine boy.
when tine colonel came back he
took my boy. used to write to the
lad, but 1 got up into northern Can
ada, and lost the habit of writing.
When 1 came back, an old man, to
look for the boy,I could not find him.
My old colonel is dead. But IL my
boy is alive aud hears that his old
father is here, he'd take him away
yes, he'd take him away. But l
can't find him." went on the old man.
HE was only five years old when I
saw him last. He would not know me
now IL he saw me-"
"Oh, we don't want any of those
sort OF tales here!" said the guardian.
Either you have q family to support
you or have not. II you have, they
must take you out OF here and look
after you. II You have not, you must
turn out and chance your luck. You
are only 70; you ought to work for
your living! You look big enough.
Look at me. lam not so big as you
"A bit fatter. perhaps and work
every day of my life."
He went into comfortable Office
for an hour or two every day; the rest
OF his time he spent in eating or in
sleeping, preparatory TO eating more.
The guardians all pretended to dis
believe Redfern's story about his son,
and finally, on the evidence of the
warder, who testified that the old
man was lazy and good for. nothing,
they gave him two hours in which to
leave the workhouse.
Redfern's face was gray with suffer
ing, and shooting pains from an old
wound in his shoulder caused him
agony. His knees trembled visibly,
and his eyes grew dim aud restless.
He summoned strength at last to ask
the guardians il he might have back
the medals that had been taken from
him.
However, as the warder swore that
he had never seen the medals, which
ut that very moment were resting in
his pockets, the virtuous, well-fed
guardians of the poor ordered the old
man Indignantly from their presence.
He tried to protest, but the warder
scowled furiously at him and pinched
his arm for him to stop.
Then Redfern's weakness overcame
him. He pitched heavily forward to
the floor. He was taken to tho mfr
mary again, and the doctor said that
in a few hours he would be well enough
to go ont.
When the old man came to he saw
the warder directing the scrubbing
and cleaning of the ward with unusual
care, while women paupers were fas-
tening up fresh curtains to the win
dows. There was an air of hustle and
preparation about the room such as he
had never noticed before.
A warder, noticing that he was
awake, ordered him TO get off the bed
and smarter himself up. The pauper
told him that Captain Armitage and
his young wife were coming TO look
over the workhouse. The captain
was fine young fellow, and he owned
most Of tile land round that part.
Redfern listened to the information
listlessly, for he was too i'll to take q
keen interest in anything, and the
prospect of his expulsion from the
workhouse weighed on his mind. He
was too paralyzed to contemplate any
thing but that in an hour or two he, a
soldier, too weak to work, would be
cast out into the world friendless and
without hope.
All the paupers whispered incessant-
ly the name OF Captain Armitage, and
at last something in it's sound awoke
the old mans memory.
Misunderstanding? Why, that
was my old coloners name," he said.
"Ah, but this is young man, and my
colonel is dead. Yes, lie is dead; 1 |
shall he dead soon. l shall hear him
say: 'Redfern, you have been men
toned again In the dispatches. Then
he'll say-yes, he'll say''-the old man
felt nervously over the breast Of his
coat-''hell say: 'Redfern, where are
your medelsP' Yes, l must have my |
medals"
He tried TO raise himself from the |
bed on which he was sitting, but the
weakness held him prisoner.
Presently a carriage came through |
the great gate at the entrance 10 the
bona. I.ak vaakIau,an kan Il