Year: 1866




woman, "and it be two miles to the nigh
est house thy teeth chatter so pittifully,
can scarce bear to hear them"


She looked at him more attentively,
and saw that he %Hs mere boy, not
more than sixteen years of age. Her
motherly heart was touched for him.


cart hungry 2" she asked, turning to
the table; ''thou art wet to the skim
What hast thou been doing ?" ..,..,


shooting wild ducks" said the boy.


"Oh," said the hostess, "thou art one
of the keepers boys then, Ireckon."r


He followed the direction of her eyes,
and saw two portions of bread set upon
the table, with a small piece of bacon
on each.


"My master is very late," she observ-
ed, for charity did not make her use ele-
giant language, and by her master she
meant her husband, "but thou art well
come to bit of sup, for / was waiting
for him maybe it will put little warmth
in thee to eat and drink" so saying she
took up mug of beer from the hearth
and pushed it towards him, with her share
of the supper.


"Thank you," said the boy, "but am
so wet | am making quite pool on your
floor before your fire with the drippings
from my wet clothes"


"Aye, thou art wet indeed" said the
woman, and rising again she went to an
old box, in which she began to search,
and presently came back to the fire with
perfectly clean checked shirt in her
hand and tolerable good suit of clothes.


"There," she said, showing them with
no small pride, "these be my masters
Sunday clothes, and if thou wilt be very
careful of them, I'll let thee wear them
till thine be dry" She then explained
that she was going to put her ''bairn" to
bed, and proceeded up ladder into the
room above, leaving the boy to array
himself in these respectable and disirable
garments. D1"-E|


When she had come down her guest
had dressed himself in the laborer's
clothes; chad time to warm himself,
and he was eating and drinking with
much relish. He had thrown his muddy
clothes in a heap upon the floor, and as
she proceeded to lift them up,she observ-
ed.


"Ah, lad, lad, I doubt thy head has
been under water, thy mother would
have been sorely frightened if she could
have seen thee awhile ago"


eyes" said the boy, ,andin imagination,
the cottage dame saw this said mother, a
care-worn,, hard-working creature like
herself; while the youthful guest saw in
imagination, beautiful and courtly lady
and both saw the same love, the same
anxiety,the same terror at sight ola lone
ly boy struggling in the moonlight
through breaking ce,with no one to help
him, catching at the frozen reeds, and
then creeping up shivering and benumb-
ed to a cottage door.


But even as she stopped the woman
forgot her imagination, for she had taken
waistcoat into her hands such as had
never passed between them before; a
gold pencil-case dropped from the pocket
and on the floor, among heap Of mud
that covered the outer garments, lay a
white shirt sleeve, so white, indeed, and
fine, that she thought it could hardly be
worn by squire


She glanced from the clothes to the
owner. He had thrown down his cap,
and his fair curly hair and broad fore
head convincing her that he was of gen
tie birth; but while she hesitated to sit
down, he sat chair for her, and said with
boyish frankness:


81 say, what lonely place this is; if
you had not let me in, the water would
have all frozen on me before | reached
home. Catch me duck shooting again
by myselfr'


OTIS very cold sport that, sir,'' said the
woman.


The young gentleman assented most
readily, and asked if he might stir the
fire.


"And welcome, SIR" said the woman
She felt curiosity to know who he was.
and he partly satisfied her by saying that,
he was staying at Dean Hall, house
about five miles off, adding that in the
morning he had broken hole in the ice
very near the decoy, but that it had iced
over so fast, that in the dusk he had miss
ed it and fallen in, tor it would not bear
him. He had made some landmarks and
taken every precaution, but he supposed
the sport had excited him so much that,
in the moonlight he had passed them
by.


He then told her of his attempt to get
shelter IN the other cottage.


"Sir," said the woman, eff you had
said you were gentleman"


The boy laughed, 81 don't think knew
it, my good woman" he replied, "my
senses were SO benumbed; for / was
sometime struggling at the waters edge
among the broken ice, and then believe
| was nearly an hour creeping up to your
cottage door remember it all rather
indistinctly, but as soon as / felt the fire,
and drank the warm beer, l was differ
ent creature"


While they still talked, the husband
came in, and while he was eating his sup
per, they agreed he could walk to Dean
Hall, and let the inmates know of the
gentleman's safety; and when he was
gone they made up the fire with all the
coal that remained to the poor household,
and the woman crept up to bed and left
her guest TO lie down and rest before it.


In the grey dawn the laborer returned
with aservant leading horse, and bring
ing fresh suite Of clothes. .


The young gentleman took his leave
with many thanks, slipping three half
crowns into the woman's hand, probably