The Democratic Whig. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1842-1843, 1843-09-01
A CHAPTER on BEGGIRS. :
Foreign Correspondence Of he N. Y. Tribune
frA1x, MAY. 1eA9 :

ITALY, May, 1919
date my letter from Iraly, because I writ
o. al 1.aly, Ior the beggars belong TO the Who'll
country. There are vasious Glasses-pom
are only occasional beggars, made so By Ia
morality offoreigners. Finding It il oftsy, hu
70 ask 70 receive, they will stop in the midst :
work and beg for mere fraction of aoue -
but Jour regular professional berrer IL know,
IN moment. He has been Accustomed /,
hear NO and pay no more attention to Il thar
III ne did not hear it. He knows thar persever
enGe conquers all things, and that every ma.
VIII give halfa cent to be rid Of his impor
tunify. The mode Of begging varies according
to the temperament of the beggar. There 1
one perhaps minus both legs, who is perfect.
~ conscious that his condition, as he sits helm.
less on the pavement at your feet, appeals tc
your sympathies stronger than his language
and simply holds his tattered hat out a. vou
pass. Iknow one such who has ACQUIRED quite
property.
Then there IS your dramatic beggar who
makes himself 1aTner than he is, or rolls his
blind eyes so az to give his most reydting as.
Pect, and appeals to you in language and in
voice most touching and pathetic. He will
tell you Of his large family and their starvation,
and ask you Tor the love of God to give him one
single copper. A third fatters you, calling YOU
beautiful gentleman, and heaping on YOU ii
ties sufficient TO satisfy the most ambitious. I
have often met an old woman of this class.
who smiles on me with most perfect good hu
NOR, and throwing her head on one side coaxes
me with tuch tone and so many compliments
that find my hand in my pocket before know
II. Then there is your graceless, ragged little
urchln, who will crack his jaw and turn somer.
sets till you really think he deserves a penny.
No matter how strongly you resolve at first
against encouraging the little rascal after he
has worked himself out of breath in tumhling
for you, and comes up smiling and demands
only quarter for it all, it does seem stingy
not to give. You may have told him to stop
and 60 away dozen times; 1t matters not,
such is our nature, if man viii play for you,
we feel we ought to pay him.
There is another class that, concious of hav.
ing no particular claims in themselves upon
your charity borrow a wretched babe or child,
whose misery will plead for them. Sometimes
you meet jolly beggar, but him you may i'm.
mediately put down as beggar Of fortune
Life with him has not been failure. He is
none of your disappointed men. His bust
ness has always been as thriving and he feels
Is he acts, right kindly towards you and all
and why shouldn't he I! He has a
little property, amassed from their charity, and
be is secure against 'rainy day." ] used to
meet such one on the Pincian hill in Rome.
He was large fat fellow with withered legs,
so that he walked on his hands and knees alone.
In the morning he would be down in the neart
Of the city, but towards evening he stationed
himself on7the last landing up the long flight of
stairs that lead to the hill, and as you ascend
ed, advanced on all fUurs to the edge, and look
NO far all the world like large maStiE and
'noWHsg HI0st Deautaal SET or IFEIn a0dfeas
,f.s you like a familiar friend with "Good day
'ir.' SIT is fine weather today" or SIT looks
ike rain," as the case may be- He was large |
inc looking man, and it was hard to resist |
lropping penny in his hat He struck my
ancy amazingly and | would often stop and |
ak with him.
One day asked him how much he took per |
lay. ~Oh," he said, e10 or IL cents" "Ah |
low,'' replied, adon't try to deceive me, for |
I'm good friend; shall give you just as much; |
won't tell any body; want to know merely |
rom curiosity" 'WeH,'' he said, shalt a |
iolEar day. and often MORE" This here is
equal to dollar at home. This was certain
v good wages when it cost him but a few
serice per day to live. "Bm," he added, "this
$ onIy during the season when the strangers
,isit Rome In the summer take very little.
He chen gave me long history OF himself and
ia dunkey he owned. which ne said was fas-
ened above on the hill to ride home on when
he days work was finished. This man OWL
ID 2 or 8 houses, He seemed to consider me
. sort Of confederate after he told me his cir.
and If l happened to be passing up
behind another stranger. who refused to give
lin aims, he would tip we wink and smile
md expect his copper from me.
So much for the beggars, and now for the
node of Kidding one's self of them without be-
towinp aims, for it would impoverlsh prince
O give to all and every time they ask. have
ried various methods. but find scarcely ne
ME universal. Threats are quite useless, TOR
hey know you cannot find it in your heart to
.ane them, and if you do, you will most Ger
ainly give them penny to pay for 1t. They |
viii dodge il, it is true, but not retreat. Some
imes.asenke'{ nothing) spoken with perfect sang |
roid. will convince them that you have been
mo ia ftalv to understand their habits, and
heY will leave. fftheY still persist. a mon III
endete 90 (doD't you undefstand!) VIII some
INES relieve You. If they still dog your loot
teps, as some impudent nrchins VIII 40.
LIGHT tap of the cane BY way OF preface u the
,nIv resort. Sometimes to point the nngeE
nd CRY ashanse,n win send them on ihefe
another mode, the secret Of winch 40 HOl
',,5a~stand hat which is more effectual than
n In 10 firstsav entente" and lfthey per-
- rerIeat Il aeain and waive two fingers OF
he hand before your forehead. When they
a. this they viii almost invariably stop iook
/ YOU : moment, and quietly withdraw. II
on are in q carriage, you can let mem run
heir breath out, though some OF them are
Wonderfully Iopg.windad, and then they are
nre. TO abuse y5n al the end.
= a little GIRL once chased the carriage IN
1bich rode for more than mile. nad nOt
! particle of small change in my pcckes OF
,aI;eva / shonld have given her sometnng 90
, 's,, cent her swas--She first plead WITH me;
M of course did not believe me wqen aoIo
ar had no small money. -She then lo,oeu
,er litde arms and prayed for me TO the Ma
lo,,na. an all the time running a. TIE Yep =
~ sr,sed Not succeeding in this, sale hcapeo
- .,ps an the titels nobility and eplthels o.
80. = -. she could command. The fair tflai 9,
'.cb occupied some time. and WREN they al
49, 49, srI he was fairly tired onf, she stopped
"a "a, with 4 most vllIaniCas look called me
lE0ckgssard - vc,, rUonld |
;,,,;Ia - 40 me sometimes making change VIZ
''i $780, he win be sure 20 have not quite
49, a 70 rive Won back what yon demand
II. HI see;n always insist on the last ifac'