American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-04-06
Hospitality Without Grudging.

THIS morning poor man came to our
house to sell my father COW. lie had
walked five miles through the snow, and
looked very tired. He was sorry to part
sick this fail, and he was obliged to do so
in order to get food for the children
through the winter. He looked far from
strong, and pitied him. But my mother
did more than that. She came into the
kitchen where | was pairing potatoes, for
our dinner, and said:
''Just wash your hands, Edith, and get
out the little waiter; put plate of biscuit
on it, while heat up this coffee; now
piece of mince-pie and some doughnuts.
| will cut off some beef from the outside
of this roast, as it is nice and brown
Now all is ready but the coffee, and that
will boil in a minute or two over this hot
coal fire. Take it now, and put it on the
little stand before Mr.. Weaver. l know
it will do him good; dare say they live
poorly this hard winter"
felt sorry for the man, but it took my
good mother to do all this for his COM
fort. She always offers refreshment to
persons stopping here whom she thinks
would be the better for it. / never knew
my mothers cupboard SO empty that
there was not something in it for the
needy. l don't believe there is poor
child in the town who has not had cause
to remember it one time or another.
They like to come to our house on errands.
1t did my heart good to see the pleased
look on the poor mans face. The surprise
was so great he hardly knew what to say
at first But did not wait long in the
room after placing it before him, as |
thought he could eat more comfortably If
left to himself He looked over the wait
er with real famine-like eagerness, much
as he tried to restrain himself.
"Give him good price for his cow,
father" whispered, as pulled his sleeve
when he was passing through into the
dining
"How much are you willing to deny
yourself for the sake of his poor family,
pussy?" he asked, pinching my cheek
softly.
about five dollars, think, father"
"All right, them" he said, giving me
one of his quiet laughs in the corner of
his gray eyes.
My father does not beat poor man
down in his prices. l believe he does
business Just as he thinks the Lord would
approve if he were standing by. If there
is one lesson of my childhood which /
shall never forget, it is this-of being kind
to the poor. He made his bargain with
the man, and when he counted out the
bills he laid a five-dollar note on the top,
and said:
There is a Christmas gift for your lit
tie ones"
The poor man burst into tears. After
a while he said:
"Mr Gray, I always heard you were a
good man to the poor, but never expect
ed such treatment as l have had here to-
day May the Lord reward you hun
bred fold If you will let me, miss, I'll
take these doughnuts you have set for me
home to my little Jane. l wouldn't be so
bold, but she has been poorly ever since
she got over the sickness, and yesterday
she was crying for one of these very fried
cakes"
s'Take them and welcome" 1 said,
"and l will send her paper of them be-
side"
1t did not take my mother long to fill
up the large basket she had with good
some especial dainties in one corner for
the sick child.
1--WE can do without doughnuts till
next baking day." she said, as she emptied
the whole painful into the basket.
know that poor family will have one
good meal this winter, and l would eat
potatoes and salt for dinner for week
for the sake of the pleasure it gives me
every time think of it. Father hailed
team which was passing and got the man
ride almost to his home. He went
away with a very different look from that
which he wore when he came in.
When l have a home of my own,
mean to use hospitality just as my moth
err does. l wish there were more house
keepers "given" to it as she is. l am
sure that poor family will not soon forget
her and | think, after all, we have the
most unmixed happiness about it.-EdsM