The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-03-30
The Champion Grasshopper
Sufferer.

He looked into the waiting room at the
Central depot yesterday, saw an elderly
couple there waiting to go west, and then
after making sure that the special police
man was not around he entered the room.
He was a man who had seen other days,
that was plain. His plug hat was years
old, bis coat shone with age and grease,
and there was no collar on his neck. A
policeman would have mentally recorded
him as "vag" without moments hesita.
ton, and the fellow would have stood a
chance of being trot ted to the Central sta.
ton.
"My good friends" he commenced as
he approached the innocent old couple
from Vermont "icr heavens sake help
me little %
"Who are you ?" asked the husband,
struck with the bummer's lonesome voice
and generally hard look.
"Name's Jones-Kansas - grasshop.
pers !" replied the man turning away his
head as if deeply affected.
"Be you one of those poor unforlunates
who were almost eaten up by the grass
hoppcrs ?" exclaimed the woman, her
sympathies all aroused.
1.-The same, madame" sighed Jones /;
had to leave tho State-going to New
liampshire-got as far as bere and money
gave out Heaven only knows what'll
become of us"
Are you married ?" she asked.
"Y es'um-wifen nine children they
are out here on the common in a wagon,
all sick and shivering with the cold !"
"l'vc heard about them grasshoppers ;
were they very thick asked the man.
"Thick ~ echoed Jones, "you couldn't
tell the difference 'twixt dav and night,
and the roaring Of their wings made us
deaf
"My grashus but wasn't that awful ?"
sighed the woman.
al had a hundred acres Of corn, fifty
Of wheat, thirty of oats-nico meadow =
lot of fruit, but the grasshoppers made a
beggar of me in five hours !" continued
Jones.
"They eat the stuff right up, did
they ?"
There's folks cast here who don't be.
lieve it," continued Jones, "but it is
solemn fact that the grasshoppers chewed
up. iron wedges, gnawed the boards off'n
the bsrns, bit plough points all up, and if
We hadn't hid our horses in the cellar,
they'd have been munched sure -
&C. nd vnu had IN leava ~
"Yes, sold my land for eleven dollars,
got my family into the wagon and started
east. Been one one hundred and eighty
days coming this far, and buried two
children on the way. Lor' only knows
what's to become Of US | wish | was
in the river out there then my heart
wouldn't be burstia' with grief and trou.
bic !"
"Poor man - sighed the woman. "Eb.
enezer, let's give him two dollars"
Two dollars is pile of money
unused the man.
But it's an awful sad case, Ebenezer-
nuff to tech a heart Of flint
"The Lord loveth a cheerful giver"
added Jones as he drew his sleeve across
his nose.
"Wall, suppose lts u naru varu, aud
We won't be any poorer for givin' two
dollars" said the husband as he pulled
out his wallet and handed out a two dol
lar bill.
Thanks, my kind FREUD" replied
Jones, Il hope you will never see the
trouble I'm having. Thisll buy medicine
and provisions and kinder help us along
like, and feel as though could throw
my arms around ye aud hug ye for your
Kindness"
That's all right" said the husband.
IL wish it was ten," added the woman.
as she shook Jones outstretched hand.
lie slid out, and ten minutes afterward
might have been seen in Front street
saloon pouring bad gin out of tall de.
canter and remarking to the barkeeper
Say, old pard, was it in Virginia or
Kansas that the grasshoppers was SO
thick ?''-Detrou Free Press.