The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-06-10
ONLY A TRAMP.
BY MARY L. QUACKENBUSH.

A STRIKING contrast! On one side of
the iron fence a beautiful house and
handsomely-laid-out grounds. The grass
on the lawn was like soft, green velvet,
and here and there were patches of scar
let geraniums, stately white lilies and
gay verbenas. And in the midst of
these bright-hued flowers and carefully
trained shrubs fountain, guarded by
white marble nymphs, tossed up its
sparkling spray.
And up on gently-rising knoll stood
the house-a fine stone mansion-appear-
ing both graceful and substantial; the
home of luxury and refinement.
This within the gate.
Outside--a man clad in travelstained
and tattered garments. His face had
once been handsome, his dark eyes once
shone with clear, steady light, his
form was once borne erectly. But now
all was changed.
Intemperance had taken away wife,
children, friends, property and manhood
Feeble, poor and homeless he wandered
about-only tramp For hours that
day he had travelled along the dusty
road, the hot sun beating down upon his
head. Tired, hungry and footsore he had
at last come to what to him seemed a
palace beautiful; and so no wonder that,
under the shade of the trees, he paused
! to rest
The bottle in his pocket had been
drained the afternoon before. Fortu-
nately he had come to no place where
he might fill it again, and so for the time
reason reigned in the mans mind, and
with it came the old, bitter remorse be-
cause of his sin, the old, aching sorrow
and shame because of his degradation.
But he strove to drive away the un.
comfortable feelings by murmuring at
Providence. And he said, as he looked
at the handsome house and grounds
"And l say God is cruel and unjust to
give some people so much and me so lit
| tler'
Then conscience whispered: "God
also gave thee many things, but thou
with thine own hand didst cast them
awayw
The bitter truth cut deep into his
heart, and laying his hot forehead on the
cool iron railing of the fence he wept.
Suddenly little hand was laid on the
bowed head of the tramp. He hastily
glanced up and saw standing before him
a little girl, Birdie Leigh, the only child
of the gentleman who owned the house
and grounds.
A gentle. refined child, within whose
dark, luminous eyes was sanity look
as if she had, during all the eight years
of her young life, walked hand in hanG
with God. Her little, rosy mouth seemed
made for smiles and kisses and loving
words, and the curls that clustered above
the broad, white brow were as bright al
the golden sunshine which lay in the
long, slanting rays of light upon tht
green grass With look of tender sym
pathy upon her fair little face she said
"Poor man, what is the matter?"
The deep wells of the tramp's hear
were touched as if by an angels wing
A sob choked him so that he could no
speak.
care you tired?" then the sweet voic'
said.
Was he tired? All, yes! Tired o
meeting temptation and having it gail
victory after victory over him. And if
glass of liquor were held to his lips, evel
while in the presence of that sinles
child and with her innocent eyes upol
him, he would eagerly drink it, SO veal
was he-this poor tramp!
"Come in and rest" said Birdie, open
ing the gate.
The tramp looked down at his soile'
and ragged garments and stammere'
out: "I-I amt fit"
But, putting her tiny hand in hi
great one, she drew him in and led hin
to rustic seat, mid flowers and trailini
vines and the cool waters of the fount
ain, near by.
IL have been reading, sir" said tn
child, taking up little blue Bible whicl
was lying on the seat" reading abou
God. Don't you love Him very much
sir?"
Did he? Aye, years ago, when, as
little, pure-souled child, he knelt at
loved mothers knee and lisped his even
ing prayer But now he felt that he wa
not tit to come into the divine presence
for his heart continually cried "Unclean
unclean" Yet at the same time hi
nature was craving for alcoholic liquor
He took some of the water and carried
to his burning mouth. Seeing him d
this, the child said:
"Ah! you are thirsty-and hungry, toe
l guess. Stay here, please, and l vii
get you something" and her fairy figur
fitted up to the house.
His first impulse was to hurry ava
ere she should return, but then he ud
tired and hungry, and the shad
seat was so different from the hot, dust
| road. And he leaned his head agains