Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-11-04
s. GIL"

| TILL
A ragged, sad-eyed boy, aged nine or
ten, stopped me on the street the other day
and said:
- haven't had anything to eat this
whole day! Won't you please give me ten
cents?n
gave it to him. I'd have given him
the money if it had been necessary to pawn
my hat
do you let impostors swindle you in
that mannery" inquired an acquaintance.
| A Journalist who has knocked around
for daily paper dozen years has seen
every phase of human life. Men, women
| and children have swindled him, or sought
| TO: people have lied to him; his money
who told direful tales of distress, and he
nature.
"Ill bet that boy is professional beg
gar, f" continued my friend, chuckling at the
idea of my being swindled.
None of us care for the loss of shin
plaster ON the street, while every one ieels
vexed and annoyed at the idea of being
swindled out of single penny. | could
not say that the boy was not a swindler,
and yet would have divided my last shil-
ling with him.
"Why|
told my friend why, and will tell YOU.
One day last year when the wild wind
blew the snow over the house roofs and
around the corners in blinding clouds,
| and when the frosty air cut ones face like
a knife, boy of ten came up 10 me as
waited for the car. He was thinly clad
his face betrayed hunger and suffering,
and in a mournful voice he pleaded:
I'm hungry and cold"
why don't you 60 homer" ] asked.
haven't any'
Haven't you any relativesS'
Not onem
How long have you been herey'
"Three weeks
The boy spoke in that drawl which pro.
tessional beggars assume. | believed,
too that had seen his face on the streets
time and again. | hardened my heart and
said:
"Boyl know you, and if catch you
asking anyone for money again I'll have
you arrested"
He moved away quickly. argued that
this proved his guilt, forgetting that a
homeless, iriendless waif might eyincc
fear when entirely innocent
Five hours later, when night had come
and the wind had grown to a fierce gale,
the boy halted me again as / plunged
through the snow-driits. | did not see
him until he called out:
Mister! I'm almost starved, aud I'll
freeze TO death il can't get some place to
! sleepy
The same thin, ragged clothes, hardly
| comfortable enough for June weather.
the same whine TO his voice. / felt like
giving him money, but the fear that he
had been sent out by his parents to beg
restrained and sngered me. Catching him
by the arm, yelled out:
g See here, boyl If you don't own up
that you are lying to me, I'll take you to
the stAtionr'
Through the binding storm ] saw his
| white face grow paler and he cried back :
Don't take me-donN Yes, | was
| lying"
| released him and he hurried away,
while | walked on, flattering myself that
| had played sharp game and done the
| generous public "A good turn.
An hour later, when the night had grown
| still wilder and colder, some one knocked
at my door. Ii was timid knock, and
wondered who could have sent Il child
abroad on such night. When opened
the door that same boy was on the step,
his face blue with cold his whole form
shivering, and look of desperation In his
eyes.
Please, mister ---n' he began, but
| stopped when recognizing me.
was puzzled 10 know why he should
have followed me home-why he had Sc
lected me for victim and trailed me 80
persistently. might have argued that
the storm had driven people of the streets
and that the freezing, starving boy had,
In his desperation, called at the house, but
didn't. Had ii been any other boy, or
any other person, asking charity would
have given promptly and freely. But !
WAS angry at his trailing me--angercd
that he thought he could swindle me
and grabbed at him and inquired:
Boy, what Is your manner"
He leaped back, and, standing where
the furious storm almost buried him from
sight, he answered:
"Gilm
81 know you, sifp shouted, and he
moved away without another word.
May the Lord forgive me for that nights
work. But you might have acted the
same. When morning came, after a night
50 bitter that policemen were frozen on
their beats, opened the front door To
find that boy dead ON the steps, frozen to
death knew, ~ the dead, white face
looked up at me through the snow, that !
had wronged him with my suspicious, but
II was too late then-the angels had
opened TO him gate leading 10 place
where the human heart and It's unworthy
thoughts can never enter. Poor Gill A
warm meal or shilling would have
saved his life, and drove him out to his
death.
This IL why give when ! am asked
now. | know that | sometimes give to
the unworthy, but II would be better TO
give all possessed TO an impostor than TO
have another homeless waif creep back To
die on the spot where had unjustly ac-
cused him.--"H. Quad," IN n. y.
Graphic.
CUCUMBER CATsUP,-Take of full. grown
cucumbers, say one peck; remove the
rind, and cut them down lengthwise, then
into thin, diceshaped pieces; strew half a