The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-10-15
AS AN EXPERIMENT.


the crowd. Professional beggars are great
liars: they have no sense of shame; they
are not grateful; they study to deceive
| thought / would experiment on this
beggar. 1t would do him no harm, and
it would help me to pass away an hour.
One can't study human nature by taking
a seat in a bay-window and watching the
faces of the people who pass on the side
walk
The beggar had been rcbuffed by sew
eraI and could see Il look of disappOint-
mcnt in his eyes rs | threw myself in his
wav and smiled blandly Coming nearer,
he held out his hand and said in wofuI
tones:
"Mister, for the love of heaven, give
me some chancel My wife is sick, have
seven small chill
stopped him with Il gesture, and
kindly answered:
" NV dear man, here Is a quarter for
YOU know all about YOUR wife. Poor
thing. | am afraid she will never re-
cover. And your seven childreu-Lord
bless their poor souls and bodies 1t has
been Il hard trial for YOU as we'll, and
don't see how you keep up such good
spirits. | wish | could give YOU twenty
| was Watching his eyes, and | read
him like a book. | was a stranger and
he reasoned that | had mistaken him
for some one else, and he hurried away
with the money without speaking another
ord.
Keeping my eye on the man | saw him
rebufied again and again, and presently
laid my hand on his shoulder and asked
My good friend, didn't / hear you
ask that man for five cents with which to
buy a loaf of bread?'
He hesitatcd for a moment, and then,
thinking that did not recognize him, he
answered:
"You did-you did. | have fever
sore and can't work, and haven't tasted
food for two days
Il have heard Of your case before, "
said, looking him square in thceyes, land
Pm willing to help you all | can. 1t
must be hard for a man Of your age, after
being familiar with luxury for years and
years to be suddenly deprived of wealth
and social position, crippled by disease,
and compelled to live rs you are living
now. | should think you would some
times almost be driven to the point OF
suicide"
"Well-ah- ahcm-wcll." he STAN
mercd as he took the second shinplaster.
He dropped his eyes, and | saw that he
felt somewhat ashamed, although after 4
moment he rallied, recovered his assur-
ance, and said, as he walked away:
II s'pose ! might as well be dead as
alive"
walked clear around the crowd Jcfore
| found him again. Tic had made pretty
good days work of it, and, feeling more
Independent, he was selecting his victim,
d. choosing men whose Iiberality or inno-
Cencc of mind could be read i'm their faces.
| stood behind him and heard him say to
a kind-ficed old man:
My wife is dead in the house and |
have no means to bury her"
The kind faced man hcsitated even
after putting his fingers into his vest
pocket, and said:
"Wcll it's curious. | should think that
the oversccr of the poor or some other of
fetal would have authority to bury your
wife ut the expense of the town"
They wOn't-Hvc bin to 'em two or
three times, replied the beggar, wiping
his eyes. 81 Gou don't know how hard il
is to have a dead wife in"
oh, well, here's ten cents" said the
Niuu-'d''I MAN, u'huiiIS over the scrip,
but speaking rs 1t he doubted the beg
gar word.
As the impostcr turned away tapped
him on the shoulder and said
My poor, dear man, how my heart
blceds for YOU stood there and heard
You appeal to that fiut-hcartcd miscr.
and | saw him hand YOU paltry ten
cents. Can that man have Il heart ?
Can he feel for the SORROWS of Others ?
Can he be less than Il statue2'
The beggar's eyes betrayed his sur
prise ut seeing me again, and | plainly
saw that nc was embarrassed.
a. am poor" continued, keeping my
eyes on him, but YOU are worse off.
Your poor dead wife must have Christian
nutlaI II nave l" return To Detroit on
loot. Here Is twenty i've cents. l am
"Hiidiii'u !" "iltT you Nuch It DcgSarIE
sum, pui can spare any more.
ah-ah, he Ntaihmcrcd as he took
the money
" If you we're a professional beggar
could detect the fact in vuur face"
said, greatly enjoying his embarrassment.
" You are not. One has only to glance
ut you To see that YOU have culture and
refinement and that YOU only ask aims
from dire necessity. | feel deeply for
YOU, and wish could be of service i'm
some way"
He Iimpcd away without raising his
ewes, and / SUSPECTED that had lost him
He sat down ON the steps of a grocery for
4: bout Il quarter of an hour. and then
arguing with himsclfthat had departed,
nc Emppd iuta the crowd arain fol
lowed him around and heard him tell
several different stories. and, at length
tapped him on the shoulder. He turned
quickly, and, extending my hand, | in
guired: