The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1875-06-08
Selfrt Sturp.
ONLY A TRAMP.
By MARY E. oUAcKENBusH.


A striking contrast! Or 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 mar
BILE nymphs, tossed up its sprinkling
spray.
And up on gently rising knoll stood
the house-a fine stone mansion-ap.
pearing both graceful and substantial !;
the home of luxury and refinement.
This within the gate.
Outside-a man clad in travel stained
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 ga 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 pal
ace beautiful; and so no wonder that,
under the shade of the trees, he paused
to rest. e
The bottle in his pocket had been
drained the afternoon before. Fortunate
ly be had come to no place where he
might fill it again, and so, for .he 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 / say God is cruel and unjust to
give some people 80 much anG me 50
little p
Then conscience whispered, "God also
gave thee many things, but thou with
thine own hand didst cast them away y
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
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 a:
if she had, during all the eight years O
her young life walked hand in hand witt
God. Her little rosy mouth seemed
made for smiles and kisses and lovins
words,and the curls that clustered abov,
the broad, white brow were as bright a.
the golden sunshine which lay in lon:
slanting rays of light upon the greer
grass with look of tender sympath,
upon her fair little face, she said:
"Poor man! what is the matter p
The deep wells of the tramps hear
were touched as if by an angels wing
A sob choked him so that he could no
speak.
"Are you tired ?" then the sweet voic
said Nf
Was he tired All, yes! Tired o
meeting temptation and having it gail
victory after victory over him And
a glass of liquor were held to his lips
even while in the presence Of that sinles
child and with her innocent eyes npo
him, he would eagerly drink it-so weal
| was le--this poor tramp!