Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-09-30

| like book / was stranger and he rea-
soned that had mistaken him for some
one else and he hurried away with the
money without speaking another word.
Keeping my eve ON the man j saw him
rebufFed again and again, and presen !. T
laid my hand on his shoulder and asasd.
r. Nv good friend, didn't hear you ask
that man for FIVE cents with which 10 buy
loaf of bread"
He hesitated 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"
81 have heard of your case before" |
said, looking him square in the eyes, I" and
I'm willing TO help you all can. II 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 So
cial position, crippled by disease, and
compelled TO live as You are living now.
should think you would sometimes al
most be driven 10 the point of suicide"
/" Well--ah-- ahem- well,f' he STAN
mered as he took the second shinplaster.
He dropped his eyes, and saw that he
felt somewhat ashamed, although after a
ance, and said, as he walked away:
!" s'pose might as well be dead as
alive"
walked clear around the crowd before
found him again He had made a pretty
good days work of it, and, feeling more
Independent, he was selecting his victim,
choosing men whose liberality or inno-
cence of mind could be read in their
faces. | stood behind him and heard him
saw to a kind-faced old man:
MY wife is dead in the house and /
have no means to bury her"
The kind-faced man hesitated even after
putting his fingers into his vest pocket,
and said
well, it's curious. ! should think
that the overseer of the poor or some other
official would have authority to bury
your wife at the expense Of the town"
"They won't--I've BIN TO EN- two or
three times replied the beggar, wiping
his eyes. You don't know how hard it
is to have a-dead wife in -"
"Oh, well, here's ten cents" said the
kind faced man, handing over the scrip,
but speaking as if he doubted the beggar's
word
As the impostor turned away tapped
him on the shoulder and said
My poor, dear man, how my heart
bleeds for you! / stood there and heard
you appeal to that fiinthearted miser, and
] saw him hand you a paltry ten cents.
Can that man have heart Can he feel
for the sorrows of othersy Can he be less
than statueT'
The beggar's eyes betrayed his surprise
at seeing me again, and plainly saw that
he was embarrassed.
Il am poor" continued, keeping my
ewes on him, but Won are worse off
Your poor dead wife must have Christian
burial If have to return to Detroit on
foot Here is, twenty-five cents. / am
ashamed to offer you sucha beggarly sum,
but can't spare any more"
- I--ah--ah, I" he stammered as he took
the money.
eff you were professional beggar |
could detect the fact in your face" said,
greatly enjoying his embarrassment You
are not. One has only to glance at you
to see that you have culture and refine
ment, and that you ask aims from dire
necessity. | feel deeply for you, and |
wish | could be of service in some way"
He limped away without raising his
eyes, and / suspected that had lost him.
He sat down on the steps of a grocery for
dBOut II VudIleE Oh an uOhT, anu tllcIl, ar
guIng with himself that had departed,
he limped into the crowd again. / fol-
lowed him around and heard him tell
several different stories, and at length
tapped him on the shoulder d He turned
quickly, and, extending my hand, in
quired:
How do you do, Mr. GroteY' ~ OF
He held out his hand, drew ii back
again, and refused To grip me, when ! got
hold Of it. I'D H0i
al heard about your house burning
down last night" j continued, looking
him in the eye as earnestly as | could
"You have lost everything, while /,
though not wealthy, have much left l
have been looking for you all the morn
ing. | want to giye5yon small donation
in cash. E
He tried his best to look me in the face,
but he couldn't. He was confused,
ashamed and vexed, even though he was
making money out OF it. AS | released
his hand to get at my wallet he skunk
away, and after long search found him
seated on the wreck of canal boat eating
a decayed orange and wearing disconso-
late look. Standing ON the bridge called
10 him
Baxterl Baxter! I've collected some
money for you to buy another COW with"
He threw away the orange, muttered
something which sounded like "Kussim,"
and hurried off down the tow-path.
As an experiment it was well worth six
shillings.-M. Quad, in ". Y. Gr0phsc.
70