Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-09-08
OUT OF WORK.
An Able BOdIeh Tramp ON Heart
Rending Scar for Something 20

RehuAhb Se@Hch AOE SOhoAh"h W
DO.
burlington Bawkeye.l
A robust tramp called at a house
out on Ninth street, yesterday, for
something to eat, ayerring that he
had not tasted food this week.
"Why don't you go to work ?"
asked the lady to whom he referred
his petition.
Work. he calculated. "Workl !
And what have | been doing ever
since the middle of May but hunt
ing work? Who will give me work?
When did | ever refuse work."
"Well," said the woman, 81 guess
can give you. some employment.
What can you do?"
"AnythingY' he shouted, in a
kind of delirious joy. Anything
that any man can do. Pm sick for
something to fly at. Why, only
yesterday | worked all day, carry
ing water in an old sieve from Flint
river and emptylng it into the Mis-
sissippi, just because | was so tired
of having nothing to do that l had
to work at something, or would
have gone rayin' crazy. I'll do
anything, from cleaning a house to
building a steamboat, Jest give
me work, ma'am, and you'll never
hear me ask for bread agin."
The lady was pleased at the will,
ingness and anxiety of this indus
trious man to do something, and
she led him to the woodpile.
"Here," she said, "you can saw
and split this wood, and if you are
a good, industrious worker, l will
find work for you to do nearly al
winter"
"Well, now" said the tramp
while a look of disappointmentstolC
! over his face, "that's just my luck
, Only three days ago | was pulling
: a blind COW out Of a well for a poo
widow woman who had nothing il
the world but the COW to suppor
her.. an / spraint my right wris
till | hain't been able to lift a pounC
, with it sinst. You kin just pu
your hand on it now and feel j
throb, it's so painful and inhamed
Q | could jest cry of disappointment
=. but it's a bible fact, ma'am, that
couldn't lift that ak above my hea,
= eff died fur it, and I'd jest as lie
} let you pull my arm out by tn
roots as to try to pull that say
through a lath. Jest set me a
something l kin do, though, if yo
( want to see the dust fly"
every WE'LL" said the lady
"then you can take these fowe
beds. which have been very much n,
elected, and weed them very care
n fully for me. You can do that wit
.. your we'll hand, but | want you to |
:. / very particular with them, and g
g them very clean, and not iniul
e, e. Cany of the plants, for they are yer
0ii choice and ! am very proud
Them"
Re Rs The look Of disappointment tht
tn had been chased away from the il
a dustrious mans face when he saw
y prospect OF something else to q
he came back deeper than ever as Il
Si sr lady described the new Job, al
when she concluded he had to +
-s, main quiet for a moment before
K could control his emotion sufficie
to speak.
of | amt the most onfortn
man in Ameriky," he sighe
bis "I'm Jest dyin' for work, crazy
as ,s' get somethin' to do, ard Pm block
out of work at every turn. | je
= love to work among flowers and d
no in the ground, but ] never dasSe
do it for Pm jest blue ruin amor
Dt. the posies. Nobody ever cared
teach me anythin' about howe
- and it's a gospel truth ma'am,
can't tell a violet from a sunllow
! nor a red rose from dog fem
y Last place l tried to git work
woman OF the house set me to wo
weedin' the garden, an | work
i. about a couple Of hours, now y
bet, an pulled up every last liv
green thing in that yard. Hop
y may die eff l didn't. Pulled up
,ur- the orass. every blade of il, Fa