Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-06-01
AN EXPERIMENT.

AN EAfEhl MENI.
knew he was a professional beggar
rs saw him working on the outskirts
of the crowd. Professional beggars are
great liars; they have no sense of shame;
they are not grateful; they study to de-
ceive.
thought I would experiment. on this
beggar. 1t would do him no harm aud
it would help me pass away an hour
One can't study human nature by taking
q seat in bay window and watching
tn. faces of the people who pass on the
sidewalk.
The beggar had been rebuffed by sew
eral and l could see a look of disap-
pointment in his eyes as I threw my
self in his way aud smiled blandly.-
Coming nearer he held out his hand
and said in woful tones:
Mister, for the love of Heaven, give
me some change! My wife is sick, l
have several small chill"
/ stopped him with gesture and
kindly answered:
"My dear man, here is a quarter for
you; l know all about your wife. Poor
thing! l am afraid she will never re-
cover. And your seven children-Lord
bless their poor souls and bodies! 1t
has been a hard trial for YOU as well.
and don't see how YOU keep up such
good spirits. wish | could give Won
twenty-five dollars instead of twenty
FIVE cents
was watching his eyes and I read
him like book. ! was stranger and
he reasoned that l had mistaken him
for some one else, and he hurried away
with the money without speaking an
other word.
Keeping my eve on the man I saw
him rebufred again and again. and pre-
sently laid my hand on his shoulder and
asked:
"Mv good friend, didn't I hear YOU
ask that man for FIVE cents with which
to buy loaf of bread 7"
He hesitated for Il moment, and then,
thinking l did not recognize him, he
answered:
"You did-you did. I have fever
sore and can't work, and haven't tasted
food for two DAYS"
Il have hearl OF your case before"
said. looking him square in the eyes,
land I'm willing to help YOU all / can.
1t must be hard for a man of your age,
after being familiar with luxury for
wears and wears, to he suddenly depriv-
ed of wealth and social position, Grip
pied by disease, and compelled to live
as YOU are living now. l should think
YOU would sometimes almost be driven
to the point of suicide"
h-ahem-wcll," he STAN.
mcred as he took the second shinp.as-
ter.
walked clear around the crowd be-
fore 7 found him again. He had made
a pretty good days work of it, and feel
ing more independent he has selecting
his victims. choosing men whose hber-
alitv and innocence of mind could b.
read in their faces. l stood behindand
heard him say TO IL kind-f faced old man:
INV wife is dead in the house, and l
have no means to bury her"
The kind-faced old man hesitated
even after putting his fingers into his
vest pocket and said:
"Well, its curious. I should think
that the overseer of the poor or some
other official would have authority tn
bury you wife at the expense of the
town."
"Thev won't-I've been to them two
or three times" replied the beggar wi
ping his ewes "You don't know how
hard it is to have 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 beg
gar's word.
As the impostor turned away tap
ped him on the shoulder and said
NY poor, dear man, how my heart
bleeds for you | stood there and heard
YOU appeal to that hint-hearted miser,
and l saw him hand Won a paltry ten
cents. Can that man have heart p
/ Can he feel for the sorrows of others
Can he be less than n stature:'
The beggar's ewes BETRAYED his sur
prise at seeing me again, and l plainly
| saw that be was embarrassed.
| am poor, toHtihhtu, httpiu- III '
ewes upon him, but you are worse off.
Your poor dead wife must havea Chris
tian burial if have to return to De-
troit on foot. Here is twenty-five ceRts.
am ashamed to offer YOU such beg
garly sum but / can't spare any more.
.I-ah-ah,' he stammered as he took
the money.
If YOU were a professional beggar.
could detect j, 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
refinement, and that YOU ask aims from
dire necessity. / feel deeply for you,
and wish l could he of service in some
way.
He limped away without raising his
ewes, and / suspected that | had lost
him. He sat down on the steps of a
/ grocery store for about fifteen minutes
and then, arguing with himself that ]
had departed, he limped into the crowd
again. l followed him around and
heard him tell several different stories,
and at length tapped him Oh the shoul.
der. He turned quickly and extending
nv hand. inquired: