Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-02-18
4" Gill"

| GIL.
A ragged, sad-eyed-boy, aged nine
or ten, stopped me on the street the 9TH
er day, and said :
haven't had anything to eat this
whole day Won't you please give me
ten cents ?"
Igave it to him. I'd have given him
the money if it had been necessary to
pawn my hat.
"Do you let imposters swindle you in
that manner ?" inquired an acquain-
tance.
A journalist who has knocked around
fora daily paper dozen years, has seen
every phase of human life Men, wo-
men and children have swindled him,
or sought to people have lied to him !;
his money has been given to whining
lying vagrants who told direful tales of
distress, and he ought to be able to cor
rectly read human nature.
I'll bet that boy is professional beg
gar, continued my friend, chuckling at
the idea of my being swindled.
None of us care for the loss of shin
plaster on the street, but everyone
feels vexsd and annoyed at the idea of
being swindled out of a single penny. L
could not say the boy was not a swind-
Ter, and yet | would have divided my
last shilling with him.
Why
| told my friend why, and / will tell
you
One day last winter when the wind
blew the snow over the house-roots and
around the corners in building clouds,
and when the frosty air cut ones face
like knife, a boy of ten came up to me
as l waited for the car. He was thinly
clad, his face betrayed hunger and suf-
fering, and in mournful voice he plead
ed
" I'm hungry and cold !"
Why don't you go home 2" | asked.
| haven't any F"
Haven't you any relatives ?"
" Not one F"
" How long have you been here /? +"
Three weeks"
The boy spoke in that drawl which
professional beggars assume. / Ibelieved
too, that had seen his face on the street
time and time again. I hardened nv
heart and said
Boy ! / know you, and if | catch
you asking anyone for money again I'll
have you arrested"
He moved away quickly. l argued
that this proved his guilt, forgetting that
homeless, friendless waif might evinee
fear when entirely innocent. Five hours
later, when night had come and the
winfhad grown to a fierce gale, the boy
halted me again as / plunged through
the snow-dritts. / did not see him un-
til he called out.
Mister, I'm almost starved, and I'll
freeze to death, if | can't get some place
to sleep ;"
The same thin, ragged clothes, hardly |
comfortable enough for June weather,
the same whine to his voice. | felt like
giving him some money, but the fear
that he had been sent out by his friends
to beg, restrained and angered me.
Catching him by the arm l yelled out
" See here, boy if you don't own up
that yon are lying to me, I'll take you
to the station :"
Through the binding storm l saw his
white face grow paler, and he cried
back
" Don't take me don't take me Yes
was lying
| released him and he hurried away,
while l walked on, fattering myself
that ! had played sharp game and
done the public good turn.
An hour later when the night had
grown still wilder and colder, some one
knocked at the door. 1t was a timid
knock, and | wondered who could have
sent child abroad on such a night.
When | opened the door the same boy
vas on the step, his face blue with cold,
MS whole form shivering, and look of
in his eyes.
" Please, Mister" he began, and
topped when he recognized me.
was puzzled to know why he should
lave followed me home, why he had Sc 7
ected me for victim and trailed me so !
'ersistently. l might have argued that 4
he storm had driven people off the a