The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1876-09-09
WANTED WORK.

muu nJtttb, ytbJtTuhV, tut sOlnttuinR
to eat, averring, that he had not tasted
food this week.
"Why don't you go to work 2" asked
the lady to whom he preferred his petit
tion.
Work |" he calculated. Work I
And wi at have been doing ever since
the middle OF May but hunting work
Who will give me work ? When did
ever refuse work ?"
Well" said the woman, guess
i can givryou some employment. What
can you do 2"
Anything |" he shouted, in a kind
OF delirious joy. Anything that any
man can do. I'm sick for something to fly
at. Why, only yesterday worked all
day carrying water In an old sieve from
Flint River and emptying 1t into the
Mississippi, just because | was so tired
of having nothing to do that | had to
work at something or l would have
goae ravin' crazy. III do anything,
from cleaning house to building steam
boat. jest give me work, ma'am, an
you'll never hear me ask for bread
agin."
The lady was pleased at the willing
ness and anxiety Of this industrious
man to do something, and she led him
to the wood pile. ....
Here" she said /; you can saw
and split this wood, and II you are
good, industrious worker | will find
work for you to do nearly all winter"
. Well, now," said the tramp, while
look of disappointment stole over his
fann 90 thattC ingf mi lnnH nnlu thYna
days ago ] was pullin' blind cow out
of well for a poor widow woman who
had nothin' in the world bnt that cow
to support her, an | spraint my right
wrist till I hain't been able to lift a
round with it sinst. You kin Jest put
your land on II now and feel it thrOb.
it's so painful and infamed. could
Jest cry Of disappointment, but its a
Bible fact, ma'am, that couldn't lift
that AK above my head eff died fur it,
and I'd jest as lief let you pull my arm
out by the roots as to try to pull that
saw through lath. Jest set me at
something kin do, thought II you want
to see the dust fiy."
Very WELL" said the lady, " then
you can take these flower beds, which
have been very much neglected, and
weed them very carefully for me. You
can do that with your well hand but |
want you to be very particular with
them and get them very clean, and not
injure any of the plants, for they are
all very choice and l am very proud of
them"
The look of disappointment that had
been chased away from the industrious
mans face when he saw prospect of
something else to do came back deeper
than ever as the lady described the new
job, and when she concluded he had to
remain quiet for a moment before lie
could control his emotion sufficiently to
speak.
." If amt the most onfortnit man in
Ameriky," he sighed. " I'm jest dy-
in for work, crazy to get somethin' to
do, and I'm blocked out OF work every
turn. Jest love to work around flow
ers, but l never dassent do it, iur I'm
Jest blue ruin among the pOsies. No
body ever cared to teach me anythin'
about flowers, and it's a Gospel truth,
ma'am, / can't tell violet from a sun
flower nor red rose from a dog fennel.
Last place led to git aOrk at, wo-
man of the house set me to work weed
in the garden, an worked for couple
of hours-monstrO glad to get work,
now you bet. IAN pulled up every last
hvin' green thing in that yard. Hope
may die if didn't. Pulled up all
the grass, every blade of it. Fact
Pulled up vine wuth seventy. We dol.
lars, that had roots reachn' cl'ar under
the cellar and into the cistern, and
yanked 'em right up, every fiber OF
'em. Woman was so heart broke when
she come out and see the yard just as
bare as the floor of brick>yard that
they had to put her TO bed. Bibles truth
they did, ma'am and l had to worh
for that house three months for nOthin
and find my board, to pay fur the dam
age done. Hope to die ef didn't
Jest gimme suthin' kin do, III show
you what work is, but l wouldn't g
fooIin' around no flowers. You've go
a kind heart, ma am gimme some work
don't send despairin' man away hun
CRY for work"
"Well," the lady said, you cal
beat my carpets for me. They hav,
Just been taken up and you can bea
them thoroughly, and by the tim,
they are done / will have something
else ready for you"
The man make a gesture of despai
and sat down on the ground the pictur
of abject helplessness and disappointed
aspirations.
Look at me now !" he exclaimed
What is goin' to become O. me Dit
YOU ever see man So down on his luc
like me Z? ! tell you, ma'aID, you mus
give me somethh' can do. l wOuldu'
no more dare for to tech them carpet
than nothin' in the world. I'd tear 'eI
to pieces. I'm awful hard hitter, an
the last time beat any carpets was fu
q woman out at CrestOn, and ] jus
welted them carpets into strings an
carpet rags. couldn't help it. can
hold in my strength. I'm too glad t
get to work, that is the trouble with INT
ma'am it's Bible fact. I'll beat ther
carpets II you say so. but won't be n
spOnsible fur 'enI no maxim me wor
for nothin' fur Eve or six weeks to pa
fur tearin 'em into slits, yer know. l.
90 al 'em if you'll say the word an
take the responsibility, but the fact il
I'm too hard worker to go fOoliI
around carneta that's inst what am