Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-01-14
As an Experiment..

As an Experiment.
knew he was professional beggar ss
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 10 deceive.
thought 1 would experiment on this
beggar. 1t would do him no harm, and it
would help me pass away an hour. Ono
can't study human nature by taking seat
in bay window and watching the faces OF
the people who pass on the sidewalk.
The beggar had been rebuffed by several,
and could see look of disappointment
in his eyes as threw myself in his way
and 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, I have sew
en- small chill"
stopped him with gesture, and kind
| ly answered:
"My dear man, here is quarter for you.
1 know all about your wife. Poor thing +!
am afraid she will never recover. And
your seven children-Lord bless their
poor souls and bodies 1t has been hard
/ II
| you keep up such good spirits. 1 wish 1
could give you twenty five dollars instead
of twenty-five cents"
was watching his eyes and 1 read him
like book. was a stranger, and he rea-
soned that had mistaken him for some
one else, and he hurried away with the
money without speaking another word.
| ba 7 IA i'm,
rebufled again aud again, and presently
laid my hand on his shoulder and asked
MY 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"
~ have heard Of your case befure,"
said, looking him square in the eyes, "and
I'm willing to help you all I can. II must
be hard for 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 COM
PEELED to live as you are living now.
should think you would sometimes almost
be driven 10 the point OF suicide"
"Well-ah-ahem-well," /" he stammered,
as he took the second shinplaster.
1 walked clear around the crowd before
I found him again. He had made pretty
good days work oft, and feeling more in
dependent he was selecting his victims,
choosing men whose liberality and inno-
cence Of mind could be read in their faces.
/ stood behind him and heard him say 10 a
kind-faced old man:
my wife is dead in the house and 1
have no means 10 bury her."
The kind-faced old man hesitated even
after putting his fingers into his vest pock
| ct, aud said:
"Well, it's curious. l should think that
the oversesr OF the poor or some other Of
fetal would have authority 10 bury your
wife at the expense of the town."
"They won't-Pve been 10 them two or
three times" replied the beggar, wiping
his eyes. "You don't know how hard it is
to have dead wife in"
"Ob, 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 imposter 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 flint-hearted miser, and
saw him hand you psltry ten cents.
Can that man have a heart? Can he feel
for the sorrows of otheIs9 Can he be less
than a statueH"
The beggar's eyes betrayed his surprise
at seeing me again, and I plainly saw that
he was embarrassed.
~ am poor" continued, keeping my
eyes upon him, "but you are worse Off
Your poor dead wife must have Chris
tian burial If 1 have to return to Detroit on
foot. Here is twenty-five cents. am
ashamed TO offer you such beggarly 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 1t In your face" said, great
ly enjoying his embarrassment. "You
arc not. One has only to glance at you 10
see that you have culture and refinement,
and that you ask aims from dire necessity.
1 feel deeply for you, and I wish 1 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 grocery for
about a quarter Of an hour, and then, ar
guing with himself that had departed, he
llmped into the crowd again. 1 followed
him around and heard him tell several
different stories, and at length tapped him
on the shoulder. He turned quickly, aud
extending my hand, I Inquired:
SHOW do you do, Mr.. Grotef"
He held out his hand, drew 1t back again,
and refused to grip me, when got hold OF
II.
"I heard about your house burning
down last night" l continued, looking
him in the eyes as earnestly as 1 could;
"you have lost everything, while ], though
not wealthy, have much left. l have been
looking for you all the morning. ] want
TO give you small donation In cash."
He tried his best to look me in the face,
bat he couldn't He was confused, asham-
cd aud vsEsd. even though 10 ~as making