New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-12
BEN HAZARDS GUESTS.

Ben Hsssard's hut was smoky and cold.
Be- u Hassard, hsl blind vas black and old,
And he cobbled shOes or h 9 scanty gold.
Tom-tines he siRhed for larger store
wherswith to b'e.s the ws,n9dr1ing poor;
The poor were Chrsts: hs knew no moro.
Twas very It'll, that Ben coult do.
But he presed his pr.yers in many shoe,
Near while be mus, cobble with oil his might,
1iil, tn. Lord knew when. It won all b. right,
For be walked BY faith and rot BY sight.
Ben Hazard vas sic. py and fired and lame
Ben Hszzard, open" Il %. med to say,
"0lve oh. tier aud to- d Ihumoly pray"
Ben Hazard lifted his ~only head
To lsteu. '"Tis awful cold" he said,
And his cid boues shook 70 his reeaed bod,
but the wand-rer must BE- cOmf0r;ed."
Out from 10 straw he painful " crept
ADd0ver the frs Y flor he slept,
While md the door the snow wreaths swept.
A. he opened thu dOvr aud held it wide.
milk whit. kitten vss ~ te s spied:
ss.s tn ss :na ID S sf ts sr: :.s ct his 's
Ben Hazard amazed, stared up and down.
The candles were out in MI the town;
The stout house dosrs were care ully shut.
Safe bolted were sM but old Ben's nut
Il thought that SOM body called" he said;
o% e. am or 9th got ans 9t :, m, ns.S
Blu first ,e sought for Q rusty Cop,
And gave his guest generous sup.
Then ont IRON the storm the wind and the sleet.
Pus joyfully lay ct old ,u's feet.
Truly, t Wa. . terrible storm,
Ben tear. he should nevermnre be warm.
But j0st - bs began to be dOzs,
And puss wns pu ting soft o. d cozy,
voice called fa,Dtlv beforr the door;
sr r. o on
And HE ,1,i moea face sho wed great surprise
Out from his b. he stumbled again.
Teeth chatter ng ~i,h neuralgia p ain,
Caught at the door IN tn iroZ-r rain
Come IL. In the naue Of the Lora" he said.
"Wi such NJ hsvc thou shalt be fed"
Only III tie black dog he saw.
Whining aud .haki g q broken paw.
We'll, we'll" cried Ben Hazard. II must have
But verb Like 9 voice it seemed.
Poor 4tu ;" he added. with husky tone,
Bis f+~t g" cold they SER med ike stOns,
Thou sh alt have he whole Of marrow bone"
He vert 10 tine cupboard. and took from the shelf
The bone he haa saved for his very self.
Tit n, after bln' ing the broken paw
BAf dead with Geld we back to his straw.
Under h. anci. mt blue no. quilt h crspt,
But am voice. cali both 9th i1ld and c ci.S
Ben Hazz ird, for Christie sweet sake come here -
Opc- more he st,od tn. open door,
And loo ed road as b looked bef1re
This time full sure, twas . voice he heard;
Bni all that ne saw wa, s orm -ro- Sod bird,
With weary piniOn and beaten crest
And q red blood atail On its snowy braast.
Com. IN. Ia tn name OF the Lord" he said.
Tend. rly "a 81 G the droopi & head,
And. tearing ms tatteled robe spa
LAID the I'D biro IN HI, own warm heart.
The suu'ise flashed on the snowy hatch,
As ~ angel lift ID the wooden Ia ch
ben OK0 IN u no N OF RbQen HnnC,
And knew the OF Q that had called all night,
A0d stesdfastly gazing, without . wOid
Beheld the me- ngeI Z ON the Lord.
He SAID to Ben with . w"nt-ious smile,
The three guests Ii ep ny a tie VIII lie:
Thrice haDp. is he that III seth the poor.
The BUNDLES. creatures that sought thy door
ma, twas not mucb," B n humbly said,
With q ru+ful shake Of hi. cd gray head.
Who giv-th all + his sc.nty siore
In Chiists Rame, do more.
Beh I'D, he Master v no tetb for thee
Saith: Giving 20 them III u hast given to Me-"
Then, with heavens light white on his face,
Amen.
come in the nsme of the Lord" said Ben.
y oxen to death - the atchman said,
VIII. al last ne found hun in bis bed,
With . smile on hls face strange and bright;
He wonder what old Ben SAW that night.
Bens lips were sil mt, and never told
He has goAe up higher to find his gold.
-COngreg ati0nalist.