The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-05-10
My Friend, the Tramp.

T had been sauntering over the clover
downs of a certain noted New England
seaport. It was Sabbath morning, SO
singularly reposeful and graclous-so re-
plete with the significance OF the seventh
dav of rest that even the Sabbath bells
ringing a mile away over the salt marshes
had little that was monitory, mandatory,
or even supplicatory IN their dro"sy
voices. Rather they seemed to call from
their cloudy towers, like some renegade
Muezzin:
sSleep is better than prayer; sheep on,
O sons of the Puritans! Slumber still, y
deacons and vestrymcn. Let, y let tnose
feet that are swift to wickedness curl up
beneath thee; those palms that are ltcil-
ing for the shekels of the ungodly; lie
clasped beneath thy pillow. Sleep IS bet
ter than prayer"
And, indeed, though it was high morn
ING, sleep vas still in the air. wrought
upon at last by the combined influence OF
sea. and sky, and atmosphere succumbed,
and Law down on one of the boulders OF a
little stony slope that gave upon the sea.
The great Atlantic before me, not yet
quito awake. but slowly heaving with the
rythmical expiration of slumber. There
was no sail visible in the misty horizon
There was nothing to do but TO ne ana
, stare at the unwinking ether.
Suddenly became aware OF the strong
fumes of tobacco Turning my head !
saw a pale, blue smoke curling up from
behind an adjacent boulder. Rising ano
climbing over the intervening granite,
came upon little hollow in which, com
fortably extended on the moses ant
lichens, lay powerfully built man. III
was very ragged; he was very dirty; tner
was strsng suggestion about MN Oh III
having too much hair, too much nail, TO
much perspiration; too much OF tnos
sunertIuous excresences and exudauon
that society and civilization strive to kee
under. But it was noticeable that he ma
not much of anything else. He was In
Tramp.
With that swift severity with which
ALWAYS visit rebuke upon the person WI
happens to present any of our views Offer
sively before us, in his own person, WI
deeply indignant at his lazlness. Perhal
| showed it in my manner, tor he rose
a half sitting attitude, returned my sta
apologetically, and made movemel
toward knocking the fire from his pm
against the granite.
Shure, sur. and if I'd behaved that
was trispassin on yer honor's grounds l
meself that would hev laid down on t
saw shore and takin' the salt waves for 4
blankits. But it's seventeen miles
walked this blessed noight with noth
to sustain me, and hevin' mortal wea
ness to fight wild in my bowels, by reas
of starvation, and only bit o baccy tt
the Wildly Maloney civ me at the CIR
roads, to keep me up entiorly. BUT
the dark dav left my home in Milw;
kee to walk to Boston, and II yell obi
a lone man who has left wife and
children in Milwaukee, wild the loan
twenty-five cents, furn' INST the time he
wurruk. Godll be good to YOU
It instantly flashed through my M
that the man before me had the night
fore partaken Of the kitchen hospita
of nv little cottage, two miles away.
he presented himself in the grlse
distressed fisherman. mulcted OF hls wa
by an inhuman captain; that he nae
wife living sick of consumption IN the
villaue. and two children, one OF then
crinnle. wandering in the streets OF
ton. | remember that this tremeno
indictment against Fortune touched
family. and the distressed fisherman
provided with food, clothes, and 81
small change. The food and 81
change had disappeared, but the garm
far the consumptive wife. where
theyl He had been using them ior .
low. -, -
Instantly pointed out this fact,
charged him with the deception, 10
surprise he took it quietly and eve
roirht; We see, sir Confidently, We
SIR until | get worruk, and its wo
TIM lulSin for. have to desave now
thin to shute the locality. All, God
rs. but on the say coast they'r that ha