Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-05-03

etymologieally an impostsr. He hadza
way Of lingering beside tho fences We
had to climb over as if to continue more
con6dentially the history of his misfor-
tunes aud troubles, which lie was deliver.
ing to me during u homeward walk,
and l noticed that he could seldom resist
the invitation of amossy boulder o a
tussock Of salt grass. exc see, SIR he
would say, suddenly sitting down, " Its
along Nv me misfortunes beginning in
Milwaukee that" and it was not until
I was out Of hearing that he would Ian
guidly gather up his traps again and
saunter after me. When l reached my !
own garden gate lie leaned for 4 moment
over it, with both his powerful arms ex-
tended downward, and seid, " All, but it's
a blessin' that Sunday comes to give rest
fur the wake and the weary. and thin as
walks %sivintecn miles to get it." Of course
l took the hint. There was evidently no
work to be had from my friend the tramp
that day. Yet his cOuntcnancc frightened
q he saw the limited extent of my do
main, and observed that the garden. 50
called, was only a flower bed about
twenty-five by ten. As he had doubtless
before this been utilized to the extent
of his capacity in digging, he had
probably expected that kind Of work, and
/ dare say l discounted him by pointing
him to an almost lcveled stone wall about
twenty feet long, with the remark that
his work would he the rebuilding Of that
stone wall with stone brought from the
neighboring slopes. In Il few moments
he was comfortably provided for in the
kitchen, where the cook, Il woman of his
own nativity, apparently "chafed" him
with a raillcry that was to me quite unin-
telligiblc. Yet I noticed that when, at
sunset, re accompanied Bridget to the
spring for water, ostentatiously t1Ourishing
the empty bucket in his hand, when they
returned in the cleaning Bridget was
carrying the water, and my friend the
Tramp, was some PAGES behind her cheer
fully ':colloguing," and picking black
berries.
At : the next morning he started in
cheerfully to work. At 0 a. III. he had
placed three large stones on the first
course in position, an hour having been
spent in looking tor a pick and hammer,
and in the incident "chatting' with
Bridget. At 10 o'clock I went to over
look his work; it was a rash action, as it
caused him to respectfully doff his hat,
discontinue his labors, and lean back
against the fence in cheerful and easy
conversation. Are ye fond Nv blackber-
rics. Captain?' l told him that the child
rem were in the habit of getting them from
the meadow beyond hoping to stop the
suggestion l knew was coming. "Ah, but
Captain, it's mcscli that with wandering
and having nothin' to pass me lips but
the berries III pick from the hedgcs-it's
mcsclf knows where TO find thin. Shurc,
it's yer childcr, and foine boys they are,
Captain, that are Bleaching Inc to 20 wild
'cm to the place, knownst only to mesclf.'
It is unnecessary to say that he triumphed
After the manner OF vaga1onds of all dc,
grecs, he had enlisted the women and
children on his side-and my friend the
Tramp had his own way. He departed al
II and returned ut 4 p. NJ. with a tin din
der pail half filled. On i~nterrogating tho
boys it appeared that they had "a bully
time" but on cross-examination it camt
out that they had picked the berries
From 4 to 6 three more stones were laid
and the arduous labOrs Of the day were
over. As l stood looking at the first course
Of six stone my friend, the Tramp; stretch
ed his strong arms out to their fullest ex
tent and said: "Ay, but it's wur-rul
that's good for me; gin me wur-ruk, ant
it's all Ill be askin' fur"
l ventured to suggest that he had no
yet accomplished much.
wait till to-morror. All. but vel
see thin. It's me hand that's yet onais,
wild brick-making and sthranse to tn,
stones. Az yell wait till tomorrow"
Unfortunately I did not wait. An Gu
gagemcnt took me away ut an early hour
and when I rode up to my cottage atnool
my eyes were greeted with an astonishin
spectacle. My two boys were hard E
work laying the courses of the stone wal
assisted by Bridget and Nora, who wer
dragging stones from the hillsides, will
comfortably stretched on the top of TIL
wall, lay my friend, the Tramp. quietl,
overseeing the operations with lazy an,
humorous comment. For an instant l wa
foolishly indignant, but he o brough
ME to my senses. "Shurc, sur, it's onl,
~ III bCOSS AAAS AA0OANo NV AAl\AOSuS
was-and may they niyer know, be tn
same token, what it is to wur-ruk for tn
bread betunc their lips. Shure it's bu
maxim 'em think it play, l wus. As fu
the collccns beyint in the kitchen, shur
isn't it better they should he hclpin' you
honor here than colloguing with then,
selves inside?"
= Nevertheless, l thought it cxpedient 5
forbid henceforth, any interruption Of sc.
: wants or children, with my friends "wol
ruk." Perhaps it was the result of thi
embargo that the next morning, carly, tn
Tramp wanted to see me.
And it's sorry l I'm to say it to y
surr," he began, "but it's the handling q
this stun that's desthroyin me touch f til
brickmakin', and it's better l should Law
! you and find wor-ruk at me own thrade
for it's wor-ruk I'm nadin'. 1t isn't me
self, Captain, to ate the bread of Oidlenes
here. So good-by to ye, and if it's fift
cints you can be giving to me, ontil II
find a kill-it's God that'll repay yc."
He got the money. But he got als<
conditionally, a note to my next neighbol
a wealthy, retired physician, possessed Q
a large domain-a man eminently pract
cal and busincss-like in his MANAGEMENT
, of it: He cmployca'nlany laborers on til
sterile waste he called his "farm," and
occurred to me that if there really wa
any work in my friend, the Tramp, whicI
my own Incidence and preoccupation ha'
failed to bring out, he was just the man t
do it.
met him q week after. 1t was wit
some embarrassment that l inquired afte
my friend, Tramp. 20, yes" he sal,
reticctively, "let's scc-hc came Monla:
and left me Thursday. He was I think
a stout strong man, a well-meaning good
famored fellow, but afflicted with a mos
singular variety of diseases. The day
put him at work in the stables he devel
oped chills and fever caught in til
swaps of Louisiana"
Excuse mel said hurricdly-"y o
mean in Milwaukccw
II know what I'm talking about,
returned the Doctor, testify; he told m
his whole wretched story; his escape fror
the Confederate sorx,;co. thu attach ~