The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-03-11
MY FRIEND. TIE IRAMP.

Sabbath bells ringing n mile away over tDe shlt
marshes had lttls that was monitory' manda-
tory or even supplicatory In their uro"sy
voices Rather they seemed 10 call from ther
cloudy towers like some renegade MueHzln;
sSleep ia better than prayer; sleep on, u sons
of the Puritansl Slumber stll. . deacons and
xessrvmcn. Let, o let those feet that are swift
70 wickedncss curl up beneath thee; those
palms that are itching for the shekels of the UNI
godly lie claspod beneath thy pillow. Sleep is
better than prayer"
And, indeed, though II was high morning,
sleep was etill in the air. Wrought upon nj last
by the combined influences of sea. and sky. and
atmosphere. succumbed. and lay down on one
OF the bouldcrs of little stony slope that gave
upon the sea. The great Atlantic lay before me.
not yet quito awake. but slowly hoaving with
the rythmical expiration of slumber. There
was no sail visible in the misty horizon. There
WIS nothing 10 do but to lie and stare at the
unwinking other.
Suddenly became aware OF the strong fumes
OF tobacco. Turning my head saw pale. blue
smoke curling up from behind an adjacent
boulder. Rising and climbing over the inter-
vening granite, 1 came upon little hollow in
which. comfortably extended on the mosscs and
ilchens. lay Il powerfully built man. He was
very ragged; he was very dirty; there WIS n
strong suggestion about him of his having too
much hair too much nail. too much porspira-
zion too much of those superiluous eXcresen-
pes and oxudations that society and civilization
strive to keep undcr. But 1t was noticeable that
he had not much Of anything else. 1t was The
Tramp.
With TINT swift severity with which we always
visit rebuke upon the person who happens to
present any one Of our vices Extensively be-
FORE us. In his own person. was deeply indig-
nant at his laziness. Perhaps l showed II in my
manner for he rose to a half sitting attitude.
Seturned my stare apologctically, and made a
movement toward knocking the fire from his
pipe against the granite.
"Shure. sur. and IL Id balaved that was
trlspassin on ver honor's grounds it's mcself
shat would hcv laid down ON the say shore and
takin the salt waves for me blankits. But it's
eivinteen miles I've walked this blessed noight.
with nothn' 10 sustain me. and hevn n mortal
wakeness TO fight wild In me bowels. by reason
OF starvation. and only a bit o. baccy that the
Wildly Maoney Civ me at the cross roads. to
kape me up entlorly. But it was the dark day
left me home In Milwaukee TO walk to Boston.
md II yell oblige "A lone man who has left wife
and six children in Milwaukee. wild the loan Of
twenty-five cints. furninst the time he gifts
wurruk God1l be good TO ye."
II instantly flushed through my mind thatthe
taken of the kitchen hospitality Of my little cot
Rage. two miles away. That no presented him
self in the guise of distressed fisherman
mucted of his wages 10y an inhuman Captain :
that he had n wife lying sick Of consumption in
the next village. and two children. one Of
them "a cripple. wandering in the streets Of
Boston. remember that this tremendous in
dictment against Fortune touched the family.
and that the distressed fisherman was provided
with clothes. food. and some small change The
food and small change had disappeared but the
garments for the consumptiye wife. where
We're they He had been using them FOR "a pill
low.
l instantly pointed out this fact anil charged
him with the deception. To my surprise he
took 1t quietly and even little complacently.
Bedad. yer roight; ye ste. sir conldentiallyl.
ye see. sir until got wor-ruk AMI is wurruk
I'm lukin for | have 70 dcsave now and thin 70
shute the locality. ALL God save u- but on the
say coast ihay'r that har-rud upon thin that
don't belong 10 the say
yentured to suggest thu. eti 7n@. heaiIny
man like him might have found work some-
chvie between Milwaukee and Boston.
All. but We see got free passage on freight
train. and didn't sthop. twas il the Ais, that |
EXPECTED 10 lind worruk."
Have you any trader
"Trude, is it; I'm n brickmaker. God knows.
md many's tho lift I've had at maxim bricks in
Milwaukee. Sure. I've H. aisy "a hand at il rs
nny man. Maybe yer honor might know ol a
ILL hereabout:"
Now, to my certain knowledge. there was not a
brick kiln within lfty miles OF that spot. and Of
all unlikely places to find one would have been
This sandy peninsula given up to the summer
residences OF few wealthy people. Yet | could
not helpadmirlng the assumption Of the seamp
who knew this fact as well as myself. But
said, can give you work FOR day or two II
md, bidding him gather up his sick wiie's APP
parel. led the way across the downs to my cot.
hhge. At first think the offer took him 10y sur
prise aud gayc him some CONSERVATION. but he
presently recovered his spirits. and almost in
htantly his speech. All. wur-ruk. is IL. God
be- praised; It's meself that's ready AMI willin
Though may BE- NE hand is spoilt wild brick
making"
iassured him that the work would give him
would require no delicate mani pulation. and Sc
We Jared on over the sleepy downs. But could
not help noticing that although an invalid.
was much better pedestrian than my compan,
ion frequently leaving him behind. and that
even as tramp he was etymologically an
impostor. He had a way Of lingering beside
the fences We had to climb over Us II to con.
tinue more conAdentlally the history Of his mis-
fortunes and troubles, which bee was DELIVERING
H. me during our homewnrl walk. and I no.
tced that he could seldom resist the invitation
Of a messy boulder or tussock Of salt gras.
Ye see sir" he would say~-ullenly sittins
down. its along Nv me inisforuncs bcginninl
In Milwaukee that" and 1t was not until
was out OF hearing that he would anguidly
gather his traps again and sauntor after mo
When reached my own garden gate he leaned
Tor a moment over it. with both OF his powerful
nrms extended downward and said, All but
its a bcssn' that Sunday eomes 10 give resl
fur the wake and the weary, and thin as walks
hiylnteen miles TO get it, OF course took the
hint There was evidently no work 10 be ha
from my friend tho tramp that day. Yet he
countennnco bright. n.l a. he saw the limited
extent of my domain. and Ds.ryel that the
garden. SO called. VS. onlya h,wHr bed about
twenty-five by ten. A. Ae hast doubtless before
this been utlliz'lto the cAfenl NJ his capacity
IN digging. he had probably expected that !, .ul
al work and l dnrs say dis omitted Linn o.,
pointing him to an almost leycllol Stone wal
about twenty feet long, with tho remark tha
Ms work would be tie rebuilding Of thAtstYn.
wall with stono brought from the noighborua
fl0pOs. H. few moments DE was cOufJrtal J.,