The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-01-25
OUR TRAMP.
BY FRANK II. CONVERSE.


Our tramp came to us footsore and dus
begrimed one evening last June.
Perhaps it was the title of Madam
prefixed to his petition for something +
eat and chance to sleep on the ha,
NOW which moved Mrs. X. to acquiesc
somewhat against my own judgmer
or it might have been the wearines
visible in his air and speech. BE this a
it may, he was indicted kitchenward
with Instructions TO wipe his feet care
fully, where | judge his performances
with knife and fork gave rise to Bridget.
remark the next morning that "he'C
breed a famine in any community inside
of week."
"What can you do, Jim ?" asked OF
him the next morning, as, emboldened
by breakfast he further begged for a
job.
"Amost anything sir, that's hard
work." was his answer. "Them as goes
to sea for livin', gently speakin', can
turn their hands to all sorts"
"There's the strawberry-bed to be
weeded, John," suggested Mrs. X, SEEM
ingly interested in the wanderer, who,
barring the loss of two front teeth, and
hair suggestive of brick-dust in its hue,
was not bad-lookiDg fellow.
/ do not assert that Mrs. KS gentle
will is law in our family, but find it
more conducive to harmony to fall in
with her suggestions with as much
dignity as possible; so with an air of in
difference / acquiesced, and Jim pro-
ceeded to his task, which, being accom-.
plished with CELEBRITY and nc atness my
wife conducted him to the nower.garden
the pride Of her own heart, and, as far
as keeping the same free from weeds is
concerned, the detestation of my own.
Amt they han'sum, mum 2" said
jim, kneeling ard turning with mis-
rough fore6nger the modest face of an
English daisy outward. "Minds me of
that ere young lady on the verandy this
mornin', as must be your twin-sister"
His reference TO resemblance between
Nellie and herself was not at all dis
pleasing to Mrs. X, who is five years
older than her sister, although she af.
fected incredulity at the double-barreed
compliment.
"He has rough sense of refinement
quite uncommon for one in his station
of life," she said to me afterward, by
which l knew the leaven of fattery was
working; and when the next day she de-
cided that we had better keep him till
the gardening season was over" "It will
save you 80 much hard work, john" she
remarked en- pa,enthese)-I knew that
Jim, our tramp, had found favor in her
eyes.
"Shall you ever 60 to sea again, Jim? p
asked Mrs. X, as we made a family group
on the piazza in the cool Of summers
evening, while Jim loitered near by,
picking up the garden tools and whist
ling softly to himself.
"Yes'm," was the answer somewhat
constrained withal.
"You must have met with some
strar ge adventures in your life," said
Nellie, who was just crossing the thresh-
old of an age when all things are touched
with the glamour OF romance; moreover,
anything pertaining TO the sea had OF
late been full of interest to her-ever
since the dashing Captain Han son had
made her acquaintance at Hastings,
where she had spent part of the sum-
ner.
/ had lately learned, through The
medium of Mrs. X, that Captain Han
son was daily expected to favor Ley
bridge with his presence, os,ensibly to
see one of the ships owners-Io sibly
and probably to renew his acquaintance
with my pretty sister-in-law.
"Well num-" answered Jim, who /
have left sitting uueasily ON the handle
of the wheelbarrow, "adventures is
mostly in sea-yarns as is writ for the
story-papers; but I've had some c'nsider-
able hard pulls, what with bein' wrecked
four times the is time lOsin' OF as good
q chist Of close felle would want, to
Fay nothin' of bein' In aopen boat 'leven
days-.me, the mate, an four men-with
never bit or sup the blessed time. We
was picked up" continued jim, "by a
blasted-beggin' your pardin, mum, for
swearin'-packetshi bOun' from Liver
pool to New York. or Beansole was the
capn-mebbe you've heerd Of him, sir !"
this to me.
"Wasn't it he," / asked, as dim re-
membrance of the name brought to
mind newspaper narration of cruelties
on shipboard, which somehow died out
very suddenly, "who was heavily fined
for brutality toward some Of the emf
grant passengers
"Wot's a fine, that the owners steps
up an pays" said jim, in scorn, ITO
lettin' woman die on deck from the wet
an cold? An why didn't they bring
up some of his other doviltries-shootin'
men of in the tops'l yard, drivin' 'em
overheard in the Mersey, or breakin, q
rib or an arm wi an iron belayin'-pin y
oh, come now, JIM" said /, "you
don't mean that there are men on ship.
board to-day who are such brutes as all
that2 Why, the law would"
"The lawl" repeated Jim. "Law's
for cap'n an owners, not for uy sailors,
though they did manage to shove the
petty officers of the Jack Frost, Jr., into
prison, a few years ago, arter they'd
killed two or three men aboard on the
passage-though ] mind IL was said that
the cap'n and mate 'scaped punishment
by happenin' TO both die--sing' lar, WASN'T
itH-iust afore the ship hauled into
dock"
But such men are the exception
There are plenty Of kipd-hearted mer
who 60 as captains nowadays" l urged
after short pause.
!" INDEED there are" suddenly broke il
Miss Nellie, with energy. "Char-tha
Is, captain whom / know, she sale
interrupting herself, suddenly, "ay,