The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1877-05-18
A LESSON FOR HARD TIMES.

ems novels had walked into the room,
could not have been more surprised. /
was press day; l was very busy in m,
sanctum, when l heard the door opeI
and curious shuffiing noise followed
which made me look up for a momen
from my paper. 1t was but for a mo
ment; l saw, as l supposed, a crippled
beggar,. shuffiing bis way on his knee
toward my chair. l waved him ava,
with my hand" Nothing for you,"
said, resOlutely, little impatiently pcs
| sibly, and turned back to nv desk
caught up the broken thread, and wounC
off the completed sentence from the edi
torial distaf But the beggar was no
| repelled. He answered something; will
divided attention / could not make
out what. Nothing for yor," repeat
ed, somewhat more vigorously than be
fore. The answer was plain enough this
| time; and in tone that commanded at
tention-"I am no beggar, sir.''
had gotten to the end Sf my sen
tence now. Two or three weeks ago
had been studying the parable of the
good Samaritan. Perhaps the recollec
tion of two very pious men who were il
so great hurry to get to the temple
that they could not attend to the unfor
tunate, may have had some influence or
me. | laid down my pen and went tC
the unknown.
He was on his knees; his legs from his
knees to his feet were useless appendages
which dragged after him and produced
the shuffling sound which first attracted
my attention. His whole body was dis
jointed; his arms alternately hung down
like the wooden arms of great toy, and
moved about in grotesque attempt at
gesture-like the toy arms when the i'm
age is pulled by the string f1om below.
When he spoke he wormed and twisted
his head from 81 lie to side, and contorted
his face with the vigor of his endeavor,
as though the words were stored below
and could be brought up out of a reluc-
tant throat only by a wrestling and in
vincible will. But his eye was clear, his
brow high, and his whole face, when in
repose, not unhandsome
II have got something to sell, sir, and
it is no humbug, either"
Then L noticed for the first time q
leathern bag slung over his shoulder.
With curious spasmodic twist he dove
into it and brought out tin box labeled
Prof. IS soap; warranted to take
out grease spots" etc, etc. In this as
in every motion, his arms, and hands,
and fingers, made wild attempts before
they succeeded i'll their purpose, like
those of two or three months old babe
that had not yet come into possession of
itself
What brought you into this condi-
ton, my friendT' said l, looking down
upon him.
"Iwas born cripple sir" Unanswered.
" But" he added, quickly, as though he
saw some sympathy in my face and
would refuse it, "you must not think
that l suffer, for l don't. l have no
pain; it is only weakness; weakness of
the spine, the doctors tell me, so that 1
don't have good use of my arms, or legs,
or face. But / don't suffer. And / am
not unhappy"
could hardly look in his face when he
was speaking, his endeavors were so dis
tressingly labored. l rarely give TO beg
gars; for that very reason l am always
reluctant to turn away any one, from the
gamin who is sweeping the street cross
Ings up who is endeavoring to cain an
honest living. 1 bought his patent soap
and gave him the price-a quarter. He
turned to go away; should have as soon
thought OF offering charity to any other
merchant IS to him, but l
stopped him with a question. 1t needed
but a very little touch of sympathy to
open his heart. He told me his story.
transcribe 1t here as well as can, but
am painfully aware that it loses char
acter in the transcribing:
"My father was mechanic. | was
always, from my birth, as you see me
now. He supported me till 1 was TWEEN
5y-eight. But Ididn't like it. WANTED |
20 be selfsupporting."
/ noted a curious feature of his Ian !
yuage. 1t was that of one born in the |
over ranks. but self-educated by courses
If reading outside the literature of his |
l thought this at the time;
t was confirmed by a suggestive hint !
al told my father He laughed at me. |
What can you do?' said he. l told him |
hat he could not always support me he |
must die some day, and he bad no money. |
The Lord will provide said he. But |
hat did not suit me. resolved if / |
,ould not have my own way l would |
un away"
There was something patheticslly hu-
norous in this picture of a man-boy of |
running away on his knees
rom a tyrannical father who despC tically |
insisted on providing for him. Whether |
lie actually did run away or not, he did |
lot tell me, and did not ask him.
a. bought this receipt for soap. AT |
irst l hired man to go arouI with me |
md take care of me, but that did not |
)ay. Then went to hotel, and hire d /
porter to dress and undress me. In /
he daytime / took care of myself"
All this and much more-for / am
long story into short one
with labored speaking; and labored
too, for it was not always quite
asy to tell what was the word which the /
orkscrew brought up. Like an old
ork, it was broken, and often came up
n fragments 81 never expected to get
married; for never thought that any
woman whom would have would have
ne. But you know, sir, theold proverb:
Every Jack has his own Gill; and
ound my Gill. And I don't believe
here is a man in New York that has got
better wife than have"
The pride with which he said This! and
he love that lighted up his eyes
ould easily believe him. It must be q
are woman that could take such a man
or her husband; one that she must dress
nd undress to the end as she would a
ick child. resolved at once that if
night / would know that wife.
"And don't you imagine that / am
ni.erable, sir" he added. -'' / seem so to
-ou because you judge me from your
'oint of view. But | see many a rich |
nan, and strong man, and would not
xchange with Tia, m. / have my advan-