The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-11-09


Bridget, l need hardly say TO al
experienced houtekeeper, did not
hurry, and while we waited, 1 fell
into = chat with the young man.
He said that he came from "down
south :" had walked up the other
side of the lake, hoping, among the
farmers there, he should find job,
but so many had been there before
him, with the same expectations,
he had with difficulty done enough
to earn his food; he hadn't slept in
q bed for three weeks, and, taxing
the wear and tear of his clothes
and the loss of his strength, he was
going home even poorer than he
left. There was something about
him so different from any other
tramp l had ever Seen, that ali my
sound theories went where wO-
mans theories are apt to gO-I say
it with shame and confusion of face,
but l must tell the truth at any cost
and I began to feel interested in
him. Now" / thought, off he
don't try the mother dodge, really
shall feel like helping him at least,
1 will ask my husband to let him do
any odd chores he may have about
our place; but, If he begins to talk
to me about his mother, l shall eX-
pect the next thing will be q re-
quest for money,-that will never
do" But he didn't. found him in
teIligent, quite up In matters of dali
ly public interest, and inclined TO
bring them forward. Now aud
then detected his eyes wandering
toward the door through which he
expected his break fast to be brought,
but otherwise he manifested no i'm
patience until the well-f1!led salver
ia Bridget's reluctant arms made its
appearance. The sslver was we'll
filed Bridget could take a license
as well my cook, but she knew
me well enough to know when it
would be best not 10 venture, and
acted accordingly.
have seen wild beasts fed, bat it
seemed to me, as stole q glance
now aud then at my tramp, that l
had never known what eating raw
enously meant before he seemed
literally to have been starved.
"Poor fellow, poor fellowi" /
kept repeating to myself. " l dare
say, from our prejudice against this
class, we do them often a griev0us
injustice. just suppose, now, had
turned a hungry man-9s hungry
man as that-away unfed. how sad
ly l should have regretted it by and
by, in that other world, where even
our tramp mistakes will rise up
against us. Because ye have not
fed the hung y, therefore ye are
none of mine.
Well, this one at least, was get
ting a good, hearty meal, and then
there would be that wOrk-yes, of
course, the work-in payment.
That I should incist upon; political
economy demanded 1t as only just.
There was salver of empty dish
es very coon, and this Young man
got up and shook himself, as have
seen a big Newfoundland dog do
after a hearty meal; somehow his
expression seemed to have changed,
the pathos had all died out; was
not SO well pleased with it, and my
determination to enforce the work
rapidly strengthened.
"Now," l said, AZ will find some
thing for you to do. Come with me-"
% ulo 0LI7 JO5S Alo AoLs
At the back of our house was a
large wood-pile waiting TO be pack
ed neatly away in the adjacent
woodhouse.
"There," suggested, pointing
to the wood aud it's shelter, edo
what you think your breakfast has
been worth to You, and then come
to me-"
My plan has been to try his hon
esty in the way of payment, and
then hire him at rather an unusual
rate of wages to finish the Job.
Becoming again absorbed in
" WenderhOIme, 1 quite forgot my
tramp until l suddenly awakened
to a consciousness that the regular
sound of piling wood had ceased
for some time evidently the mans
meal had been paid for, but what
had become of him. With slight
misgiving, l made my way, with as
little delay as possible, to the wood
pile. No one was there; a few
sticks had been thrown in 8 sloven-
ly way, inside the woSdhouse door,
aud that was all. AS 1 stood look
ing in, 1 heard a smoker OTIS the on
ly word that will describe the sound)
and l knew Bridget was sOmewere,
watching me. 1t was insult added
to injury.
have only q few words to add
In the way of moral reflections.
Never allow your heart to get the
better of your head Believe in pO-
litical economy! in your Bible in
your firmly established prejudices
Lay no ghosts? Preserve intact
your natural timidities i-recognize
them as your guardian angels =
aud, above all, beware of trampsl
That night 1 went, as usual, to
wind up my watch, butt didn't
do it. Always orderly, sought to
put my jewelry away in it's pretty
case, butt didn't do it. And yet
my tramp had never spoken of his
motLer.