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

Sitting one morning on the broad
piazza of our summer home, with
Hamberton's "Wenderholme" in m y
hand, l was interrupted by hearing
the gate open and, in q minute, steps
on the walk. Now, nothing can be
more utterly unassuming than this
same home. The house is one stO-
ry and a-halE, the paint has seen
fresher days, and generally there is
an air of absenteeism beside, we
are out of the village, and conse-
quently removed from chance visi-
tors. When the gate ratified on its
hinges trick it well understood
| always knew somewhere round on
their daily calls; but this step, on
this morning, had a popularity
which said to me ''tramp," before,
between the lowlyiDg branches OF
the avenue of Notworth spruces, |
saw the young man coming toward
me. He was slight, graceful in his
movements, raLher we'll dressed,
and Tired mis- hat with altogether a
gentlemsnly air as he saw me.
Every body has a timid streak.
Nine lay in the fear of tramps-for
as l have said, our house is quite
out of the village, and long French
windows, shabbily fastened, offered
easy ingress at any hour of the
night or day; doors there are, too,
everywhere, with and without bolts,
as it may happen. Very much at
the mercy we are of every lawless
intruder. But this young man,
tramp though he undeniably was,
had clear gray eye, which met
mine fully as looked up from my
book, and q smile, with a kind of
pathos that had almost q hungry
pleading as 1 waited for his request.
He stopped q short distance from
me and began neryOusly to break
off small twigs from the tree by
which he stood, neither of US speak
ing. At length 1 asked:
do you wish any thiDg?"
al am not used to begging,
ma'au," he broke out in q low mu-
sical voice, "but j have had a long
walk, and am almost starved. Ii
you will give me some breakfast,
and let me work afterwards, l
should me very much obliged to
you"
Afterwardsl If he had only said
before, he should have had hearty
breakfast, and all the ghosts of po'
itical economy that haunted my
brain would have been laid on the
instant; but afterward-there ii
was, in the true, lazy, good for moth
ing tran, s'v'e. l pAmper to idle
begging! Mt if 1 know myself
Ii man will not work, neitheI
shall he eat, was a part of my Bi
BILE in which l rigidly believed. Sc
| said, turning the leaves Of my
book little impatiently:
"You are too young and toe
healthy to be beggar. You look
to me as If YOU were made for bet
ter things.
: Not q word spoke he in answer
he just turned on his heel, and was
slowly leaving the yard when my
hearts miserable weak heart, tina
is always at war with my prin CT
ples-gaYe q great tug, and l calleG
after him:
"Come back. You shall have
your breakfast. l only wish yoI
had offered to earn it before yoI
ate Ii.
He did not turn, and 1 called
again in 9 softer tone:
| {" ! should be sorry to turn even I
dog away hungry. Come back.
will tell nay cook to give you
bite"
He stopped, came back q step o
two, aud said:
Z" But am not dog, am poor
CANE get work, and am out in sesrcl
of it. haven't q cent, and / dom
want what can't earn. l woulC
have offered TO earn my food fret
but am weak and faint for wan
of It,.
leone backI come back!"
said now, more cordially Than
would have welcomed the Prince o
Wales; "sit down on the piazza
it is cool here, and Bridget vii
bring your breakfast out.
Tue tone drew him he sat dow
on the corridor of the piazza at tn
greatest distance from nv chsil
and l put my head inside nv ki:ch
door to astonish my cook, to whom
INV order for the summer had bee
peremptory-"No food, under sn,
circumstances, for tramps,
Get as nice 3 breakfast, as Gu cSI
Bridget, out of what you have cook
, ed, and bring IL at Ooce to the II
azz4-the mans faint.
"Marmi" said Bridget, stsriD
at me.
Breakfast as quick IS you cal
: oD the piazza, for one. Anything
Bridged, only so it don't take yo
, long to get it. Hurry, will you'll"
seeing her put her hands on re
hips, q position the meaning {
which 1 only too well understood
so shut tho door and went back {
my tramp.
Apparently he had not moved
, yet l own, rs l saw him, notice
that the scat he had chosen was d
rectly in front of window tha
opened to q view of the whole il
side OF the house. / was ashame
OF myself to fad that thought il
stsntly OF my bureau, that stood i
I full sight, and my watch, with