St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-11-22
A Poor Old Man.
HOW BIJAH PITIED HIS SORROWS.
From the Detroit Free Pressl

From the Detroit Free Press.
He seemed at first glance to be pool
old man-One of those you read of now
and then as wandering up and down
the world and patiently waiting for the
summons from the other shore. He had
heard of BUah. He had heard how the
old janitor opened his purse to the poor
and unfortunate, and he walked up and
down in front of the station and took
great pains to shiver and make out that
he was suffering for the want of raj
ment. When he had played that line
he halted and mournfully sang =
I'm only poor old man,
And nobody cares for me;
wish could die and go to the sky
And"
Here Biiah came to the door and in-
vited him in, and he ceased his song to
wipe his red eyes and reply
"May the angels bless you for your
kindness to one who has not long to
stay on earth"
When he had been seated in the re-
ception room Bijah looked him over
and kindly asked =
''Old man, are you sorrowful ?"
''Very-very sOrrowful, and I've got
a lame back besides," was the reply.
"And nobody seems to care for you,
eh ?n
mo, nobody. Pm poor old man
without friend on earth"
~ will be your FRIEND" observed BIZ
jah after looking him over again.
"Will you? Thank heaven Oh !
how my heart swells upw
eyes will be your friend. 1 will
cut off your whiskers and hair, furnish
you with water and soap, and in an
hour from this you'll feel like two
year old colt turned loose under a
swarm of bees!"
"You'll cut off my whiskers ?" shrek
ed the old man.
'EYes, l will"
"And wash me with common bar
soaR9' r -,
''No, you won't-I'll die first ~ shout
ed the old man as he made for the door.
Bijah intercepted him, placed him in
a chair, and, by means of certain words
and gestures, prevailed upon him to re-
main there while he hunted up the
shears. The old man begged and en-
treated, but two clips of the shears re-
moved whiskers and straw from his
chin.
"Kill me, if you wish, but don't cut
my hair" begged the victim as the
shears passed his ears.
''This is only the beginning of the
end" was the solemn answer, and Il
handful of feathers, hair, burrs, straw
and autumn leaves slid down his back
to the floor. In five minutes he hadn't
hair enough on his head to build one
end of canary's nest, and instead of
looking to be 20 years of age and ready
to become an angel, he seemed a fat.
healthy vagrant of about As and ready
for free lunch.
at doesn't make any difference
whether you spell soap with a big sS' OF
a little One," said Bijah as he put up the
shears ''it's the medicine to help your
case"
"Oh great guns great guns !" groan
ed the vag. Il do not care how soon !
die r
He was conducted to the bathroom
locked in for half an hour, and, When
Bijah looked in, he fell back in amaze
ment and cried out =
''Are you the same man ?n
''Ihe same, and now let me 90 out
and be run over and be killed!n grunt-
ed the old chap.
!. He was clean. He looked white. He
had used up half a bar of soap and 4
barrel of water, and he couldn't play
the old man business again for wear
lBiah had intended to present him will
an old hat and four paper collars. bui
be suddenly rushed out doors, leaped