The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1878-03-26
MY TRAMP.

was interrupted by hearing the gate op
en- and, in a minute, steps on the walk
Now nothing can be more utterly unas
suming than this same home. The
house is one story and half, the paint
had seen fresher days, and generally
there is an air OF absenteism; besides,
We are out OF the yillege, and conse
quently removed from chance visitors.
When the gate ratified on its hinges
trick il we'll understood-I knew some
were around on their daily calls; but
this step, on this morning, had n pc
culiarity which 81 id to me Tramp,
before, between the low-lying branches
Of the avenue OF the Norway spruces, i
saw the young man coming towards me.
He was slight, graceful in his move.
ments. rather we'll dressed, and lifted
his hat with altogether n gentlemanly
air as he saw me.
Everybody has a timid streak. Mine
lay in fear of tramps-for, as | have
said, our house is quite out of the vii
lage, and long French windows, shah
billy fastened, offered easy ingress at
any hour of the day or night; doors
there are, too, everywhere, with and
without bolts as il may happen. Very
much at the mercy we are OF every law
less intruder. But this young man
tramp though undeniably he was, had a
clear gray eye, which met mine fully as
/ looked up from my book, and smile
with kind OF pathos that had almost
a hungry pleading, as / waited for his
request. He stopped at n short dis
tance from me and began 10 break of
small twigs from the tree by which he
stood, neither of US speaking. AT
length asked:
"Do you want anything?"
81 am not used to begging, ma'am, "
he broke out in a low tone, musical
voice, "but have had a long walk,
and am almost starved. II you would
give me some breakfast, and let me
work afterwads. l would be very much
obliged TO you"
Afterwards II he had only said be-
fore, he should have had q hearty
breakfast, and all the ghosts Of politi-
cal economy that haunted my brain
would have been laid on the instant;
but afterwards-there il was, in the
true, lazy, good for nothing tramp
style. / pamper to idle beggipgl Not
il know myself. "If a man will not
work, neither shall he eat" was part
of my Bible in which / rigidly believ-
ed. So l said, turning the leaves OF
my book a little impatiently:
"You are too young and too healthy
TO be beggar. You look to me as il
you were made for better things"
Not a word spoke he in answer; he
Just turned on his heel and was slowly
] l.. 1,n Il
miserable, weak heart, that is always
at war with my principles-gaye q
great tug, and called after him:
Come back. You shall have your
breakfast l only wish you had pro-
posed to earn it before you ate it. D."
He did not turn, and called age,
in a softer tone:
81 would be sorry 10 turn even a dog
away hungry. Come back. l will tell
my cook to give you a bite.
He stopped, came back step or two
and said
81 am not dog. / am poor, can't
get work, and am ont in search OF it.
haven't cent, and don't want what /
can't earn. / would have offered to
earn my food first, but / am weak and
faint for want of it. >"
"Come back come back" / said
now, more cordially that would have
welcomed the Prince of Wales. "Sit
down on the piazza; il is cool here. and
Bridget shall bring your breakfast
out.
The tone drew him; he sat down on
the corner of the piazza at the greatest
distance from my chair, and l put my
head inside the kitchen door TO aston
ish my cook, TO whom my order for the
summer had been peremptory-"No
food. under any circumstances, for
| tramps, with, Get IS nice break
fast as you can, Bridget, out Of what
You have cooked, and bring it at once
to the piazza-the mans faint.
"Marm" said Bridget, staring at me.
Breakfast as quick as you can on
the piazza, for one. Anything Bridget,
only so il don't take you long to get it.
Hurry, will youl"-seeing her put her
hands on her hips. a position the mean
ing of which / only too well understood; ;
so shut the door and went back to my
| tramp.
Apparently he had not moved, yet /
must own, as / saw him, noticed that
the seat he had chosen was directly in
/ front Of n window that opened to q
view of the whole inside OF the house.
/ / was ashamed of myself TO find /
thought instantly OF my bureau that
stood in full sight, aud my watch with
jewelry box, that / knew i had left
on its top; but this suspicion was only
a stirring OF the timid ghost and not to
be wondered at.
Bridget, / need hardly say TO an ex-
perienced house keeper, did not hurry,
and while We waited, / fell into a 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 joh, but so many had been there
before him with the same expectations.
/ be had, with difficulty done enough to
earn his food; he hadn't slept in bed
for three weeks, and taking wear and
tear of his clothes and loss Of strength
he was going home even poorer than
he left. There was something about
him so different from any other tramp
/ had ever seen, that all my sound
theories went where n woman's theories
are apt TO go-I say il with shame aud
confusion OF face, but / must tell the
truth at my cost,-and / began TO feel
interested in him. Now, thought, If
he didn't try the mother dodge, i
really shall feel like helping him: at
least, / will ask my husband TO let him
do any odd chores he may have about
our place; but il he begins to talk
about his mother, / shall expect the
next thing will be request for money,
that will never do. Blu, he didn't. /
found him intelligent, quite up in mat
ters Of public interest, and inclined TO
bring them forward. Now and then
detected his eyes wandering to the
door through which he expected his
breakfast would be brought, but other
wise be manifested no impatience until
the well filled salver in Bridget's reluc-
tant arms made its appearance. The
salver was we'll filed; Bridget could
take license as we'll as any cook, but
she knew me we'll enough to know
when IL would be best not TO adven-
ture, and acted accordingly.
/ have seen wild beast fed, but il
seemed TO me as l stole a glance now
and then at my tramp. that had never
known what eating ravenously meant
before; he seemed literally 10 have
been starved.
Poor fellow, poor fellow" / kept
repeating TO myself. / dare say. from
our prejudice against this class, we dc
them often a grevious injustice. JUS
suppose, now, / had turned a hungry
]