The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1878-09-26
TRAMP raiNrEHs

iremelY tudicFous ~ hle character, he
Is prone 10 error, a. The sparks ny up-
ward and Joined 20 bis love iot the cup
which both cheers and insbfiates there is
a delicate sagabondlsm which, considered
from an artistic point oi view, IL positive.
ly adorable Every foreman has bad ex.
perieuecs Of oue or two wanderers who
arrive before him clad IN remnants Of de-
parted grandeur; who ia husky voices
with beseechlng accents ask for work, and
who are gruflly informed that they may
sub for any Que who is willing thai they
should do So To the editor Of paper
In a small aud prosperous New Eugland
city once came two OF these wsinl
wighis, who appeared to have sounded
the depths Of adversely. While the editor
was peacefully celebrating an article one
summer afternoon, be heard Iimid voice
at the door saying, Mister can ! speaA TO
yon miuulel An Affirmative answer
forthwith procured the Introduction ofa
short, prcmaturely fat aud bald mAn, FOL
lowed by an immensely tall, leau party
with a tremendous shock Of hair. Both
seemed TO have been for come weeks upon
the road from some remote point, aud to
have slept by road sides without dofing
their garments. Their shoes were In the
last stages OF disreputable seediness. The
short man wore broad brimmed white
felt bat, aud the tall msn held in his hand
a stove.pipe which might at some period
early in the previous year have been sec
ond hand, but which was now poor
specimen of tenth or twelfth hand. The
editor desiring to know TO what be was
indebted for the honor Of the visit, the
short man, waving his hand aud muster
ing courage, spoke thus:-
Men my partners looking for work,
aud We Jest went in TO see the foreman,
u he sent us Ia here TO see you.
The editor endeayored 10 explain that
be had nothing 10 do with the engage
ment OF composltors.
Well, sir, that amt exactly 1t, continued
the short man, whose confidence seemed
TO increase in alarming proportions. You
sec the foreman said he'd let Us come on
as subs, as be was mighty short OF men,
and some of the regulars were going of
on vacations; but--we-we was little
hard up, and sounded him ior--for dol
lar or Two, u he sent US 10 you.
The editor, who knew that the foreman
was wsg, and who was, withal, some
what touched by the desperate plight OF
the two peripatetic printers, discovered
that they had really beeu taken on rs
subs, and advanced them the two dollars.
Butwher did you come from, he inquired
his curiosity quite overcoming his discre-
ton.
From Chicago. Men pardner have
been taking little promenade. We had
good sit there, but we got a little airy,
aud they lifted us. We got clean dead
broke, and had 10 hoof il all the way.
We we're going to Boston, but when
pardner struck this town he said itpleased
him, aud we kinder concluded TO reform
and settle down, you know.
This frank confession helped matters IA
good deal. The men seemed willing to
work, and the foreman found them able.
Besides he needed them. There was
some faint whispering among the hand
somely dressed and orderly compositors
when the couple first made its appear
ance, but the men speedily began to re-
move any Objectionable features. Dur
ing the first week, however, they did not
remove their coats, owing TO a presuma-
bic absence OF linen Of that quality which
welI-to.do persons are wont 10 wear But
the second week the short man blossomed
into red flannel shirt, which was gor-
geous. 1t ain't SO heating rs linen, yon
know, boys, he said apoogelicallY. Then
both men had new shoes. Then they
went rapidly from better TO better. The
editors two dollars was faithfully re-
turned. Candor compels him TO add that
the short man said, IN patfonizing vein,
thought I'd hurry aud give II back 10
you, for know you editors haven't got
any more money n YOU know what TO do
with. This was gratifying. One day, as
summer was melting into autumn, The
editor saw In the composing room two
richly apparelled men, In whom be bad
some difficulty 10 recognizing bis shabby
friends of some time since. They had at
tained financial case, and were at that
moment informing the foreman that they
couldn't work that evening, and would
put on subs. They were going to indulge
ia carriage drive TO suburb Must
enjoy this weather, boys, you know, said
tho short man; its awful nice.
The next day the Office was crowded
with rumors of their exploits. Filled
with seductive aud enianglIng fluids
which they had imbibed from suburban
hotels, they had wrecked carriage aud
iumtu hotStt buuI bptlihGA - tbS f'N@
Of having to pay three or four hundred
dollars damage, bsd incontinently de-
camped, leaving their equipage 10 be
picked up by passers-by.
knew, said one OF the conposltors
thoughiulIy next evening, that those
bloats wouldn't last long. They were too
freshl And now they are on the tramp
again.
Whereupon the digni6ed ariisans who
were above the folly Of tramping resumed
their wonted serenity ofdemeanor.
Have you ever been iu PRISON. asked Il
lawyer Of witness, when be vss die
posed 10 badger and bully, as the proies.
-. a. "A