St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-05-21

A great yellow cat ran away when it |
saw me, and eyed me from under a |
bench In the woodshed 1t was a Door
place enough, but looked thrifty and
comfortable. l knocked, and a Young
woman opened the door directly. T
never saw such steady face: her ewes
were brown, and looked straight at YOU
like robins; her mouth was as pure
and clean as child's, and her firm
cneeks showed healthy, even color of
PINK. Her hair was so tidy, SO shining,
her calico gown and check apron SO
perfectly neat, that she seemed some
how as if she were Just new. eyerv
way. did not say anything at once
for l felt so dirty and so bad the min
ute looked at her.
"Well?" she said, in a cool sort of
voice, ''do you want anybody7n
81 want something to eat," said
gruffly.
''We never give to tramps," she an
swered, without any change of tone.
''Tve got to have it!n said 1, as cross
ly as l could.
''We have nothing for you," said she,
quite unmoved.
"Come, hurry up! I've got to have
my dinner, and you'd better get it for
me pretty quick" called out with an
oath, taking out my pistol and handling
it as threat.
Her eyes grew little darker at that,
and she smiled; she was not scared a
mite; she only said, very quietly
''If any man will not work neither
should he eat"
"That may be your opinion, miss,
but it isn't mine. The world owes me
living and Pm bound to have it," l
growled back.
elbow so7" she answered. "What
have you done for the world to put it
in your debt"
couldn't answer this question; 1t
was like a blow in the face; so swore
again and demanded some dinner.
81 shall not give you any," she said,
quite as calmly as ever. "If you were
sick, or feeble, or crippled, helpless in
any way, it would be different; but
you are strong, likely man, and you
can earn your living as well as / CAM
looked at her slight straight figure.
"Do you work for living7" asked
eyes L have worked ever since l
was six years old. 1 was bound out
then, and l worked at whip p-braiding.
| havn't any relations-any near ones l
mean; there is nobody to take care of
me. 1 have TO work, and am glad l
CAM
swore very common oath, calling
on God to punish me if l would stand
that if were she.
Her face flushed.
"Don't do that againn she said "II
you want to be lost call upon Satan; he
hears such requests gladly. God is
your Father; he does not like to punish
you even if you ask him to; he'd ever
so much rather forgive you.n
never was so taken aback.
''Look here" said, after moment,
"don't you think it's outrageous that a
pretty behaved girl like you should be
working for living when there's thou
sands of women no better than you be
rolling in their carriages"
''No. God put me here, and them
there. He knsws best"
''Well, you seem to think God knows
good deal. claim to know some
things myself; and l believe folks all
have equal rights"
"Do you?" she said, $50 do I; some
rights. Rights to get ready to die and
to serve God while we live"
She stepped out of the door and
picked up red leaf from the grass.
'Can you make such a leaf as that 2"
she asked, holding it out to me.
Why, l knew l couldn't; and so did
she.
"Till you can, expect you had bet
ter believe God knows more than you
do.n
turned and went out into the yard.
! couldn't stand her talk, but l could
not get away from it.
/ never seemed so mean to myself
before. Here was 1, strong, healthy,
even a skilled workman, tramping
about the country begging! I never
had called it begging before but 1 knew
now what it was, for / seemed to look
out of her eyes.
About God: well, if there was God
he must know more than l did or he
couldn't be God; perhaps l had made a
mistake after all.
Jim Lawrence must be q rich man
because he had more brains than l,
with the same chances; and who was to
blame about the brains?
| sat down by little pond there was
near by and fell to thinking, when all
of a sudden looked down into the wa
ter and saw-a tramp! big, dirty
ragged tramp.
Good Lord it was me!
l wondered that the girl had spoken
to me at all, and then 1 thought what
Annie would have said to see me like
that.
The blood seemed to come to nv
head. tried to be honest inside, and
look things square in the eye. l could
not help seeing how little good l had
done myself by leaving work. | useC
to be a good-leoking sort of fellow
when | was cleaned up Of Sunday
not like this great brute staring up al
me out of the still water.
L couldn't do much that minute, but
| could wash my face, and did.
1t was just beginning, you see; tber
| got up on my feet and tramped of
toward Ludlow. An old woman mile
further on gave me some bread and
milk, because asked for it eivilly
suppose, and by night had got on te
the station next below Ludlow. anf
seeing some hands at work loading ur
a freight car put in and helped. One
OF them gave me my supper for that
and let me sleep in barn; it did seen
better than begging.
| The next day sold my revolver and
bought jacket, and before long rot ;
| place on the freight line where / conlf