The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-03-17
me when stopped to ask focr. ; . bit of

Hle WneH stopped to ask Tor bit OF
supper an a nights lodgin' that took
often in a barn, though sometimes was
forbid even that, fer | seemed to be a
very s plcious char'cter, an was looked
at as though l was a-plottin' to rob an
| kill, when Lord help me, mem.
A wouldn t. a hurt a fly.
If ye mind, mem, tramps be ALWAYS
goin' somewhere they have an aim
Ike other folks; an found couldn't
straggle along day after dav without a
reason to give to them as were eontin'-
ally askin' it. An true as We live, |
never could tell anybody the story IN
1 tellin' you, mem, because somehow
nobody ever looked at me as though |
was kind O human, as YOU do. mem.
an would believe that [ had any material
feeiln an desire to be- somebody if
could. s.l F,.s....... .l,fl - -; :.
At first asked fer work as went
along, an. once in while there was a
little Job that was sort O. doubtfully
trusted to me out O charity as 'twere;
but oftener my askin' was answered bv
a gruf '"No,'' or an Indifferent shake
O the head, as though the less folks had
to do. with me the better fer, 'em; an /
got kind O discouraged, an hadn't no
conf dence in myself, an 'blundered
dreadfhlly in doin' what I could" t'7-5 =
After awhile somebody told me of
town where work was plenty, an sot
Quito travel there, inquirin' my way
along. an feelin' more like "a man
cause / was able to say where l was
a-goin', an what l expected to do. But
when I got TO the place at last, the kind
O public works that had been a-goin'
on for some time was about finished up
an there was a lot o. help discharged
Already, an no room for any more; SO
you see there was nothin' for it but list
to trudge along ag'in a-beggin' my way,
L felt so much more comfortable in
my mind, though, with findin' some
place or other to steer fer that / always
after that was a-goin' to this town or
that, sometimes-Lord forgive me,
mem-forgettin' which one l was
a-goln' fer in my last story, an so git
tin diff directions at the next house
called. siafnI. i:g h s4tfsutf .,Yg.f 3.
Don't believe I'm hardened, mem,
when I.tell ,ye all these weak things O.
myself. [ s'pose sometime III pet so
used to the tramp's shuffiiti', equiv ca
ting ways, that 1 won't think enough
about 'em to feel ashamed an make ex-
cuses; but now, as ye see. mem, have
a kind O. sneakin', shamefaced way that
l can't seem to git rid of. ..t f,s,,-.. 81
What, dye say? Would I like work
stiddy, honest work., Well, mem, if We
don'twant me to take it ye'd better not
offer it specially if it s anything feel
L can do. 81 Fr UMEs 90 4n5xt1 MI n
Gardening? Gardening, memp God
bless ye, will ye let me trye l used to
dream about it when | was boy, an
work an till in the little Bit O. ground
around the tumble down tenement
where my mother lived, am she used to
say: 80 Martin. my child, some day we
will have a little garden all our own,
mebbe, or a few acres in, the blessed
country, who knows?" ALL $50.
But the poor mother only got the lit
tie plot of earth, mem, that comes to
us all at last; an the strange, shiftin'
things that turn us every way but the
one we'd like to go, have gdrifted me
clean away from the work L feel. mem,
that | would love above everything to
do. So If you jest let me take hold an
be patient with my ign'rance till jest |
get the right O things do b'lieve that
I'll be worth somethin' yet An then |
oh, my soul!-an' then if I could find |
my boy Willie an have him call me
father! Dye think l could? Mem! Did
ye say ye'd help me? Did We? The
good God bless ye, mem! I'd serve ye
till the day O my death. An, oh, I'd !
be SO strengthened up an happy, mem,
I'd feel as though could do most any
thing. ...' ..-- s-..s.... ....-
: Ye're SO kind to take a friendly in
terest in poor tramp like me, mem, /
an help him to feel like man an a
brother. Meobe yen be disappointed,
thoug ugh-mebbe. but I'll do the best | |
know if YEN try me well.---Annie L.
lfuzgey, IN Arttatr's Home Hagagtne.4