Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1884-01-31
IT he Bad Boy on Tramps.
HE READS THE URucERYMAN A LEG
TURE.

on the uMlTSitIi hulsiuo OI the ETOVeIN
to go down in his pistol pocket for Il
little change for tramp that had
come out of the grocery just ahead oi
the gr'ceryman's boot, Come right
in, don't stand there talking with such
cattle" aud the groceryman looked a.
mad as though he had left The spigol
of the molasses barrel rum ing.
"Whal's the matter with you p said
the had boy. as he watched the tamp
60 into bakery aud come out with
loaf of bread aud go Off chewing the
end of il as though it was the sweetest
morsel white man ever put tooth
into. aud the smile the tramp showed
on one side of the bread rs he sauted
the bad hoy through the window was
worth dollar To the boy. You SEEM
TO have got out of the wrong end OF
the bed this morning. What ails you?'
10, the tramps, and heggars, aud
subscriptions, aud games TO beat MI
honest man out Of his hard-earned
money" said the grnceryman, as he
threw hatchet on the floor with
which he had been splitting up box,
and kicked u market basket across The
room. There is not n day hut some
one comes in here after money. Why
don't these tramps go to work? Why
don't people that haven't got any
money GO to the poor house, 7 Why
don't sick people go to the hospital ?
Condemn 1t, | have had people come
in here for help for The old ladies'
home, aud the old mems home, aud to
sell ball tickets to help people that
have been sand-hagged, aud | hope !
may never see another person asking
for help as long as live"
"Aud you never will see another
person asking for help, or coming to
buy any of your old decayed groceries,
Of they knew what kind of Il hard.
hearted old pirate you wa. Why,
blast your old vinegar countenauce,
you haven't got a heart bigger than a
mustard seed" said the boy, II, he
picked up the hatchet for fear the
grocerymau would split him for kind.
linz wood.
ayes | have" said the groceryman,
and he appeared little ashamed of
what he had said. "My heart is all
right. but they play it on me. The
other day | gave a tramp FIVE cents to
buy bread, and he went and bought a
glass of beer at a free lunch place.
That made me mad"
"Well, bread, plain dry bread, is
pretty hard eating. How would you
like to 60 out on the sidewalk aud
guaw a dinner off loaf of dry bread
The tramp kuew his business. He
could go TO a saloon with that nickle
and buy a glass Of beer as though he
had q bushel of money. and while he
was drinking it he could 60 to the
lunch counter aud get sausage, and
bread, aud head cheese, and liver, and
cold ham, all for nothing. If you had
only nicI ell left, and had full sized
stomach, perfectly empty, which would
you do, stand out on a cold corner and
chew bread, with no water nearer than
the lake, or would you 10 into a nice
warm saloon, buy glass of beer and
have a big dinner thrown in for q
chrome. By gosh, you would go TO
the saloon, and you would make the
lunch counter book sick. Nobody else
keeps q warm place for tramps to eat
free lunches by buying FIVE cents worth
of goods, and tramp would be fool
If he didn't take advantage Of such
chance, when the thermometer is thirty
degrees below zero"
Il swow, don't know but you are
sight, Hennery,' said the groceryman.
with 3 forced smile. II guess would
Paralyze that lunch. But man has
40 business to be tramp. Why don't
Shey go to work !"
Work. Why don't you give one
Of them work. Nobody has any work
For tramp. A tramp may be son
Of member Of Congress, but If he
has been on the turf until he has had