News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-12-04
Baby'S Bank.

for the signal to start, 'I wasn't always
an engineer. I wasn't anything for
long time.
81 had the knowlege in my head all
the while, but it was lost under heap
of rubbish. What fools men are when
left to themselves sometimes Now,
look at me. Would you say l ever was
O tramp ?"
A trampi
His white, muscular throat-white and
wholesome under the coal dust-his
strong, weIl-knitted frame, clear eye and
firm hand, denoted the name of pluck
and courage-a practical worker; not the
idle, nerveless, relaxed object which is
denominated a tramp, and is blight on
the face of nature.
No: this man was never tramp, and
we told him so.
"But I was, gentlemen" he said. 81
was not only tramp, but the worst kind
of one; and I worked harder and suffered
more to get into that condition than l
ever did to reach this" And he looked
proudly at the polished trimmin gs of his
iron steed.
'I'll tell you how it was" he said, 81
was tramp, no matter how / came to
be so, or why. lost my home, friends,
self-respect, and went from bad to
worse, but had never broken the laws,
nor wronged any ybody but myself. when
4 EolI foII -fan br1f ftyh
they had found tool, and they had.
"They said every man has his price,
and they offered me mine. l agreed to
take money and do the work.
"It was this, to hang about and get
acquainted with the inside of house
the house of the richest man in the
pIace-and to show them the way. They
said 1 looked the most respectable for
the purpose.
Gentlemen, you wouldn't trust one
of the gang with quarter. least of all
me as 1 looked then; but felt almost
proud of the compliment, and that
afternoon was to go up to the house
and look for work, or ask for food, just
as it happened to strike me, and when
| there was no one at home but the
women-folks, and look around to see
how we could get in that night; for rob
bing, and perhaps murder, was what
they meant.
SIT was Just such pleasant, peaceful
afternoon as this. ana all the doors and
windows were open, and not soul saw
me as 1 lounged in through the garden
and up to the verandah.
'sThe gang I had fallen in with had
made one m1stake-they had kept me
sober enough TO make me feel that we
were doing dastardly trick; to make me,
for the first time in many day, ashamed
of my own company. But had gone 80
far must go on.
81 had walked up the steps and into
the house without seeing soul, and
stepped into along, cool room, and there
l saw, on the mantle shelf, in great
gold-framed glass. a white face. and two
red, bloodshot eyes-my own, but what
fright they gave me and then l saw
something elsa small iron bank such
as children keep cents in.
sit was made of latticed bars OF
wrought iron, and between every bar
was the glitter of gold and silver coin.
/ hadn't cent in my pocket, was hungry,
tired, footsore, and diss susted with what
had undertaken. 1t came over me
like fish that could take this money
and get out of the gang; it would be dis
honesty. but not such as this they had
planned.
''I reached out my hand, and stopped.
"There, at my very feet, on white
lace pillow, and all white and fluffy, like
an angel, lay the loveliest baby ever
saw in my life. She was asleep; but as
looked at her in startled wonder, she
opened her eyes as wide and bright as
daisies, held up both pretty hands,
laughed like bird singing, and said,
Joe, Joe,' which wasn't my name at all.
didn't touch the baby's hand, and ]
didn't touch the baby.
"While stood there, little pale wo.
man came out of her room, and nearly
tainted when she saw me, and 1 sal
down nthere and told the story, and asked
her to have me sent to prison for pro-
lection for myself and others.
"She went for her husband. and al
the time we were talking the baby
laughed and cooed, and called me by
the name she gave me-Joe;' and the
rest of the gang we're waiting at the
turn of the road for me to come bach
to them"
"She must be quite a large girl
now ?"
81 didn't give them up; it was moi
worth while, when l had put the people
they had designed to rob on guard; they
left the town that night, and didn't gc
to prison.
""rhe man whose house was to b,
robbed gave me some work, but didn'
, reform all in a minute, and he neyel
could reform me at all; it was the bab,
who did it. She trusted me.
"When 1 found my evil inclination,
were getting the better OF me. wen