Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1884-08-16

The Dying Beggar.


shoes, that lay bleeding upon the
stretcher. Onlya poor old man but
the pain caused his weary frame to
gu liver, and means time and anon
forced themselves through the half
closed lips. The doctor bent over
him with none OF that tenderness and
skillfulness which he bestowed upon
paying patients, but with careless
hand and prying eye, touched the
cruel bruises and wounds and washed
away the cinders and dust from the
bleeding form. "He may live,n he
said coldly; then, after applying
plasters and bestowing a few stimu-
lants, he left the side of the stretch
er. The old man lay with eyes half
closed, his gray, unkept hair falling
in short curlS about his brow. The
faced was one that showed traces of
better days and Of culture. Sad it
was to look at him; to watch hiseyes
light up with gratitude as some
soothing hand was placed on his few
erish brow or some kind voice spoke
words OF cheer and coincidence to
him. For days he lay dying, then
one day he rallied; the pain almost
ceased, and he could talk to those
around him.
Where am l ?" he asked, scan
ming our faces. "How come to DO
laying here ? Ali" with a shud-
der, II remember all, now ~ and he
sank back with a moan on his coarse
bed. He lay quiet for a moment and
then again raised his head.
stranger" he began, "mine has
been rough course through life. l
am a poor beggar, but l was not al
ways such. My early youth was
blessed with happiness and dear low
ing friends were my playmates l
have happy home far down in the
sunny South, but many, many long
years have fled since / have beheld
the familiar sights and surroundings
of that home. / lived happy there
until / reached nineteen then / fell in
love with Maud Vincent, a poor girl,
in our village and we become engag-
ed. went to my father, told him
about it and asked his advice. +
shall always remember what follow
ed. He was naughty, proud man,
and at once few in.o a passion:
"You young scamp!" he said,
"what do you mean by going with
such a poverty stricken creature
Don't never mention her name to
me again."
"But father, I love her and intend
marrying herl" / cried angrily.
"Then leave this house and never
dare to enter it againl"
81 shall never forget his words nor
his angry face rs he stood there
cruelty pointing towards the door.
With a slow, unsteady step / obeyed
his order, and leaving the room pass
ed out of the house. The night was
dark and bitter cold. / walked to
Maud's home and told her what had
happened. She put her arms around
my neck and begged me to leave her
and go back home, but l would not
heed her. The next week we were
married. Ipassed my father on the
same day but he noticed me no more
than if had been dog.
stranger, Maud and / struggled
hard for a living. We left the old
village and went west. But Maud
was always delicate creature, and
when two years rolled away, the
SHOWS of winter laid in white
shroud over her grave. 1t almost
broke my heart, mister, when she
put her little wasted hand in mine
and asked me too meet her in heaven.
My life was dark without her, and
left the little home / had made for
US and commenced my wanderings.
Forty years, dark, cheerless years,
have gone by since laid my Maud
in that lone grave in far-distant Da-
kota, and all these years l have been
a broken-down beggar, with no low
ing friends to sympathize with my
lone, unhappy life, pa tear stole
down the old mans cheek and he
paused moment.
"The morning l was hurt, l was
walking up the track. Were my
thoughts on the steel rails stretching
away, like my wretchedness, without