The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-01-25
PECK,S BAD BOY.
lie Makes the Groceryman Wish He was
Dead.
Peck's Sun.

J0GCh y sun.
"Come In, come ill.," said the groceryman
to the bad boy as he stopped on the door
step outside the grocery to 60 down in his
pistol pocket for little change for a tramp
} that had come out of the grocery just ahead
Of the eroceryman's boot. "Come right in
and don't stand there talking with such cat
tle," and the groceryman looked as mad as
though he had left the spigot of the molasses
barrel running.
whats the matter with you," said the
bad boy, as he watched the tramp go into a
bakery and come out with loaf of bread,
and go off chewing the end of it as though it
was the sweetest morsel white man ever
pu. tooth into, and the smile the tramp
showed on one side of the bread as he salu-
ted the bh boy 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?"
40, the tramps, and beggars, and sub.
scriptions, and games to beat an honest man
out of his hard earned money" said the old
groceryman, as he threw hatchet on the
floor with which he had been splitting up a
box, and kicked a market basket across the
room. "There Is not day but some one
comes in here after money. Why don't
these tramps go to work? Why don't peo-
pie who haven't got any money 60 to the
poor house Why don't sick people 60 to
the hospital? Condemn it, have bad peo-
pie come in here for help for the old ladies'
home, and the old mems home, and to sell
ball tickets TO help people that have been
sand bagged, till hope | may never see an
other person asking for help as long as |
| live"
"And you never would see another person
asking for help, or coming TO buy any of
| your old decaved vegetables, If they knew
| what kind of a hard.hearted old pirate you
| was. Why, blast your old vinegar counte-
nance, you haven't got heart bigger than
mustard seed" said the boy, as he picked up
the hatchet for fear the groceryman would
| split him for kidding wood.
ayes have" said the grocery man, and he
| appea ared a little ashamed of what he had
said. "My heart is all right, but they play
it Oh me. The other day gave tramp
| five cents to buy bread, and he went and
| bought glass Of beer at free lunch place.
That made rne mad"
"Well, bread, PLAIN dry bread, is pretty
hard eating. How would you like to go out
on the sidewalk and gnaw a dinner oil loaf
OF dry bread? The tramp knew his busi
ness. He could go to that saloon with that
nickel and buy glass of beer as though he
had bushel of money, and while he was
| drinking 1t be could 60 to the lunch counter
ana geL sausage, aud rye bfUau, anu neau
cheese, and liver, and cold ham, all for moth
ing. IL you had only nickel left, and had
full sized stomach, perfectly empty, which
would You do, stand out on cold corner
and chew bread, with no water nearer than
the lake, or would you 90 into nice warm
saloon, buy glass Of beer and have q big
dinner thrown in for a chrome. BY gosh,
You would 60 to the saloon, and you would
make the lunch counter look sick. Nobody
else keeps warm place for tramps IN eat
free lunches by buying five cents worth of
goods, and tramp would be fool If he
didn't take advantage of such a chance, when
the thermometer is thirty degrees below
zero"
81 swow, don't know but what you are
right, Hennery," said the groceryman, with
forced smile. ~ guess l would paralyze
that lunch. But man has no business to
be tramp. Why don't they go and get
some work?
"Work? Why don't you give one of them
work9 Nobody has any work for tramp.
A tramp may be son of member of Con-
gress, but If hs has been on the turf until he
has had to pawn bis clothes, one article
after another, to keep from starving, and he
looks hard, you don't want him. IL may be
more honest than you are, and better educa-
ted, but his clothes are thin, and he looks
seedy, and cold, and hungry, and hasn't got
any money. You do not stop to think that
he may be thoroughbred. You fire him
out, and he gets so he thinks there isn't a
man in the world with soul. If he steals,
1t is to keep him from starving, and not to
lay up money, like some erocers."
Hold on there, boy. don't steal
much," said the groceryman. "But tramps
are all right enough. These old peoples
homes, where old men and women are kept
in idleness, Is what makes me tired. Why
don't they go and live with their folks ?"
swell, you are a smart Aleck," said the
boy. "Why don't they live with their folks ?
That is good. Do you suppose these old
people would 60 TO a charitable home if they
had one of their own. They have outlived
relatives and friends who would take care of
them, and 20 to the home where kind-heart-
ed strangers make the last days of their lives
as happy as possible, and they depend upon
what they can get from people who have
hearts, to pay the expenses, and 1t Is not of
ten that any person with soul kicks at a
little contribution towards banking up the
stomachs of the old people who have been
pioneers when the country was new. Many
of these old people, whom you find fault
with for being old and pool, were rich and
respected when you were poor and ignorant,
and 1t is possible you may be closed out by
your creditors some day and have to 90 TO
the poor house, and then you can appreciate
1t when some other blasted skinflint refuses
TO contribute TO your support. But You will
not be troubled any more by people calling
for aid, for shall have sign painted and
nailed up on the corner saying there is no
use of any person in need of aid to keep
them from want and suffering calling on
yoa, for you are down on poor people and
consider them dead beats, and that you will |
kick any person out doors who comes in |
asking for anything, and that you growl and
grumble more over giving away nickel than |
some people NO uld in giving five dollars. |
will fix 1t SO you can enjoy quiet life. Let
me taxe that box cover and paint pot min
ute, please"
isNo you don't,n said the grocerymau. pale |