, 1884-02-03

PECK'S BAD BOY
Talks to the Groceryman About
Tramps and Poor Old People
Another Side to the Dead Beat Cues
uen. and Another WAY OF Look
Ing Mt the Subject or
Charity.


CPeck's Sun.1
why. you haven't got q heart bigger than
. mustard seed, +" said the boy, as he picked
up tho Ratchet for fear the groceryman
would split him for ktndiing wood.
YES have" said tho groceryman, and be
appeared q little ashamed of what he had
said. my heart Is all right, but they play it
on me The other day I gave atramp6 cents
70 buy bread, and he went and bought a glass
OF beer at a free lunch place. That made me
mad
well, bread, plain bread, Is pretty hard
eating. How would you like to go out ON the
sidewalk aud gnaw a dinner of a loaf OF dry
breadr The tramp knew his business He
could go to a saloon with that nickel and
buy a glass OF beer as though he had a bushel
OF money, and while he was drinking It hs
could go to the lunch counter and
get sausage, and rye bread, and
head-cheese, and liver and cold ham,
all for nothing. II you had only a
nickel left, and had a full-sized stomach, per-
fectly empty, which would you do, stand out
on a cold corner and chew bread, with nc
water nearer than the lake, or would you go
into a nice warm saloon, buy n glass OF beer
and have a big dinner thrown In for a
chrome BY gosh, you would go to the sa-
loon, ar you would make the lunch counter
look sick Nobody else keeps a wtlrm place
Tor tramps to eat FREQ lunches by buying 8
cents worth Of goods, and a tramp would be
4 fool IL he didn't take advantage OF such a
chance, when the Thermometer Il thirty de-
grces below zero"
y swow, l don't know but you are right.
Hea.nery," said the groceryman, with a
forced smile. II guess l would paralyze that
lunch. But a man has no business to DO q
tramp. Why don't they go to work.
Work. Why don't you give one OF them
work. Nobody has any work for q tramp.
A tramp may be a son Of n member OF con-
gress, but II he has been on the turf until
he has had to pawn his clothes, one nj ticls
after another, to keep from starving, and
looks hard, you don't want him. He may be
more honest than you are, and better
educated, but his clothes are thin, and he
Looks seedy, and GOLD. and hungry. and
hasn't got any money. You do not stop to
think that be may be a thoroughbred. You
fire him out, and he gets 20 he thinks there
isn't a man in tho world with a soul. II he
steals, 1t Is to keep him from starving, and
not 70 lay up money, like some grocerA"
Hold on there, boy. l don't steal-much,"
said the grocerymau. But trnmps are all
right enough. These old peoples homes,
where old men and women are kept In idle.
ness, is what makes me tired why don't
so ASAA1N
"Wel, you are a smart AleckT' said the
boy. -Why don't they live with their
folkBi n is good. Do you suppose these
old people would go to a charitable home
II they had one OF tbeir ownf They
have outliyed relatives and friends who
would take care OF them, and 20 TO the
homo where k~ind-hearted ~strangers make
the last days Of their lives as happy as posi-.
bic, and they depend upon what they can
get from people who have hearts, TO pay ths
expenses, and it is not often that any person
with n soul kicks at a little contribution
towards banking up the stomachs OF the
cid people who have been pioneers when
the country was new. Many Of these old
people, whom you find fault with for being
old and poor, were rich and respected when
you were poor and ignorant, aud It Is posi-.
bio you may be closed out by your creditor,
some day and have " go to n poor-house,
and then you can appreciate It when some
other blasted skinfiint refuses TO contribute
to your support Blu you will not DO troublec
any more by people calling for aid, for
shall have q sign painted and nAilet
up on the corner saying there Is nc
USE Of any person in need OF aid to keep thsu
from want and suffering calling on you, fol
you are down on poor people and consider
them dead boats, and that you will kick AM
anything. and that you growl and grumbl,
moro over giving away nickel than som.
people would in giving IS. 1 will fx you 81
you can enjoy a quiet life. Let me take thai
box cover and a paint pot a minute, please
M you don't" said the groceryman pal,
with shame aud excitement "You don't puI
up no sign. What l said about giving to th.
poor was said in n moment Of passion, wher
/ had a hot box. but you have shown m,
what a blasted old fool l am, and hereatter
VIII give freely to anybody hat comes
Great Cesar. l wouldn't have such a sign pui
up for q thousand dollars. II would ruin IN,
business"
well, don sver say anything again aboui
charity, that you would be ashamed to 500 IL
print and the bad boy went out whistling
The Dotlst on tho Eye"