The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-12-17
TRAMPS.
BY EsTELLE vEHsE.

I
nose pressed fat against the kitch
en- window asking for something tt
eat, and oftener demanding it ant
speaking in the most insulting
terms if refused, especially if there
are no men to be seen around
Sometimes it is a beardless boy
that will claim your pity and bread
and your heart opens to the little
friendless wanderer, a stranger al
your door, and before asking him
why he is here and in the capacity
of beggar, you are supplying his
wants with prodigal hand. Then
comes the seedy man in his once
genteel dress coat, buttoned close
to his throat to hide the fact that
he wears no linen; with tidy patch
here and there on his small clothes
and once fashionable tile with q
thousand creases pressed out adorn-
ing his head, and over all the un-
mlstakable gloss that tells the tale
of wear and tear. He would hide
from you the fact of what he is, but
cannot. You look at the nervous,
forlorn creature before you. He
slept in a hay stack the night be-
fore, and brings the odor of damp
hay with him and bits of it in his
tangled locks. His nose is red with
singular purplish hue, his features
blOated, his eyes blood-shotteu and
watery, and his whole makeup
speaks as plainly as words can
speak; Il am a drunkard." His
pride, his ambition, his wealth, his
aspirations his loved ones all given
up, and he is chained to the demon
drink-the curse that has destroyed
home, ruined both body and soul!
and put him tramp on the road.
There he stands, moneyless, friend
less-once gentleman of position
perhaps-begging bread and a nick
Ell to buy him dram. The slave of
whisky, fettered by it's demon
power as surely and forever as the
LAGOON with the destroying SER
pents; to tramp, tramp, tramp;
down, down, down; over ruined
lives and broken hearts to dark
ness that knows no day,
Then comes the strong -limbed,
saucy, staggering, devil-may care
tramp; with rosy health, hands
thrust into his breeches pockets so
deep that he is almost too lazy to
take them out to eat the bread and
meat that he demands, and his ap-
petite Graves His motto is, This
world owes me living. J" His hat
tilted on one side Of his head, turn
ing his nose up at the mere hint of
chopping little wood to assist the
cook, and getting furiously angry
if his fare is not served on tue table
in platters!
Then comes the sneak tramp,
that steals with slouched hat drawn
closely over his eyes as if for con
cealment; watching the windows of
the dwelling with stealthy glances
as he goes round to the back prem
ises to get warm by the servants
fire, and beg or steal what he can.
Again it Is a homeless old man,
his locks white with the SHOWS of
many winters. His clothes are
thread-bare and the cold wind pen
etrates to his very vItals as he
stands shivering with cold. His
eyes are clear as heavens own
blue, and he looks you straight in
the eyes with a far-away look of
sorrow and misfortune in his that
makes your bosom heave and your
fingers clutch with a spasm of pain
that old age should be pltilessly
adrift in the world; and an invol-
untary prayer goes up for him, as
you supply his demand for some
thing to eat.
Again we see the shame faced,
well dressed, young and handsome
tramp; polite, well-bred, and we
wonder why he is among the army
of tramps and beggar. He shows
plainly the life is new if not dis
tasteful to him; but still, he is a
tramp.
Ali if we could only know the
worthiness and the unWorthiness
the history of this army of men !!
and what calamities have tended to
bring them to this wretched, pitia-
BILE and lamentable state, how diff
terently we would be moved. Il
must be that some of them are de-
serving Of our compassion, our help,
our tears, for their distress, their
failures. With our health, strength,
and prosperity; and our dear ones
around us in happiness, let us not
grow too harsh, too severe in our
dealings, and our charities, with
those that ask bread from our plen-
ty. We cannot determine what the
future may have in store for us or
our loved ones. Gas you do unto
others, so it shall be meted unto
you" Is it not better to give to
the unworthy than to turn one wor-
thy and deserving of pity away in
hunger. Do not misunderstood or
misconstrue my meaning into a de-
sire to see vagabondism fostered
and encouraged by kindness and
W. W nave anu
like the man that drew the elephant.
the same question is suggested to
us-"what shall we do with it, or
rather, what shall we do to break
up this increasing army of tramps,
parasites? 1t is a question, per
picking and mOmentous. In this
fertile, abundant land, there should
be no tramps. The thousand in
dustries that this earth offers if
met with willing hands and a de
termination to work would bring
an all-suficiency to every hearth
and to spare. But the spirit is nur-
tured with false pride, too often,
and ifthe work cannot be of ones
own choosing and the cOmpensa-
ton up to the expectations, the
back is turned upon it and the
hands folded. Soon necessity push
es them out on the road and they
become what is called the better
class of tramps, docking for the
living this world owes themp Poor
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