News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-06-24
Only q Tramp.
The newspaper said:

The newspaper said:
The morning train struck an unknown
tramp near the creek, killing him in
| stantly. The man had on a striped shirt,
faded trousers, heavy boots, blue over
alls, brown blouse and gray vest. In
his hand he carried red handkerchief,
| in which was some bread and bunch OF
| grapes In his pocket was letter adj
dressed, ''Dear father, and signed, Your
Son. but with neither name nor adj
dress"
Only tramp. Out in the wide world
alone. All his earthly possessions tied
up in a handkerchief. Who was he?
No one knows. But perhaps his heart
was warm-a kind, manly heart that
beat within his ragged vest. How those
harsh words must pierce the heart of
the poor old mother, if she reads them.
Doubtless he was tiny babe, with his
chubby little legs, and his dimpled toes,
and his small laughing mouth, and all
| physical charms of babyhood, no one
would have looked into the future and
said: "He isn't worth raising, he'll be
only tramp" No, not one. And the
proud young mother as she gazed on her
| darling boy, would she think for a mo-
ment that when he grew up into great
strong man that he would be "only a
tramp" Surely not.
''ln his pocket was letter" 'Dear
father" it began. What a wealth of
love in those two simple words, ''Dear
fatherr All, but he loved the old ia.
ther, the dear father. With his lot in
life but that of a wanderer upon the
face of the earth, he remembered the
''dear father" How, perhaps, he pic
tured home in his mind. How he saw
his mother and father seated at table in
the cottage, where he had left them
years before. How the poor fellow
looked into the darkness, over miles and
miles of green, fertile fields, and saw in
the far away home, one man in all the
world whom he could call friend. His
father, nay, more, his Dear father, :"
Oh, if the poor tramp's heart could but
express the love and reverence con-
ceaied in those words.
And the letter was signed "Your
Son." think can read the meaning
of those words. They spoke to the dear
father as a child of God crying aloud to
the Heavenly Parent. Your SOM"
Yes, your son, not ashamed to lift up
his face and proclaim to the world that,
notwithstanding his rags and his tatters,
he was ''your SON. All, but there are
other fathers who look out upon the
wide world in the twilight of peace
and happiness. They have, perhaps, a
son somewhere in an unknown part of
the world. "Your son." Yes, 'dear
father" perhaps even now he is hungry
and thirsty. Nay, more; even now
''Your Son" may be lying still in death,
with the words "Dear Father" clinging
to his closed lips. May be "your SON.
is "only tramp" God knows. Call
back your hayward boy, 'Dear
Father" Your son has a manly heart
He loves his father, and you love your
son. May the sweet love of Heaven
hold you closer. 'Dear Father" "Your
Son" IS ''only tramp" but you love
your darling boy, and he loves your
gray hair and wrinkled brow. Dear
Father" keep ''Your Son" by your
side, cling to him; and son, stay by
your father. Leave the wide world to
itself. There is enough vice and misery
there. Even if you are "only a tramp. u
remain at Monochrome, the garden spot
of your lifetime. Stay by your dear
Father" and bring sunshine and glad
ness to him in his declining years. Your
life will be the better for it. Your
bread and cheese will taste all the sweet
er. Your heart will be softer, your
hands cleaner, your soul purer. You
are "only tramp" but God bless you.
NJ. QUAD.