The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1888-11-28
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..MouLD fou GIVE hE one ezss7r, sss=-i-
fnal color. and his trousers hung about
his emaciated legs like a stocking about a
pipe stem. Upon his sallowl face was
four weeks growth of stubby black beard
His face was dark and his eyes had that
pale, siehly CLEAN sometimes seen under
the dry husk OF an onion He walked
with q slow, sllambling, uncertain step.
and his shoulders drooped as though he
twas all gone inside and every minute he
e1Dected 10 collapse. The very abject-
ness u his condition fascinated me. and
while still Ioathing him watched his ap-
proach with interest. AS he came up to
me be seized the elbow of his left arm by
putting his right hand behind his back.
In this curious attitude he spoke:
Would You give me one cent. sir1
This he said in a voice which seemed to
come out Of the very sub cellar of de
spair, so monotonut1s WAS 1t. SO utterly
bereft of tho ring of hope.
No, sir. replied. II could not.
he made no reply In words. but his
elbows lifted slightly and his long finger
nails. which wore mourning for departed
cleanliness. sunk into the palms of his
hands Like q man who felt that death
was stepping on his heels. he turned
away Thrre were a dozen other mon
seated in llattery park, and to each ORG
1e-Af@ LlG SalQe
that he had TO me, He met the same
re- zach time, for as he turned away
Could see tho sharp elbows lift with q
despairing gesture and the sallow face
harden into corrugated lines. One man,
who looked Jolly and well fed. perpetrated
CHASTITY joke by putting his hand in his
trousers pocket when the mendicant
asked him the fatal question and pro-
ducing a paper of tobacco. Then Mr..
Jolly read Mr. Misery little homily on
the injustice of poverty, and over Mis-
ery's face there spread shadow of a
grin. and such grin as may be seen on
the face of mummy. 1t was if he had
said: Ibid starvation ever roost in your
stomach for three days7" "Will he jump
off tho dock nowf wondered to myself.
No. Heis actually 'bracing' park police
man. The gray coat simply waved him
away with his club. Then, with q cour-
age born of his awful need. he tackled
two officers at the door of the barge Office,
but without success. He stood upon the
sidewalk and passed his hand wearily
across his forehead. as if he was awaken
ing from dream.
A feeling of curiosity had prompted me
to follow him. docs lie need whisky or
breai2' thought. | determined to find
out. and so l beckoned him into dark
corner around tho barge Office. The fires
OF hope must have been cnkindled in him,
for two tears rolled ont of his eyes and
fancied could hear them fall spat! spat!
upon the stones.
Arc you hungry" said I.
Il didn't eat anything in three days, :"
he replied.
Are yon dry3''
"No, sir: there's water in the park
''Is your favorite restaurant near by?"
Yes. sir. Up in Greenwich street"
HWell. como along"
And as we went toward his restaurant
bumped him by the way. Twas long
und sorrowful story he told. His name
was George Moore, and he was Cornish
miner.
Times was better, sir" said he. when
came to this country eight year ago.
Ye see, ! heard there was money to be
made In the coal mines of Pennsylvania,
an. like fulc, came here. There was
three of us-Nellie aud the baby and my
self. Dear heart. when think of how
my Nellie looked when we landed at
Castle Garden eight years ago, with the
roses In her cheeks and the light in her
brown eyes. and she SO hopeful. sir, that
We would make a small fortune in few
years
Here he paused as if to choke back the
emotions which were sweeping over him
like al flood. Then he continued:
Just eight years ago today twas. sir
had dollars in my pocket then. Good
hard English pounds. and the smell of
roasting turkey as we went by the
restaurants didn't have the effect
upon me then that it has today, sir
Well, we went tc Shamokin, in Pennsyl-
vania. had no difficulty in getting
work, and we were getting along nicely
when / was taken sick. Then all the
money melted away like hoar frost. The
sickness lasted six months, and because
of poor food and weakness tho baby died
After that things went on from bad to
worse, until Nellic sickened with the con-
sumption Then l cursed the country
and tho mines. But 1t did no good, for
my wife went like the baby. and since
she's gone, sir, I'm oil broke up"