The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1888-10-18


times for employment"
ut is easy to say sell; but who will buy
A house won't fetch half its value, and there
isn't any money to be had. Besides-and
this is the hardship the pride and the feel.
ing Of association cling round house that
has been consecrated by years of affection
and by the memory of the dead-I believe ]
am making an grafton; but ! despair Of ex-
pressing myself"
Il understand you perfectly; it is sad, in.
deed.n
Excuse me, you don't understand me.
Some men put off old houses and put on new
ones, like their clothes, without a thought.
Others grow into their habitations and be-
come part-of them. You might as we'll saw
to lobster, "Get out Of your SHE'LL" when
you know that the poor wretch will die when
his naked, quivering members are exposed to
the sharp-edged stones. A delicate nature.
proud. but gentle, too sensitive to accept
charity and doubtful of friendly service,
even, suffers more anguish in one hour, under
such circumstances, than your brazen beggar
feels from his dirty cradle to his nameless
grave"
Mr.. Osgood unused.
HE has nothing to do thens"
3Nothing, but to suck his thumbs"
as he willing to work, even if the task
should appear irksomes"
" haven't doubt He has no false
pride Anything honorable would be well
come"
"Perhaps can find something for him to
do; it will be temporary, but its continuance
will depend upon himself"
"And what is It'll"
"In visiting the district which has been
allotted to me, have found an unusual
number of ignorant, vicious boys, cared for
by no one have thought of making some
effort to gather them together and start a
ragged school. Some friends have agreed to
provide the means But the pay would ne
cessarily be small, and the labor and diff
Guilty great"
"a teacher of tatterdemalions! 1t isn't an
inviting field of labor"
mo; to refined man it must be repulsive.
Nothing but the idea of doing good would
make it pleasure or even endurable."
II confess myself utterly without any such
motive | hate poor people, and ragged
children, and sick women, the forlorn wives
Of drunken brutes. shut my eyes to all
such odious sights"
II hope the gentleman you speak of is not
agreeable as you area"
perhaps not; he has an artistic tempera-
ment, and therefore loves what is comely
but he would go through fire to do what he
thought his duty"
"Aud wouldn't your
"What question: Go through fire: No, /
should bawl for the engine"
ats plain, then, that he will answer better
than you for the place."
"No doubt. shouldn't answer at all. !
tell you never talk with these creatures. |
can't. II All old woman stops me, with her
dried-apple face and whining voice. give
her q sixpence and tell her to hush up and 90
about her business fling coppers to the
boys with slit breaches before they ask me-
for know they will tell ME of mothers sick
with consumption. Their devilish tears are
contagious; and can't cry; it chokes me.
So buy apples and oranges from the i'm
ploring-looking girls; it's the easiest way of
getting rid of them. The little change don't
amount to much in a day, and I save my
nerves and my digestion at cheap rate"
Mr.. Osgood smiled at Paletto's notion Of
his own hard-heartedness, and said, hesitat-
ingly,-
II am afraid that some professedly charit-
able persons don't do so much"
"Of course they don't. don't mean that
I do anything. It's pure sel6shness on my
part, as I told you. But you may feel pretty
sure that if mans name is always in the
papers as our estimable fellow citizen, Presi-
dent This, Director That, and Treasurer
Tother,' he does not give indiscriminate
aims ~ believe that is the phrase. Per-
haps he won't rob, like my friend Norcross;
but his 'disinterested labors' are an economi-
cal substitute for substantial charity, and
his desire for a place in the public eye is
the handspring of all his actions"
"Most of the distress in the community is
relieved by organized effort; individual
charities, however we'll meant. would be
entirely inadequate. Besides, you should
not be severe upon all because one promi-
nent person has proved unworthy"
"Norcross is a type Of the class. If there
is anybody hate worse than sick beggar,
it is man who makes a trade of philan-
thropy."
"And yet you are consenting to your
friends earning living by teaching a ragged
school,"
"True, one may stop at any place in a
storm, just for shelter"
"And you can console yourself further with
the assurance that your friend won't make
enough in this place to induce him to take up
the trade, as you call it"
Il hope not. Starve him judiciously. If
he should come out, after year or so. with
white neckcloth, spectacles, and sancti-
fled face, soliciting aid for his school, in
Pecksniffian tones, should regret that
hadn't furnished him with cord and bag Of
stones to drop himself into the dock with"
Il don't know why teacher or street
missionary may not be gentleman"
"Sure enough, why not; Whatever Rob-
ert Jameson is, he will always be gentle.
man."
Suppose you bring him to see me to-mor-
! row or next day; we will talk about this"
II will. Now, goodbye! My regrets to
the children that we couldn't finish our
romp."
"Good-bye," said Osgood. aCome again;
the children will be glad to see YOU"
CHAPTER XVII
LAW AND OFFICER.
AS Mr.. Norcross walked homeward, the
streets seemed to close up behind him; he was