The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-11-29
MISS GOLDEN'S LODGER.
Money Is Not the Only Thing on
Earth Worth Having.

After Mr.. Golden had failed, and he
and Miss Golden took to letting out
the rooms in their house TO lodgers,
and she found it necessary to work
hard at embroidery besides, and to
give up all those pretty luxuries she
had been used 10, there came one day
10 the door a sparely-built man,
rather handsome, but not very young,
and Just little shabby, who asked If
they had a room 20 spare for him
'lt must be a very cheap one" said
he, '.for can't afford n good one. 1
dent care how high up it is, and 1
don't want it 10 be furnished. I have
very good furniture of my own-good
enough for me; plenty good enough
and l don't wish 10 die in the poor
house. No. don't wish to die in the
poOr-house."
Miss Golden opened her eyes as the
big man offve-and-torty said this, but
there was little hall bedroom on the
top floor which stood in place of the
traditional garret, and thither she
conducted the gentleman who dreaded
the poor-hOuse so much. The room
suited him, the rent suited him, he gave
q well-known bankers name as refer
ence, and he declared himself to be
Mr. Moss.
The banker to whom Mr. Golden
went smiled = peculiar smile and
said:
Highly respectable, and / feel sure
he'll pay his rent"
And the next day Mr.. Moss came
with his furniture A boy brought an
old-fashioned cot, and a straw bed, and
4 wooden stool. and little three
legged table, and wanted fifty cents for
his trouble, and took twenty-five in
cash, and took the rest out in bad Ian
guago on the doorstep, after he had
been shut out Then Mr.. Moss ar
ranged his room himself. and drew one
teaspOonful of tea In little tin tea
pot and had one roll and ono radish
for his supper. The roll he bought;
the radish he took from a bunch on the
grocer's counter
What are your radishes?" he said.
Then ne nipped one of, and walked
away like an absent-minded gentle
man.
Poor soul. said Ellen Golden, Il
10 feel 50 sorry for him"
So she smiled and nodded 20 him
when he went out next day. and was
always very careful 10 be civil 10 him
She knew what II was = be poor her
self. And what was q cup of coffee
now and then, or Just a wedge OF pie,
or bowl OF soup? II wasn't missed,
and one could do 1t in a neighborly
fashion, for a man must be ve-y poor
70 live 50.
And Miss Golden, who often laughed
at the idea of owning such name
she whose life was so little of a golden
one-did a thousand such little kind
nesses- They had enough 10 eat and
drink, her father and herself
Then, when the nights grew cold.
their tenant. who could have no fire
in his room, often warmed himself at
that of his landlord. He was not
without ideas. and he was by no means
plain; but his brain was full OF
thoughts Of ono order thoughts OF
money; how people made 1t and los;
it; how they got high interest for it;
how they speculated with it and lost
it; how unexpected legacies were left
to some people, and how others waited
in vain for dead mems shoes; and
sometimes when Ellen Golden. who
had touch of romance in her, hinted
that after all, money was not worth
every thing else in life. he would stop
short in his serious, solemn way, and
say:
My dear young lady, you don't
think enough Of money. 1t would be
terrible thing if you were so careless
of it as TO come to the almshouse in
your old age Many worthy people
have come to the almshouse in their
old age"
His grave, dark face, the little touch
of foreign accent there was in his
voice, his curiously earnest manner.
all gave his words a curious weight
ami meaning.
Ellen could not laugh at them.
"But it is such pity, papa" she
used TO say, ''such a terrible pity that
poor Mr.. Moss should have let his mis-
fortunes warp him So If he would
but talk of something else"
And Mr.. Golden would say:
''Ah, you don't know how il hurts
man to have had all his schemes and
ambitions come TO an end in his ma.
ture years Youth can rise again
after q fall; middle-age can not Nc
doubt poor Mr. Moss has failed. -"
And Ellen Golden supposed that
this must be SO, and that night asked
her tenant 10 tea, and made a. won
~ I'll. l.