Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-03-29
JIM, THE TRAMP.

nc was Ddu lou! magistrates, JAN
chaplains, and police had all at various
times told him so, and he quietly &C
cepted their Judgment, knowing it to be
pretty near the truth. An outcast from
his very babyhood, what chance had he
ever hadf Left by an unfeellng mother
to die in a roadside ditch, he had been
taken to the nearest Union, to be brought
up workhouse founding, until he was
old enough to be bound prentice and the
guardians could wash their hands of him
entirely. A drunken saddler covenanted
to clothe, board, and teach him his trade +,
and at his hands poor Jim had dogs
life, until, goaded to madness by every
species of ill-treatment, he struck his
master and fed For while he tried
hard to get work in the villages through
which he passed but no one would take
on the strange, friendless lad, and he
made up his mind to enlist for a soldier.
But ill-luck would not let him go. He
was routed out of an old stable by a
jealous member of the city police, and
charged next day with sleeping out at
night, or some equally heinous crime, the
result beng that he was committed to
prison for seven days. This broke down
his last shred of self-respect; and when
that happens to man or boy, heaven help
him, for his doom is sealed
Jim came out of Jail utterly reckless,
with wild hatred of everybody and
everything. He thought no more of sol
diering or getting work, but let himself
drift resolutely to the bad. He soon got
into vicious company, and before many
weeks were over was again in the clutches
of the law. The down-hill road is an
easy one, and the pace always rapid, and
50 at thirty years of age he was pretty
widely known to the authorities as CON
tirmed rogue and thief, who would not
stick at trif1es when once he was reused
Yes, there was no doubling it, he was
an out and-out bad lot And he looked
it, too, as he slouched along the country
lane with hands deep in his empty pock-
cts and his head bent TO meet the rain
which the November wind drove in his
face. But he was too much used to dis
comfort to heed the weather, and plodded
sullenly on through the puddles in the
deepening gloom, half asleep, and so ut
terly careless of everything around that
he never heard the beat of hoofs until
CHEEKY voice cried: Nov, my good fell
low, if you do not want the whole road
to yourself, perhaps you will let me
pass
Jim never looked round, but SUNK
closer to the dripping hedgerow, and ex-
pecting the horseman to ride on without
another word, but something quite un-
expected happened, for the CHEEKY voice
said "Thauksn'
1t was the first time any one had ever
thanked the good tor-nothing and he
stared up in blank amazement and saw
man of about his own age, in red coat
and top boots beautifully despatched with
mud, looking down at him from the back
OF weight carrying hunter without the
least CLEAN of aversion or suspicion on
his pleasant, fresh colored face
"You look rather done up; been long
on the road?'
"a week an more!" The reply was
surly enough-not that Jim resented the
question, but simply because he was so
well used to insults and rough speaking
that the idea of blooming SWELL
speaking civilly to such as he took him
utterly by surprise.
"Going home"
Jim gave contemptuous grunt.
"Never ha yaU, guv'norI'
Poor chap! But you live somewhere,
supposed"
'oh yes, with grim chuckle-"I
live somewherc-anywhere. Use not
like some folks, must have everything
tip-:op. No, that's not my style. Ye've
big house, in course, and lots of slaveys
to wait on ye. I lives just where can,
and has to fend for mysen, and dom
often get my meals regular
"But you have friends somewhere,
supposed"
mo; not me- There's never a single
soul, guv'nor, in this wide world as cares
zap for me; and when l lies down
some day and dies in ditch, thereil
moan be, man, woman or child, as'll miss
nc. Mcneil be sorry, 'eeptin' the parish
buns ash have to put me underground,
aud they'll grudge doing of that even
Jim gave a short ugly laugh and slouchcd
on, the water squish, squish, souishing
out of the gaping rents of his old boots
at every step. He quite expected the
swell to ride off now and leave him to
the rapidly deepening gloom and the
wild, cherries night; but the horse was
kept steadily alongside of him, and his
rider spoke again.
Cant you get into regular work and
leave this tramp business