The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-06
The TramD's Soft Sleep.
From the Ne,e York Sun.


The city marshal of a small town in Indiana
having informed me- that he had bad expos
tor IA the town i0ck-up. and that l could see
MIN II l so desired, II WIS only natural that
curiosity should be aroused l went over 70 Fl I'd
clean-s1aFen. psctable-looking man IN
brOa iclOth, ana when We had been left alone.
On pretence that he wanted TO consult legal
authority he offered me a cigar crossed his
legs. and compgacently remarked:
well. the bottom has dropped out at last,
and I'm burned glad OF It. | amt felt a bit
happy for the last three months. Look at me.
u ye spose decent tramp would Recognize
or have anything TO do wi me, logged OUT in
this fashion? Regular broadclOth. this suit IS,
and We got on regular undershirt, same as
governors wear, and regular SOCKS and linen
collars Is Il any wonder / hain't got
good nights sleep in long weeks, aud that my
liver IS out of order and my system running
downs"
You are not what you SEEM I observed,
by way fencOuragement
You've hit the bull s-eye, old mani Say. II S
too funny for anything when l think II over
sometimes I've laughed till my sides ached and
then again I've been so lonesome that it seemed
as II | must fly"
60 on VITA the tale"
lie noted the time by a new silver watch, set
tied IN nset back on the bench, and began:
Down mere a5out ten miles lives an old
mad gh onto fifty years old. She owns the
farm, and man cousin of hers works it. One
night last spring l strack the psce for a cold
supper, and the door was hardly open before
Martha flung her arms around my neck. and
Kissed and Rugged until jim, the cousin, had to
pull her of
Mistaken identity, remarked.
Exactly. Seems that they had an Uncle
Ihomas OF somewhere, and that he was sup
posed to be rich and eccentric, and that a fort
une-teller had told 'em he would come along
IN disguise. They tumbled to me for the old
eccentric, and it wasn't over two toOts Of the
whistle before | was onto the racket. They
dlqn ask any hard questions, but stuffed me
s,,Fs. hos had
kissed me good night, and that was the begin
ning OF a downward career which has Landed
me where am. Last night. when l struck this
jan, began to feel to hom- for the irst time in
twelve weeks. If I only had my old duds my
happiness would be complete"
Dld 1t take them three months to find that
you were not their Uncle Thomas
1T did. They thought was deceiving them
ABOUT my riches and testing them to see if they
were worthy. They bought me this watch,
| clothes, cane, and lot Of other stuff, and
was fed on the fat of the land. Gained thirty
TWO solid pounds to prove 1t. ] used to long
under a straw stack. and steal apples. and Ell
counter bulldogs. but had TO play my part
knew that had a soft thing and prudence
warned me to hang on to it,
How did they discover your identity?'
Wen, she went Off TO a neigabOr's and
Jim was working in a back lot. Along came
three OF the boys, and was SO glad TO see EN-
| nugged eacn one in nv arms and then in.
| ylted EN- into the house. They had eaten and
| drunk their fill and gone before | heard any.
| thing drop. | told 'em who was and what 6
| snap had, and I'll be hanged if Jim. who had
come up for water didn't hear it ALL He
| posted right up to town, got the officers anC
mere am. WANT you to do me favor"
"Well?'
They'll hev to turn me loose, for hahn"
| broken no law. l want to send these clothes
ami this watch back to Maroha and Jim, aud
want you to GIT me something more in keep
ing with my Notwithstanding an old tramp
will feel at home in. I've been guilty Of de
ceptlon, but really couldn't help myself. it,
the first time | eve- put on clean shirts once
week, washed my face once a day, and tried Il
sleep respectfully, and promise you it shan
happen again. It's human to err, you know
arranged at the hotel for some old clothes
ana carried them over, and as he united the
| bundle Uncle Thomas said:
| Most too respectable, but I'll doctor EN-
little. thousand THANKS to you. By this tim,
to morrow I'll be ten miles away, lodging tn,
dog at the gate and working the back door o.
cold vittles. Won't it seem good. Won't l rol
up into ball and have a solid old snooze il
some fence corner tomorrow night, Thanks
again. But for your disinterested kindness
might have been compelled to go out of here al
dressed up, and under false pretenses, and i
would have taken me month to convince the
boys that was born to the purfesh. and love(
it Tor itself alone"