Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-04-23

me- uOl L lDOh TespeC' dDlo enough
Nonsense, man. Don't get down on
your luck, but pick yourself up. Now
look here; l will give you chance my
self. if you Will take it,
Jim could not believe his ears. Some
one actually talking to him as if he
was an honest man, and not some sort
OF vermin or venomous beast. A real
'tip-top gentleman too. He must be
muddled. But The brown eyes were
looking coolly enough at him. and their
owner was saying: We'll, what do you
say?'
Yer don't know what 1 be; Pm a
bad lotl I've been in quod oft enough,
blurted out Jim, feeling somehow he
could not take his new-found patron IN.
Il daresay you have, and deserved it,
too, but l believe you can pull round
yet, if you like; and, as | said, L will
give you the chance of regular work
and pay. VIII you take it?'
In the depth of Jim's warped nature
there glimmered something like a spark
of gratitude and a dim longing alter a
new life, for a moment; but old habits
were too strong for him, and the clouds
closed darker again, as he shook his
head and said in tones which tried to
be civil: NO, guv'ner; yer mean well;
bat it's no go now. Pm no good for
anything but cadging and tramping,
an doan want TO work for any mas
ter-an' won't neyther.'
He expected an angry lecture and
round abuse for refusing; but the other
said, quietly, strOKing his boot with the
handle of his hunting-crop: That is
dangerous way of thinking, my friend,
and will get you into trouble again.
You are a tool not to try and pull up
bit; but you know your own affairs
best. Well, here is supper and bed
for you, anyway. l. ok OUT He
tossed a half-crown to Jim with care
less, easy good-nature, and, shaking up
his horse, trotted off with nod and
Good luck
How cost 'ess a word or two of SYM
pathy are, and yet how priceless they
may become. How easy to be gracious,
and yet how far-reaching the results.
We scatter kindly greetings here and
there as we journey on Life's roadway,
and lol they spring up bright flowers to
gladden. some sad, weary wayfarer. We
perform thOughtleSsly now and again
trivial services OF courtesy and forget
them; but they shine in lone loyeless
hearts as glittering stars to cheer the
midnight sky.
Hugh Boynton, smoking his high
priced Hayanna after dinner that even
ing in the luxurious ease of his favorite
lounging-cha had utterly forgotten
all about the few words and the silver
coin which lie had thrown TO the tramp
whom lie had oveTtaken as he rode
home from hounds. Jim, curled up
under the lee of a clover rick, turned
the half-crOwn over and over in his
hand, and thought of how for once in
his life he had Leen spoken kindly to
by real gentleman.
Five dreary years had passed over
Jim's luckleSS head. their mOnotony
broken by pOlice-court, prison-cel and
vagrant-waTd expert noes. He had
wandered up and down some dozen
counties and seen the inside OF most of
! their iails, and now, as Christmas drew
near, had drifted toward Y ork; not that
lie had any particular reason for get
| ting there, but because it lay in his way
north, and he happened to be making
| in that directions; why, not even he
/ himself knew, for north, south, east and
west were alike to him. He had had a
run of bad luck lately. Once or twice
/ he had found a casual'S welcome and
slept under cover; but lie had a rooted
I objection TO Its concomitants, and chose
/ rather the COLI and exposure of the
| open air. He had scarcely tasted food
| for week, and had almost forgotten
the feel of a copper coin; for somehow
the near approach of the festival of
peace and good will seemed to have
| shut up mems pockets, and sharp re-
| fusals and scornIul silence We're all he
/ got from those of whom he had asked
| help.
The afternoon was closing as he
/ found himself IN the long, struggling
| village of MarSton, footsore and done
/ up. The lights at the grocer's shop
| threw a broad band of brightness across
| the road, and jim could see man in a
white apron buslly piling up a pyramid
| of loaves which boy had just LEouEht
/ in crisp and hot flon the bake-hCa,e.
| The sight was too much for the fam
iShed fellow, and he pushed his way
/ into the shop. Now, then, what is it!'
cried the shOpman, sharply, as he
! scanned Jim's IatteTed appearance.
VIII yer give me yam ov them little
uns, guv'nor? Pm nigh clemmed;' and
! he nodded toward the bread-pile.
No, certainly not; | never give to
beggars or tramps.'
'I've not tasted bite nor sup this
blessed day, God knows
Can't help that! Come, get out Of
the shop do you hearp or I'll set the
constable on TO you. The likes OF you
| ought not TO be allowed to go about
the country. Come, off with your
So the social outcast went forth into
the night hungry and insulted, and the
sleek tradesman TUbbe hlS hands and
struck his paves, congratulatIng him
sef the while Oh his refusal 10 count
ance a worthless vagabOnd who, re-
! garded from the lofty standpoint Of
/ political economy, had no right to live
on the earth. And yet Mr.. Jonathan
/ BInner was want to pose on political
platforms as the Heaven-seat champion
of the masses. Then, indeed, his SYM
! pathy flowed out in such a mighty tor
rent towards the universal brotherhood
oi man that there was not so much as a
! drop left to give crust or even a civil
VOID TO starving tramp at his door.
Three times did Jim try his luck
down the length OF the village street,
with no better success; and then he
gave it up and bitterly left tue houses
| of his fellow-creatures behind him and
! faced the bic tk open country again.
| lie dragged himself along for few
weary miles, then opening a gate,
/ cTawled into a halt-ruined cowshed and
/ flung himself down upon some bracken
and straw litter in the farthest corner,
and doZed off. When he woke up, the
moon had risen. and WAS shining IN
/ through the chinks of the roof, and Jim
could see the ccuntry-sI was whit
with snow. He shivered, and buried
himself completely In the bracken ami
tried to sleep again and forget the cold
and his hunger. lie had almost sue
ceeded, when the sound of voices came
TO him Oh the still night-air, and d