Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-01-01

some money, aad poor old Miss Letty's
engagement ring, never taken from her
finger since her lover died upon his
bridal eve.
Besides, she had promised her hus-
band not to let any idea of being good
to the poor put her into danger.of death,
or worse, at tramp's hands.
With all these excuses. Mrs. Cary,
having Christian soul under her fash
ionable bodice, was. still uneasy.
The little maid was busy in the cot
tage kitchen. 1t was all bright and
comfortable, and now she must drive
man servant had lett them a day or 50
before, and they were going to the city
so soon that another had not been
hired; but she could harness her horse
very well hersel, and soon it was done,
and the pretty figure in its dress of
cream-cOlored nuns vailing, with tiny
ivory balls in its ears and at its throat,
and q dainty hat to match on it's black
hair, perched itself on the cushions of
the little vehicle. Away they went, CAV
wagon, risky pony, pretty child and
beautiful woman, making such pretty
picture III the twilight that Mrs. Flint,
the aristocratic lady in the next house,
called out to her husband:
"What Christmas card that would
| make it we could only get it just as it
looks against the sunset?"
Anott er pair of eyes saw the picture
also. The man who had begged for food
| and received stone. He was making
his way YEARLY along toward the rail-
| way. He might reach his destination;
he might not. Perhaps he could live on
chestnuts and roadside apples. He
would ask for nothing if he starved
No one should call him tramp again or
refuse to give the morsel he never re-
fused fellow being in his life. He was
weak with hunger already, but he took
his oath to that. And as he swore this
Mrs. Cary's carriage rolled past him,
covering him with dust from its red
wheels, and the little boy, in his gay
| costume, cried aloud:
Mamma, there's that tramp again ~
Ii was as though he had thrown an
other stone which wounded.
Paradise-on-the-H Hill has long car
rage drive to the railway station. There
is one spot which is very picturesque
and beautiful. 1t is where the carriage
road crosses cut through which the
railway runs between natural stone
walls. The cars cannot be seen by driv-
ers because of the tall rocks and great
trees until they are Just across the aper-
ture. Everyone is cautious here. Mrs.
Cary was particularly SO. She drove so
slowly down the hill that the man she
had called tramp outwalked her. He
reached the cut, looked, believed he
saw an express train coming at full
speed, and sat down by the roadside.
He was not strong enough nor was his
head steady enough TO risk crossing
against time. He sat and waited, and
looking up the drive, saw the pretty
picture he had just seen altered to ter
rible one.
The shrek of the coming train was a
fearful one a warning note desirable in
a region where old residents quietly
drove their slow teams before rushing
express trains every day, and where an
accident to "Our esteemed So-and- so"
was one of the regular items Of the
newspapers in consequence. But Mrs.
Cary's horse bethought himself to be
terribly alarmed at the sound, and with
a plunge and a cry as alarming In itself
as that uttered by the iron monster in
the cut the animal started of at full
speed.
The man who watched him knew that
he would reach the track just in time
to drag the wagon before the engine.
He saw the woman holding her child
fast and clinging to the light rail which
surrounded the seat. She was para
lived with terrOr--pOwerlesS to do any,
thing to save herself. Yes, there was the
human being who had refused him aid
him tramp. There was the child who
had thrown a stone at him. He had
cursed them. His curse had been:
''May you need help and get none p'
and it had fallen already. They needed
help, and suddenly the demon in his
soul fed from it. The angel of pity
took it's place, and he stood fit for
heaven. They needed help, and he
would give it-what help he could. 1t
might be of avail.
God grant it may n' he prayed, and
he sprung forward.
He was in time. He seized the mad
horses bride. He held it. feeling
most sorely that he had not his usual
strength.
"Jump while you can ~ he shouted.
IT cannot hold the creature long !"
Mrs. Cary obeyed. Her foot was
light, her action swift. or she had not
succeeded. AS it vas, she tottered and
fell as she touched the ground, and got
to her feet giddy and faint. but holding
her child's warm little hand sa in
hers.
But where was the carriage, where
was the horse, where was the man who
had saved their Hves-the man she
would reward with full-heaped hands.
as well as with thanks and blessings
the man she had turned hungry from
her door, and who had repaid her ILL
doing with such deed as this-where
was he? The whistle shrieked, the
cars backed, slowed, stopped; passen-
gers alighted; her husband was there.
His arms were about her. his pale face
was covered with tears, as he sobbed:
''You are not hurt, darling? 1t is
miracle ~
But still her eyes strained themselves
to see that shabby figure, dusty and
mud-stained. but such hero to her
now-only to say to him: 81 know you
are not a tramp. Forgive me. Let me
help you; let me pay a little of my
great debt to you" She could never be
happy in this world again unless this
were given her. So she stood, her head
on her husbands shoulder, waiting un-
til he should come. But the others
gathered slowly, silently toward one