San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-05-08
THE RED BEGGAR.

Once upon time there was pretty
little cottage by the side of the road to
the town. It was humble, but all about
it, everything, was always neat and trig,
SO it was evident that 1t was not the
dwelling of either sloth or want. A
honeysuckle climbed up over the door,
and gay flowers bloomed In beds before
1t: while on the south was the stand for
the bees, where in straw thatched hives
they stored honey all day long in sunny
weather.
In the cottage lived an old man named
Paul and his wife Barbarer. They were
very fond of each other, and had it not
been that they had no children they
would have been as happy as the day was
long. AS 1t was, they tried not to miss
100 much the prattle of little ones which
the storks would not bring to them, but
went on their way In life, thrifty and
kind to the poor, and doing good when
it offered. -
In the morning Paul would go afield
to his work, while Dame ,oarbarcr would
remain at homo to do whatever house
hold tasks needed attention and after
ward to spin smooth threads of flax with
her distaff, to be sold in the market Of
the town or to be woven into cloth from
which she made clothing for herself and
her husband, or, what quite as often
happened, for some poor and unfortunate
neighbor.
Dame Darbarer was always kind to the
beggaIs who came her way. They SEEM
ed to her so unfortunate in not having a
home that she could not help giving
them at least food and now and then an
article of clothing, and she was almost
always patient even when their requests,
as sometimes happened, took almost the
form Of commands.
1.-THE poor creatures know no BETTER"
she would say. "They have nothing;
not even sense enough 10 know how to
be GRATEFUL; but that does not matter. !
do not help them because they beg
prettily, but because they need"
But orce upon a time there came a
beggar who tried tho patience of Dame
Barbarer quite beyond even her endur-
ance. 1t was one afternoon when it was
almost time for her husband to return
from the field, and Barbarer was hasten.
ing to get his evening meal ready for
him. She had been to the town to sell
somo thread, and had been detained, SC
that she had not time on her return to
bake wheaton cake for his supper, as
she had intended. She had only very
little bread in the house, and when aI
beggar came along and rather impudently
demanded bit of bread and cheese she
was 10th to give it to him.
The beggar was by no means a prepos-
sessing looking individual. His dress was
all Of red, although 1t was so faded and
weather beaten, SO tattered and torn that
II was hard to tell what 1t looked like in
its best days. The remains Of a red
cocks feather was stuck jauntily In his
cap and jagged ends of faded red ribbon
fastened his doublet. Long black hair
dangled in tangled locks over his foro-
head, and, with his shaggy black eye
brows, half hid his piercing eyes. His
nose was sharp and thin, and there was
10 his nostrils strange curve which
made his face one not at ell progresses
ing. Add to all this that he was lame
of one foot and that he had something
IF hump between his shoulders, and he
was not at all the sort Of man one would
wish to meet on a lonely road.
Dame Barbarer heavcd a sigh as she
ooked at him, and hesitated, while the
strange red figure leered at her In man.
lcr that senta Geld chill down her spine.
She did not wish TO share the little bread
here was for Paul's supper with this
'Gntastic looking creature, but she was
90 charitable 10 turn him away without
morseL So she made the beggar sit
lOwn upon the doorstep, and then she
lrOught him a small piece Of bread and
big piece q cheese, hoping that the
ize Of tie one would make mp for the
maIlness Of the other.
The red bcggar fell to eating with the
.ppetito Of a hoard Of locusts and a. IL
e had eaten nothing for month, and
was hardly the twinkling Of an eve be-
ore he had finished the bit Of bread com
iiefcly.
splease. rnistress," he said beseeching-
,, please, mistress, could you not give
be just a little wee bat of bread 10 eat
nth the rest a nv cheeses7
The dame. alil.ough this vas eEactly
that ne did noz wish % Do. CIT him q
bee q Trad ard gave Il % him with
BE- bsst grace shs couii manage
he rsz-sd rzscsl fsil - eating even