Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1891-03-21
LIFE ORA TRAMP.
A Minister Tries 1t in Order to Find
Out How 1t Goes.


A Minister Tries 1t in Order to Find
Out How 1t Goes.
The Rev. Mr.. Delano of the New
York Baptist conference did not be-
lieve that the tramp was as bad as he
was painted, or that he was treated
like a brother by his fellow-man. In
order to prove the matter to his own
satisfaction he spent several weeks of
his last vacation on the road. Among
his experiences as a tramp were these:
81 came to one house at the close of
a peaceful summers day and saw an
old couple sitting together within. My
beard was a week old and my hair
short enoul h for graduated Sing Sing.
My rather prominentnose was burned
and frayed in the contest. The old
lady had a sweet, benign face framed
in white cap border. She toldme to
come in and sit down. But the old
farmer looked his preiudices.
"What has brought you to such a
| state as this?" he asked sternly.
"Before / could answer him, the old
lady-bless her remarked in an
audible aside: "'Perhaps he knows
our Ned.
1T was her kind and womanly way
of disarming him. / did not know
Our Ned, but hope he was worthy
of such a mother.
"'Isn't it about time for our bread
and milk?' suggested the farmer, and
/ s.,x-.AnI .4,l- 49,
and most welcome meal. As / was GO
ing, after thanking them, the old man
said earnestly:
"'You will be all right if you'll just
leave whisky alone.
This to me; respectable minister
of the gospel / wanted to drop my
assumed character and assure him
never tasted the stuff, but it was too
early in my experiment, so | kept 81
lent and resumed my tramp.
"After that | went to houses where
the door was opened a crack, and the
narrow face of woman was thrust
out for a second, then the door was
slammed. Cats arched up their backs
and spat at me. Dogs growled at me.
} / cut hickory wood harder than iron
forbread that must haveiournyedwith
the children of Israel, and / slept on a
carpenters bench in the basement
through the Christian charity of the
owner of the house"
> "The last venture / made was into
! field where a fire was burning, and
: three tramps living beside it. | was
2 glad to meet the tramp on his own
ground and learn somethingof his his
e tory and traditions. One of the men
jumped up and came to meet me. He
: did not hold out his hand in a fratere
s nal way, with smile of welcome and
D a put it there, pard" Heeyed me with
r suspicion, and asked meguffly what
e wanted He was bigger thanI, and the
r other two men Joined him, so kept q
e civil tongue, and they gradually warm
t ed to me. The big one was a clergyman''
d son-just as Twas and he knew as much
s Latin and Greek as | did, and haC
e studied more classic literature anc
= spoke more languages. The other wal
o the son of millionaire father. TIL
IL third was an outsider. We slep
l. around the haystack that night anC
in the morning | told them who Twas
le The clergyman's son remarked:
d noticed that you didn't swear
ii heard how every mans hand wa
g against them, and how they wer
L against every man-Ishmaels of tn
d world, soured and embittered BY
n treatment that would not be given K
d dogs. Inmy true character IreasoneC
and prayed with them as l have sine
o pleaded for them.
It ''Treat the tramp kindly and h
1T goes away with blessing in his heart
1t Shut the door in his face and his pray
h er turns to curse. That is my ex
perience and belief. From the De
s, troit Free Press.
O