The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1891-02-12
LIFE OF A TRAMP.
A Minister Tries 1t In Order to Fla.
Out How 1t Goes.

A Minister Tries 1t In Order to Fin
Out How 1t Goes.
The Rev. Mr.. Delano of the No-
York Baptist conference did not i.
lieve that the tramp was as bad as h.
was painted, or that he was treatoa
like q brother by his fellow-man. !,
order to prove the matter to his own
satisfaction he spent several weeks n
his last vacation on the road. Amon.
his experiences as tramp were these'
81 came to one house at the close .,
peaceful summers day and saw an
old couple sitting together within. Nv
beard was a week old and my hal,
short enough for agraduateofS Sing Sine
My rather prominentnose was burned
and frayed in the contest. The ola
lady had a sweet, benign face framed
in white cap border. She toldme ia
come in and sit down. But tho Ola
farmer looked his prejudices.
"What has brought gu to such
state as this?" he asked sternly.
"Before could answer him, the old
lady-bless her remarked in on
audible aside: "'Perhaps he knows
our Ned
at was her kind and womanly wav
of disarming him. L did not know
Our Ned but l hope he was WORTHY
OF such o mother.
"'Isn't it about time for our bread
and milk?' suggested the farmer, and
was invited to partake of the simpls
and most welcome meal. As l waspo
ing, after thanking them, the old man
said earnestly;
"'You will be all right if you'll lust
leave whisky alone.
"This to me, o 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 1 kept 81.
lent and resumed my tramp.
"After that | went to houses where
the door was opened q crack, and tbe
narrow face of q 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
10 rbread that must have journyedwith
the children of Israel, and | slept on a
carpenters bench in the basement
through the Christian charity of the
owner of the house"
1.-The last venture | made was into
a field where a fire was burning, and
three tramps lying beside it. | was
glad to meet the tramp on his own
ground and learn somethingof his his.
tory and traditions. One of the men
jumped up and came to meet me. He
did not hold out his hand in frater.
nal way, with a smile of welcome and
a put it there, pard." I!eeyed me with
suspicion, and asked ingenuity what
wanted. He was bigger thanI, and the
other two men Joined him, so kepts
civil tongue, and they gradually warns
ed to me. The big one was clergymans
son--just as was and heknew as much
Latin and Greek as | did and had
iAOAC NietooiI littIdllIt ullu
spoke more languages. The other was
the son OF a millionaire father. The
third was an outsider. We slept
around the haystack taat night and
IN the morning | told them who Twas.
The clergyman's son remarked: 4
noticed that you didn't swear |
heard how every mans hand was
against them, and how they were
against every man-Ishmaels of the
world, sourcd and embittered by
treatment that would not be given to
dogs. lnmy true character reasoned
and prayed with them as | have since
pleaded for them.
"Treat the tramp kindly and he
goes away with Il blessing in his heart.
Shut the door in his face and his pray
er turns to a curse. That is my ex-
perlence and belief. From the De-
troit Free Press.