The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-04
Mendicancv as a Fine Art.

A friend of mine tells a good story which
happened in his experience and which, says
Eugene Field In the Chicago Nelcs Record. will
not be amiss here. While standing, one winter
evening, on the corner of State and Madison
streets waiting for a car he was approached by
I a well-dressed man, bearing all the evidences
Of responsibility, who accOsted him with the
greatest politeness, inquiring the way TO the
/ rolling mills,
well" replied my friend, ''there are q mum
Der of rolling mills in Chicago aud in different
portions Of the city. There are the south side
rolling ills, the west side rolling mills and
still others on the north side"
The north side mills are the ones l am In
search Of. replied the str anger
My friend thereOpon instructed him as 20 the
dlnerent ways OF getting there by the cars and
was about to turn away when the stranger again
stopped him with: And how would person
start to walk there"
why" my friend replied, you could not
| think Of walking there tonight It is fully
twelve miles, long walk under the most favor
able circumstances, not to speak OF the late.
ness of the hour and the snow on the ground"
Very true" said the stranger, but l am
compelled to go there tonight. and as / am en-
tirely out of money know no other way OF
reaching there"
20 If IL is as bad as that with you, here is 10
ents; take car"
The stranger accepted the money, and with a
courtly bow said Thank you; will repay this
the next time we meet and with this he was
gone.
He did not say when or where they would
meet again. and my friend thought the remark
rather strange, but concluded that he must be
from the country and not aware that people
very seldom meet by chance in city the size OF
Chicago. So he boarded his car, happy in the
consciousness Of having done charitable act.
1t was not until last spring-more than year
afterward-that the second instalment of the
story arrived, bringing with IL fresh illustra-
ton or mans duplcity. and further shaking
my friends confidence in human nature. On
this occasion ne was walking down Michigan
avenue when he was stopped by a well-dressed
person whom he had faint recollection of hsv-
ing met before, but when and where he could
not remember. He was not long in doubt,
however. Again came the rolling story,
the same in every detail. except that this time
it was the west side mills the stranger was in
St arch Of. Then it was that my friend dropped
to the game and recognized his acquaintance
or that winter evening on the corner OF state
and Madison streets. However, he gaev the
desired information, but did not, as before,
offer any pecunlary assistance. This did not
In the least discomfort the rolling mill man.
Seeing that his scheme did not have the de-
sired eff ct, he very humby asked for 10 cents
II have but 10 cents, said my friend, land l
need of that for car fare"
Even this did not overcome the stranger .
persstency, for ne replied: 20, l can arrange
that. happen to have cents myself, which l
will give you for car fare and you can just give
me the dime"
This was too much for my sorely tried friend,
and remembering the promise made at their
former encounter to repay at the next meet
ing he took the nickel, put it in his pocket
and, with bow as much Ike that Chesterfield
summon, said: THANK you. If you remem
Der, you owe me 10 cents since the evening you
were looking for the north side mills. will
take this much on account"