The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-09-09
Is at all sensitive. If you should
| by any other name than that
M Bum" he would probably be of.

ne Is at all sensitive. If you should
call by any other name than that
OF tn FBum" he would probably be of.
Tended; certainly he would resent
you calling him by his right name,
Tor fifteen years ago he was prosper
GUS and happy, surrounded by his fam
ily-a beautiful wife and three young
chlldren-and enjoying the confidence
OF all his acquaintance.
Then he ran up against old King AL
cohol and since that time he has
known no home other than the big
coai-box back of the ship'news office,
or the drear and empty store-room I'M
der the Marine hospital. Poor old
bum. Enjoying the affection of only
the Kittens, spiders and rats he trains.
and caring for nothing but rum and
idleness, unless, perchance, some one
gives him an old magazine or novel,
and then he shuts himself up in the
storeroom and pores over his literary
treasures, emerging only long enough
to sing for and secure drink. His wife
occupies pretty home of her own on
Staten island, but the "Bum" never
sees her and it is better for them both
that this is So
Everybody around the barge Office
knows him. He is as much of a land
mark as the big liberty pole near the
battery wall. He never goes farther
away from the battery than the saloons
of South or Whitehall streets. And his
pets. All the affection of his wrecked
nature he lavishes on the horrid Creep
ing things he feeds and caresses. Per-
haps some day IL you will steal up TO
the storeroom near the revenue-cutter
slip and peer into the room through
the window you will see the Bum"
stretched out on a pile of rubbish,
feeding white-whiskered rat from tho
palm of his hand You may see a
dozen of the ugly, agile things clustered
about him, crawling up his arms, on
his neck, over his breast You may see
him take a big rat in his hand and
touch his lips to the pointed nozzle Of
the eerie. long-tailed thing You may
see over in the corner a half-dozen kit
tens-maltese, tiger, pure white
quietly sleeping, but if the Bum"
should whistle softlythey will quickly
scamper over to him and at some mvs-
terious signal form a circle about him,
and, sitting upright, listen to his low
singing.
Then the storeroom spiders come to
him for crumbs and he makes no pro-
test if they crawl over his hands and
face. But he loves his kittens best,
and one can more thoroughly sympa-
thize with this affection. 1t is matter
Of speculation how r,any kittens he
has raised in the last fifteen years. No
mother cat will he allow to assist him,
but poor stray kittens+social outcasts
like himself-he takes to his heart and
nurses them, bringing them to health
and strength by feeding them milk
from spoon, and they will follow him
about like dogs.
Poor old bum! With tender heart
somewhere beneath that ragged, dirty
exterior, sleeping in coal-box with
old newspapers for blankets, while the
wind from the ocean is blowing with
frghtful force about your shelter; hun.
cry, thirsty, miserable; with vain re-
greet and saddened retrospect; with
trembling and hating steps; you are a
sad example of what liquor will do
with sturdy frame and bright intel.
lect.-N. Y. Recorder.