The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-19
ONLY A TRAMP's STORY.
A Bit Of Life History Brought Out by
an Act of Kindness.
From the Brooklun Time.

nOrtal as ne dragged himself toward the
village railway station of a Long Island
town on a raw aud gusty afternoon and
dropped YEARLY into a seat He wasn't
cold. He had passed beyond the stage
where the temperature is likely to be a
matter of any consideration TO a msu in
his condition. What troubled him to the
exclusion of every other material desire
was an unfulflled, unquenchabIc thirst
be was a druuSard. That was evident
The odor OF his spasmodic breath, redolent
of cloves, was additional proof If any was
needed. And yet there was something
about the man that made one feel the force
OF Walt Whitman's line:
Not until the sun excludes you will exclude
you.
AS he approached the station master,
with that courtly bearing that abides with
the true courtier when all else had van
ished. the official knew he could not exclude
his visitor, even when he felt almost intui-
lively that the newcomer meant to test his
generosity for purposes that clash with
religious principles. For once he felt that
his rule must prove flexible. But he Judged
harshly.
The man didn't plead for rum. For
money! No. not even for bread. His
physical condition was in state of collapse
and his nerves were like the strings of a
harp of the warrior bend-unstrung. Yes,
and the discord in the mental aud physical
condition would have appealed to the SYM
patty Of the most callous. 1t was an old
story and might have passed UNDECIDED but
for the sequel.
His only request was that he might be
permitted to pass the night beneath the
roof and go his weary way on the morrow.
He was not more than IS years old, but dis
sipation and the memories that racked his
otherwise well-stOred brain had worked
havoc with the eternal man, as his deeply
lined face and whitened locks amply testi-
fed. 1t was the old. old story. The tale oft
told, of love, impetuous youth, disappoint-
ment and drink, with it attendant ruin.
His family was wealthy and his surround
ings thoroughly refined. and up to his goth
year no shadow had crossed the path of
this young idol OF father ond mother. He
was brilliant and handsome, but his ambi-
ton TO obtain an honorable position IN the
worlds affairs kept him from the nets of
those who might have had any designs upon
his good looks and worldly possessions. He
was just entering college when the incident
that was to change his whole career hap
pened.
He could hardly believe it. In lovea
And with a mere child, too2 Impossible !!
He would banlsh the thought and bury his
eyes in the confusion OF text books And
who shall set barrier against thought?
She was only the daughter Of one of the
tutors who had worked his way" through
the same institution years before But she
was to the now infatuated young man the
only woman in all the world. Meeting by
accident, this child of scarcely Is had
sent thrill through his being that was per-
haps the reflection of the confused blush
that suffused her beautiful face as she en-
deavored to evade his coming on that, to
them, memorable autumn afternoon. But
~ of Nd Of
life was one long draught OF love and hap
piness to both, and never would care with
his blighting touch lay hand upon the
brow or heart Of his fair young love. And
how proud his mother would be when he
had finished and would bring home his lit
tle bride to theml
1t had not occurred to him that any one
in all the world could have found reason
to urge against his darling, and that the
first and only one should come from his
mother was a shock to bis gentle nature.
His repeated urging to his mother to call on
his prospective bride but added to the oppo-
sition, and the sons affection for his mother
made the choice of giving up mother or
sweetheart a measure SO desperate that rea-
son was out of the question. In his per-
plexity he told his little girl love and with
wisdom beyond her years she decided fer
him.
You must give me up. You can get an
other bride. but you can never get another
mother
She went back to her cottage home; he to
his fathers residence In less than five
months she had died. broken-hearted. One
year later he was known as the most dissi~
pated man in the neighborhood, and his
mother sat in sorrow and doubted the wis
dom of human intervention In affairs that
seem governed by d sublime power.
And now, after ten years, wandering in
every Cline | have become a common
yagrant in the eyes of the law, and an out
cast in my own land" And he heaved a
sigh as bis gaze sought the ample range OF
vagrancy. and his breath came short and
fast. Such was his story.
The station master bade the wayfarer
good night as the latter pillowed his poor,
troubled head on an old bale of cotton bait
ting that had been kept around the station
for years awriting a claimant.
Twas scarcely dawn. for the dawn was
only breaking on the following day, when
the station master opened the waiting room.
"How did you rest, sirs"
Rest Nv kind friend, am fully grate-
full for your hospiteble intentions, but such
a night of torture l have never spent, and
misery unstinted has been my portion for
years."
"Strange, indeed"
Eyes, my friend, was weary with travel
and should have rested, but about midnight
by the station clock | awoke from dreams
that were so realistic. and withal 80 terri
flying, that Dantes Inferno was not cir
cumst ance to it. | was surrounded by many
men, some mangled and bloody, some cold
and stiff in deaths embrace aud one in the
final stage OF dissolution from gaunt con-
sumption, and all showing yonder Iball Of
cotton that formed my couch last night. In
all the dreariness that has pursued me since
Anna died years ago no borrow was so fear
full as that of last night. But l thank you
warmly for your kindness. Eli? well, now
didn't expect anything in financial way.
but bite to eat and little drop to brace
my nerves up after last nights ordeal womb
20 amiss. Good-by, sir, God bless you" and
he disappeared through the doorway Of the
hotel over the way.
What was it? Not entirely the tremens
No, for that same cotton bale had history
that formed a link in the chain OF the poor
tramp's story. Seven years before the
mangled remains of two trainmen, caught
in a wreck, had been placed on the same
bale. Later another victim was placed
there during temporary treatment and his
blood still stains the burlap covering Of the
bale A dignihed appearing man was found
dead one morning and his son, who died
shortly afterward, were both pillowed by
this bale and both were included in the out
casts dream. The connection Is not entirely
irrelevant when taken in combination with
a mind diseased with liquor and dissipation
and a body starved and ulused az bis was.