Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19
Consoling q Tramp.

From the New York Sun.
Nobody had noticed him particularly as be sat
on baggage truck on the depot platform. his
chin in his hands and his eyes fastened on the
big toe Of his right foot. which had escaped
from the dilapidated shoe. Suddenly he looked
up and asked:
Gentlemen. is there not one among you who
will advise me to go west and grow up with the
country-to leave this overcrowded and dollar
grasping east for n career on the broad plateaus
of the Open handed west?'
There were a dozen of us standing around,
but no one offered him advice. A fat man
jingled big watch chain and seemed about to
say something. but he changed his mind and
began to whistle.
Gentlemen continued the tramp Il want
to be told that hain't got no energy or amt j.
ton-that 1 N lazy and shiftless-that it's all
my fault I'm down where I am. Won't YOU
sort o go into a caucus and appoint a COM
mittee to wait on me and stir me up to a real
izin' sense of the situation?''
Nobody moved except tall man clad in
linen duster and other things. He began to
hem and haw as if about TO remark that the
meeting would now come to order, but some
thing broke. and he sat down on n trunk tied
up with ciothesiine and choked himself
"Feller citizens" appealed the tramp ar he
held out two paws, on which all the real estate
in that county was gradually settling. Il want
TO hear some of Won call me an old bum. and a
loafer, and a liar. 1 want TO be told that can
give heather thirty points and then beat him.
1 want some man with voice like bass drum
to demand Of me why in blazes | don't wash
up, git my hair cut. and change my shirt. so
that Iightnin' wouldn't be ashamed to strike
me. Yes, Teller citizens, I'm waitini''
II did seem fo- a moment as if man who
was hobbling about on n cane and talking about
Hot Springs and the rheumatism intended TO
respond. He started for the tramp, but stopped
short, felt in his coattai pocket for his leather
spectacle case and then decided to sit down on
box going by express and marked, water
this rooster at Cleveland"
II appeal to you in the name of humanity
said the tramp. when he saw how things were
going. Il don't want money. / have no use
for old duds l carry my own cholera prevent
i've and cure right in this bottle. What want
is advice-plain talk-vigorous English Ian
guage. I'm driftin' 10 tie gutter. I'm ripe
for state prison. I've gotno more moral obligR-
ton than an alligator. Today and now is the
tine. Tomorrow it will be too late. Come
and stir me up! If you haven't get command
Of language suitable to the occasion, put your
boot ag in me and open my eyes TO the peril of
my situation. Gentlemen, come and see me-
He turned about and assumed favorable at
dtUde. but no one advanced TO kick him. Four
or five of tine crowd involuntarily raised the
right foot. but next moment had regained con-
troll of themselves. little. old bow backe d
man rubbed his hands and smiled b,andly for
few seconds, but then grew melancholy at the
reflection that his kicking days were over. The
tramp waited in state of suspense for three OF
four minutes. and then turned and said:
''Waal. Teller critters, can't say that blame
you much, though some Of you might have at
least given me q lift with the boot. Purity sor-
did, selfish sort of > crowd, you are. but it's
all right III 60 uptown AID back up ag in q
mule, and ii I hain't on the high road to re-
form by tomorrow shall be SO fur the other
way that III grab at two dollars pay 70 march
in torchiight procession!'