The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-08

III { J ~ II of no manner Of
Nhccount His fathe. was Just the same;
fEss}}5o had Eccu his father, and people said
Hjthcy hadn't IL doubt that the whole
hi took Of Ilcvills on the male line had
sAbccn SO from their fist start, and
N4fvould continue to be so till the end of
ss inc.
tA Tho family some years before had
Mlriftcd from some where, and after a
New years more had driflcd to some
SaWherc else. Nothing was heard OF
pfthcm until one day there camc back
sEIom, then Il grown man. Every body
{Mincw him because, although three
Mtiincs rs big as when he went away, lie
#had tho same old face, and the same
HOLD sanntcring ways All the things he
Il brought. besides what he had on, were
ID a pair Of socks IN his coat pocket and
81 two extra shirts tied up in Il handllcr-
ischicf. He had just como back, he said,
Mto sec once more The old people and
n the old place, and professed to feel
SEratli!od TO find everything holding its
gown SO well lie gave it ont, while sit
Il ting in the piaz2a of Tlompson's store,
81 that he wasnot expecting TO stay long
Ncr tl.nn Il week, or II fortnight, or
;aaonc such matter Being u not unin-
a tcrcsting tallicr they were not dis
pleased to see him, and when night
u came, somebody of course must invite
n INN to meals and lodging; for hospital
#itY was regarded Il sacred duty by
eSevery body, rich and poor, without re-
IL gard TO the quality Of people needing
y 1t. Tom knew that we'll. else he would
Il have fclt less secure in coming there
81 without Il dollar i'll his pocket. Divid-
"a ing himself fairly among old acduuin-
y tances during the promised fortnight's
Il soJourn, md continuing to do so for
ESevcral weeks beyond, suspicious be-
u,5@n to rise That his expectation was to
Estny there forever
n Now the question rose, and, even
among the best church-nemEers, be-
gan to be discussed as to whether or
f5hot the Bible in enjoining hospitality
& meant that people were bound TO eX-
tend 1t not only indefinitely but with
n prospective endlcssness to one single
Il guest who was known universally not
to be worth as much as the salt he was
Il allowed to sprinkle over his victuals.
One day leading citizen, even u
I deacon of the church, on whom Tom
had foragcd most rcmorscless!y,
quoted, in his hearing, although not
NJ his own house nor addressing him
personally, the saying of ST. Paul: ..If
n man VIII not work. neither Shall he
4 eat. Tom cordially conceded, and
looked as if nobody could get ahead of
him in contempt for any such worth
less lowdown trash
In time familiarity in several house
holds made invitations which bad
ceased to lie extended seem entirely
unnccessary; and 50 he kept rcsortinc
promiscnously to various families, and
acting as ii he were Il cherished mem
Der in every one of them.
In the town were three persons
whom it seems we'll to Introduce in
order to help in the illustration of this
case. The@c were Dir. James Rccdcr.
his wilc'a cousin, John Bush, ESQ, and
Squire Jacob Bracnctt The first was
young physician WHO was making
nearly enough to live on; the second
was young lawyer who hoped to do
the same before very long; and the
third was justice of the peace, cx-
trcmc!y fond of the costs and fees of
his Office, and Of such notoricty as he
could get. Kcedcr kept Il small house
on the edge OF the village, living per-
haps TOO generously, considering his
Limited incipient practice and the ii-
regular payments of John Bush, his
one boordcr Tom lIcvill fell in there
more often than elsewhere, partly be-
cause they al three had been school
fellows, but of late particularly be-
cause OF increased iltimations received
ut the other houses that his room was
thought rs good as his cotnpany-at
some even better.
In time hints were thrown out as to
Squire BracAc:ts apparent ignorance
of an important section Of tho penal
code, by which such person a.: Ton,
licvili was deemed vagrant, and on
arrest by warrant of a justice OF the
peace was liable. upon failure to rive
sufficient security "for hi, good be-
haVlor anl future industry for one
year" to be consigned 20 the pcuitcn-
navy- His attcntion being called "a =
duty of which Heretofore ho I'D ,,oo,,
ignorant, Squire Brachstt decided 70
mike a movement.
us there such law?' asked Poo1o,
one day al the dinner table. 81 oiIn,.
know of it,"
"Oh, yes" answered Bush; ''and
Bracket is fixing up his papers as we'll
as he can find out how"
"Pcnitentiary, Cousin John?" cx-
claimed Mrs. Rceder. 81 thought they
sent there only rogues and such as
that
Martha" said her husband, with
profoundly solemn face, you'd better
try to find out what law there is against
harborng Migrants. If there should
be any we'd better look out for our
selvcs! Then he went to carving his