Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1895-04-30
WAS A PHILOSOPHER.
A BEoeAR STUDENT or HUMAN Ma
TURE WHO HAD A SYSTEM.

From a Hungry Looking Man.
He was a wretched looking chap. so
thinly clad that he was really an object
of pity. He had sought secluded COR
ner at the entrance of cheap restaurant
near Herald square. and for awhile It
seemed as IL he had chosen the spot
merely to escape the chilling blasts of
the cutting wind Many men passed
into the place. but be spoke to none
Finally one who had just completed his
meal came forth. The man started for
ward, hesitated a moment and then re-
sumed his former position. Soon another
man. apparently in great hurry, came
from the restaurant, buttoning his coat
as he walked. In q moment the poor
fellow stood in the way and barely had
he uttered his request for help when ne
was rewarded with dime.
A moment later group of young
men in very high spirits passed into the
restaurant To an ordinary student they
wonld have been just the right men TO
approach for aims, but the beggar saw
them not 1t was only to certain men
returning to the street that he made
himself known. Il was but the work of
a moment to pick an acquaintance with
the fellow, and when he found was
interested he talked freely Of his plan.
''I had to do good deal Of thinking
about it when ! first started in, he
said. 81 can't get work now, and when
/ have work can only keep Mt it for a
little while on account of rheumatism.
When / saw / had to beg, i thought ]
might as we'll do IL right OF not at all.
II you know anything about mems faces
and clothes, you don't have to do any
guosswork at ALL / can tell long before
/ get near man what my chances are
with him, and If don't think that it's
ten to one l will get something ! don't
try him, for there's no good in wearing
yourself out and getting common. Some
fellows go along the street and try to
touch every we'll dressed man they meet.
They couldn't do anything worse, for
everybody sees what they're doing and
knows they are professionals and steers
clear of them. The only time to 60 up
against we'll dressed men as a straight
thing, without regard to their faces, is
when they are full and feeling happy
over it.
''The average we'll dressed man or
woman is the hardest kind of person
to hit. They do lots for charity, but it's
in a different way-societies schools
for kids, kindergartens and missions
and they think they are doing enough.
If any one hits them on the street, they
put them down for professional You
have got to judge the we'll dressed peo-
pie by their faces and general manner
and let their clothes count for nothing.
whenever have to do any street
work, always select the people of the
lower middle Glasses, who don't put on
any front-women especially. / mean
people who live comfortably, but haven't
got any too much money to spare. Say.
You may think I'm stringing You, but !
would rather have one nickel from one
Of them than quarter from fellow
who could stand it and had il to burn.
Funny, but l feel just as sentimental
about that sometimes as II was earn
ing it, and would earn It If had the
chance.
'Now, you take this stand of mine
here today. There's three men who gave
me something-two nickels and dime.
have been here half an hour and I've
only struck five men. missed two.
Well, three out of five don't look like
bad guesswork, if you want to call it
so, does it? This is the cheapest res
taurant in the neighborhood. There's
the Imperial, Marlborough and all the
other big hotel restaurants i could
have taken, but I'll bet wouldn't have
got thing from the people who came
from any of them. The men who go in
here don't pay over 20 or 30 cents for
what they eat. and I'm willing to take
my chances with them right along.
81 always wait till man comes out.
Some people think it ought to be the
other way, for the reason that man
who was hungry would be more apt to
give out of sympathy for the man who
was hitting him for money for some
thing to eat But / didn't figure it ont
that way. You see, these are pretty
hard times, and there's more people in
hard luck than there ever was before.
Now, it's bad enough to be in hard
lnok, but it's worse yet to be hungry,
and when man is up against both
games little things will bother him that
wouldn' { affect him at all If he had his
stomach full. reason that pretty near
~ every man who comes in here Is eth
er in hard luck or else he is miser
who don Z want to spend any more than
is actually necessary. If IL WASN'T so,
You know they would all go to the big
restaurants in the hotels. for you know
as we'll as do that the right kind of a
man likes good things to eat and nice
clean service If be can afford 1t.
"Well. am onto the misers. and l
leave them alone. When the decent
man comes out, he feels better for hav-
ing had his dinner. he is ready for
business and life Is great deal bright
err to him than 1t was half an hour be-
fore ask him to help me. He says to
himself: Well, feel pretty good. This
fellow is in worse luck than am.
know what It is to feel hungry. / won't
miss the nickel very much, and then
get it. When he hands it to me, he feels
better for it, and he looks it, too, and if
he has been doing things that are not
quite up to the limit no consoles him
self with the fact that he amt such q
bad fellow after ALL And he amt eth
er. So you zee there's two Of rs happy.
and if there was more Of 1t the world
would be happier Thanks, boss. 7"