The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-06-12
a Cheerful Giver

I
Mr. ". D. Howells has written fol
the ceaf'sU twO'papers entitled ''Tribu-
lations Of a Cheerful Giver, giving his
experience with the begging fratern-
is. The following il taken from the
first paper, published in the June Ces-
f,oy.
some mouths sgo, as ! was passing
through a downtown street on my wav
to the elevated station. { saw man
sitting on the steps of q house. lie
seemed to BE- resting his elbows on his
knees, and holding Oul both his hands.
A. J came nearer perceived that be-
had no h0Hds bll only stump-, where
the fingers had been cut OF close 90
the palms, and ihai it was these stumre
he was holding ol, iu the mate appeal
which Wa hi- fo-ru o.. begging. 01hc1-
~ise b. DID not z, c.a-sfy. Na-a /
approached nim ic diI NOT loo., Hp.
al3 when top Z .n front of him hc
dii rot speJ< isl0J1at tais rothr
iiaa, ia is way s-eep- for DIS mulil5-
ti2n, w..iea tle ms1 really c1ull nos
help, tlc.- was thing 90 oGtal Gls
tu,e; aud bis ioa,5-lc s.lale. was
certainly iIH3ra@.rs
] Dec; !-l at oace - Give him some
thing f1r wien "a ia tle prsseue.
og want, Or es.l the ayp.1raace of
want, there IS s,-u..ailE tIlt s1r. O.
me, "0iive o h.u wla. De asxs.9.
and have 10 give. or els. 2, away
with a bad c7lsc.cacc-a thing haze.
OF cOursc 7 do ast give mIca. ar
wish TO De good citizen as wei Us "a
good Ciisistiaa: aai as soon as I obey
that voice whiel I canao. disoby.
hear another voice rsp-3ac5ingsa
for enc,Gra. .ins s.reetbcggsrv. 7 hqv.
been tlurh, thlt street b..,g4ry +,
wrone. and when have to upbgs,ou
two coats and 70 tIlrsl.h three or four
pockets before ! can roach the small
coin / mean 10 eiyg I'D c5glr,-anee with
that imperative voice. certainly s..I
il t. be wroag. S.I c,mproui.. AM
| am never at.s 10 msk. sure that
either Of chose vo.cs- r. satisfied with
me. lam not even satisfied wiib my
self. but am I,oft-r s.,:i.f.d than nirr
gave no.hiny. That WAS tb. selfish
reason 4 now had for dsc;l;n.e 70 Weld
% Ily-beuer na..r.. a1I {, a5.v the
voice wh.el b..le .se ..I5ive D. hila tiia.
for. as I said. 7 hate a bad
conscience, and 81 tx5 bad .,u5cieuca-
] aiFsy- choose t1e least. which. ia
a ease like this. f. tlccne that ;ucsnseG
political economy gives me.
I put ms aanI iut8 NV Lip-pocker
where I keso rir silver. and found
nothing there 5ut haIfa dollar. This
nc once changed the whole current a.
uy feelings: aaIft yva. rorc.iiIl r-sDur,-
hat rep-es-sd nav noble rare. bat chill
iiliuenee. Il was n,auff-~tl- wrons, 90
give haifa dollar 90 a man who lad no
laads, ort5 ary sore o. ber.lr. Twas
willing q comuit q small act OF In
..vis!n. ba. had not the courage 90
lous poIitcll ec-us-uv 10 tis extent OF
ily cents: and : ssIt whom I was bid
len 'C;:ve to him that a.ketb.~I was
never 1acaut % eive 50 much as a half
loGak, 6at % cent. or q haItiime. or as
lac n1o-ta q rI.ster. IWishad had %
iuar.e1. w1gG 1IadIv have given Il
Iuarter, l..t there was nothing in NV
,1cket bat ,.55 e.5i. tlu faexs-ablv
ha;rdo.l.r. the continent
4 two guarter-. bl; nos practically "a
quarter. Z would have asked ANYBODY
n sishs % change ft for me. bat there
vas TO owe passing: is was a quiet
Teet of 6-ouu-.one dwellings. and
.ot thronged thorough fare at anv
lane. Atthat ho.ros the late after
loon It was ed. except for the
ecger and saysel and am not sure
hat ne had any zi1e 10 DC sitting
here, an the ~-ca- Of another maH's
.ousc, or tha- had the right To-
his iuv.a.au hy giving him
rytbiar. For momeut did not
,nowq uise what 90 tg. To bc sure. I
vas not bound % tae man in amy way.
T. had not asked IRE for charity, and
had barely p1g~eI before Aim- could
20 on, and iga1re the incident. I
houGht Of doing th>i, but then /
bought Of The bad conscience / should
'e certain 20 have, aud I could not go
.H. ! glanced across tac street, and
iear the corner 1 saw a decenl-iooking
es-a1raut; aHd ''Wai q minute, said
o tie man, as IL hc were likely to go
away, and I ran across to ge- my half
Ioilar changed st the restaurant.
l was now quite resolved to give him
quarter, and ac done with it the
'heA 4 e;l-sTe'' 'ii' restaurant 81" 10
ne thtft 'ii a young man quite at the
nj % q i'As f'a'ai and Wileh ne hau