The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-12-20
Henry-Ma'am?

Maria-Oh, madam! Don't you see?
Henry, she don't understand. She
didn't mean It. She amt that kind OF
lady. Madam
Henry-Begging?
His face Pushes from white to pur-
pie. His flute drops to the pavement.
His wife picks it up and wipes it with
her shawl. She speaks In a grooming
tone.
Maria-There, there, dear! She don't
know. She don't understand. Madami
my husband is q musician. He is not a
beggar. He works hard for living.
Try it and see-all wcathers-
Maria Holt raises herself with dig
nifty and with a trembling forednger
points at her husbands eyes.
Lady-Blind?
Maria mods silently.
Lady (overcome)-oh, beg your par
don! Oh, you poor peoplel beg your
pardon with all my heart.
The Street Musician (bowing with a
fine grace)-Madam, you have It from
mine.
Lady-Tell me how 1t came about
this great misfortune. Do you mind
telling me? will try not to hurt your
feelings so stupidity again.
Henry Holt drawing himself crcct)-
Yes, ma'am, I will tell you. It hap
pened thirty years ago, but it don't
need thirty words to tell it. Seems to
me, ma'am (smiling) if you'll excuse
me, you're the one that don't see of us
two!
The street musician lifts his purple
fingers to his sightless eyes and then,
with superb gesture, points in silence
to a faded decoration pinned upon his
shrunkcn breast. It is the badge Of
the Grand Army of the Republic.
The crowd about the group has slow
ly increased. Silver begins to fall into
the strect-playcr's cap. There is gap
among the women at the show window.
Maria Holt looks through this gap.
Her wan eyes raise themselves to the
crrnine opera cloak with instructive
feminine attention; she glances at the
pink and silver room. The blind mans
pale face turns blankly in the same d.
rection. TO him alone of all the peo-
pie before the window it's luxurious
display appeals without arousing In
terest. The dummy in ermine and the
dummy in chiffon regard him scorn.
fully.
The First Woman in the Crowd-It's
hand organ, I guess. Isn't there q
monkey? dotc on monkeys.
Second Woman-It isn't monkey.
It's only a little man with O flute.
Lets move on to the millinery window.
First Woman-Wait. I've got ten
cents. - r
Second Woman-1've spent every
cent I've got in the world on that o.
trich plume and my jet trimmin,s.
I've got to borrow of you to get home.
4 feel kind, Of ashamed, too seems %
mean. Let's move along, and they'll
sthfnk We didn't see him.
" Lady-Did you lose your eyesight In
the army?
Henry Holt (cheerily playing Yankee
Doodle. Finishes the strain conscien-
tiously before he speaks)-Excuse me,
ma'am, 1t seems to be silver that's com
ing in. l know it by the note it strikes,
] want to earn what take. don't
beg. am a musician. used to play
in bands. I've always been fond OF
music. Yes ma'am. lost my eyes IN
the war; one Of en-.
Maria Holt-The other followed,
come five years. That was when we
was first married, so I know. was
young then, a slip of a girl. It came
dreadful hard on u.s.
Lady-1s he quite blind?
llcnry-I am quite blind. One eye
don't look It, they say. Some folks
think I'm sha1nming, but they're folks
that don't know anything. got a
piece of shell at Antictam.
Lady-But the United States does not
leave its blind soldiers to be-play on
the streets-on public sympathy-fcr a
living. What is your pension?
Henry (smiling)-I don't get the pen.
sion for serious disability. What get
just about pays our rent It don't
clothc nor feed US. I don't get a blind
mans pension. But we get along
sometimes quite we'll. 1t depends
some on whether my wife can get job
and then there's the weather. mint sc
strong as I was before the war. Idon't
stand bad weather. I have the pneu.
monia-and that's expensive. There's
hitch about my pension, you see.
used to think it would come round
But we've given up bothering, haven't
we, Maria?
Maria(apathetically)-Ycs, it only rifles
you up and disnppoints you. Nothing
comes of it.
Lady - Weren't you honcrlbly dis
charged?
Veteran (proudly)-Madam?
Lady-Well-ofc ourse-but mean
Wife-lt's something about a sur
geon. He died.
Henry recovering himself and smil
ing)-So he doesn't find it convenient
to testify. His testimony is lacking.
Lady-Ah! A Jaw in your pension
papers?
Veteran-That's about the size of It.
Lady (gentlyrHard!
Veteran-Well, yes. But we're kind
of used to it. 1t is hard, though-some
times.
Lady-How many children have you:
Henry (eagerlyeThere's Mollyl
Maria-And the two little ones. W.
had two older boys. They died. The
drainage was bad where we lived. W.
tried to save on rent those days. W.
don't-since.
Lady-Do you make living? d.
you suffer- Have you clothes? A fire:
Food enough? How many battles die