The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-09-10
4 SUBJECT OF CHARITY.
By JOHS j. OSBORNE.

lOfI OF SucH paupefS as were tl)Ie 10
work in winter, but IN compensation
it had splendid woods and fine lake
front. The lake was deep and clear
and dotted with small islands. On
the opposite slope, and half hidden by
noble trees. We're the outlines of a
country mansion: and IN the distance
were blue hills which might almost be
mistaken for mountains.
| But it was not on account Of natnr
al beauty that the Tinker county poor
farm had been selected. The town
officers were hard, practical men and
did not care for such things When
it was decided that it would be for
the towns advantage to farm It's
paupers instead Of selling them at
auction, the selectmen looked around
for suitable place.
The Brown farm had the reputa
ton of being the poorest in the town.
1t was rocky and unprcductive, and
had already ruined several small farm
ers who had been imprudent enough
to trust their little to its keeping. OF
late both purchasers and renters had
given it wide berth.
But it was just the place the select
men We're looking for. 1t was off the
highway and was cheap. They ap
preached the owner cautiously and
| found that he was anxious to sell-sO
much so that he accepted their offer.
The next thing was to rent the farm
and the padpers to the lowest bidder
! This happened to be Sam Pratt, Il
man who had always been an unsuc-
| cessful farmer, because he was too
| stlngy 10 become prosperous one.
| He was not Il bad man; but he was
| poor and cOvetous ana lnarrow-minded
and all this pointed to a questionable
! future for the paupers. And as the
years went by all the indications were
| fulfilled.
Pratt had been keeper OF the farm
| for ten years now, and in all this time
there had been found no one TO under
bid MIN. Tho pay was small, the
farm poor, and the paupers not very
| desirable, even to men of dull sensl-
bilities No one tried to succeed him.
But Pratt liked to rule Before
his advent to power he had rever
been able to hire help. Now he was
autocrat Of a small colony. In a few
months he had fixed upon the maxi
mum work which could be had from
each of the paupers. Some were
| able bodied, some could only work
| part of the Time some could not work
at all But, as rule, it was the able
bodied who were the hardest to man
| age: it was their laziness which had
! brought them to the town farm.
Tinker county had little money to
spare its paupers for clothing, and
Pratt and the farm needed all the
work they could give. Consequently
there was much suffering during the
| winter When It was too cold to
mend stone walls and fences the
strongest were sent to the beach after
| seaweed. All the rest who were able
to work were put into the barn and
sheds to stamp out beal-s and shell
corn. 1t was nothing unusual for a
pauper to die. and the town physician
sometimes expressed his views very
decidedly. But physicians views
had very little weight with the practi-
cal guardians of the county's finances
One afternoon several Of the old
| men were at work in the lower field
The wind was sharp and cut through
their clothing until their teeth chat
tered with the biting cold. All Of
them We're thinly clad; and at last a
little, round -shouldered man began to
finger neryously at his coat which
was already buttoned.
.sT ,1D,,+ op1I tl;, ,,,,,ah al -
grumbled discontentedly. Seems like
the town might let us have overcoats
sech pesky cold weather. What say,
Squire?"
The man addressed did not answer.
Lifting a heavy forkful Of seaweed he
spread it thinly over tie ground As
he returned for another load the little
man went on peevishly:-
Seems like folks might be soshet
bic in place like this. "Tain't much
we've got ter live fer. anyway. Jest
packed away like ole furnitoor IN Il
garret, an good riddance when the
undertaken brings his box. Seems
like we might pick what crumbs we
could outen the cobwebs."
The other man did not seem to
hear Again his forkful of seaweed
was spread, and he was reaching for
more when the little man stepped in
front of him.
Cant ye answer mans ques
tions2" he asked irritably. YOu amt
no more deaf'n | be, an I'm getting
sick an tired of it. Here I've been
roomin' with you more'n two year, an
you amt scasely ever spoke ter me
'cept you's 'bleeged ter 'Tain't de
cent. I'm q sosherble man myself,
an don't like benz tied to a stick"
The squire gazed at him vac8ntly
moment. Evidently his thoughts had
been far away, and he was bringing
them back by powerful effort As
he Strengthened himself up 10 his full
height he looked very tall and thin;
and there was something pitifully in
congruous in his rough, ill-iitting gar
ments and his clean cut. scholarly
face and snow white hair.
What is it, Thomas?' he asked.
gravely. i was thinking and did not
hear you. We old men," with a slight
smile, have so much past and so lit
tie future that we are apt to go wool
gathering"
"Speakin' fer yourself an not me.
them" said Thomas, hastily. My
past amt good place ter gather
wool, an don't go to it 'ceptin I'm
,bleeged ter. But that amt here nor
there | didn't want nothin' squire.
only jest ter hear you speak. so't I'd
know you was alive and not pernam
bulatin' machine" He spread sea
weed for several minutes in silence.
then once more he leaned upon his
fork. Come ter think ont, squire,
there is one thing I'd like ter asst ye.
When | come ter this place I found
; you was already here, an | got ter
calm ye squire COS the rest did. But
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