Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-11-12

never seemed so mean to myself
before. Here was ]. strong, healthy,
even q skilled workman, tramping
about the country beggingl / never
had called it begging before, but !
knew now what it was, for | seemed
10 look out Of her eyes.
About God; we'll il there was
God. he must know more than l did,
or he couldn't be God. Perhaps
had made a mistake after all.
jim Lawrence must be rich man,
because he had more brains than i.
with the same chances; and who was
to blame about the brains?
| sat down by the little pond there
was near by, and fell to thinking,
when ell OF a sudden looked down
in the water and saw-a tramp, big,
dirty, ragged tramp.
IL was myself.
/ wonder that the girl had spoken
to me at all, and then thought what
Annie would have said to me like
that.
The blood see med to come to my
head. tried to be honest inside, and
looked things square in the face. |
could not help seeing myself how lit
tie good l had done myself by leav'
ing work. l used to be good look
Ing sort of fellow when | was clean
ed up of Sunday not like this great
brute staring up at me out OF the still
water.
could't do much that minute, but
| l could wash my face and l did.
1t was just a beginning, You see:
then got up on my feet and tramp
ed off toward Ludlow. An old wo-
man a mile further on gave me some
bread and milk because asked civil
| ly | suppose, and by night | had got
on to the station next below Ludlow.
and seeing some hands at work loading
up freight car put in and helped.
One of then gave me my supper for
that, and let me sleep in barn; in
did seem better than begging.
The next day sold my revolver
and got jacket, and before long got
a place on the freight line where |
could work my passage back to the
city; could get lodging there l
knew, for had two dollars left after
buying the jacket found the lri-
dion works shut up still, but | hunted
out Mr.. Lawrence. l told him all
about it-but that girl-and he gave
my hand such grasp.
MY wife's gone, too, he said; and
then he sort OF choked. Somehow,
for all he was rich man with a great
house, and l poor man, there SEEM
ed to be something we had together.
l remembered his wifes great sad
ewes, and her tired face; money
hadn't saved her after all, and his
business kept him from home; he
didn't have hold of her hand when
she died.
Well, he sort of cleared his throat
then, and he said:
I'm just going to dinner, Beed;
come around to my Office on front
street in the morning, and III find
you a job.' -, i
And he said it so heartily like /
knew he meant it.
He was as good as his word. l got
WORK from him right off, and after a
while, when l could buy decent
clothes, l took to going to meeting; for
could not get what that girl said,
I swore out of my head.
l have got Bible, too | known
Annie would like that; but l had to
shut'it up quick one day when ii
opened to a sentence about 'the hor-
ible pit and the wiry clay l had
been there myself you see.
Sometime, when have laid up a
little money-and l guess it won't be
long, for when all is said and done,
never was one to drink nor yet to
gamble-I mean to go up to Vermont
and find that girl, and maybe l can
have a home. I hope she won't know
me again. I hate to hide anything
from her clean, clear eyes: but l
don't see how l ever can tell her that
T was that tramp.