The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-29
TWO REMARKABLE BEGGARs.
How II Blind Man, Aided by a Deli
cate Poodle, Gathers Dimes.

How II Blind Man, Aided by Deli
cate Poodle, Gathers Dimes.
From the New York Times.
There are two beggars in New York city
who deserve to be. classed as artists In
their line. One of them is usually station
ed at the southwest corner Of Fifth avenue
and Twentieth street He is a stout, WE'LL
butt man, but apparently weak in the legs
as well blind. He is red-faced, broad
shouldered, ana healthy looking for all his
affection, but he sits continually with his
legs crossed under him and a basket OF
pencils in his lap. Thus seen he is only
an ordinary beggar. making a small pre-
tense at being a business man. Before
him. however, crouched on the asphalt.
with tiny basket In its mouth, is a small.
dainty, delicate. white Spanish poodle. 1t
Is tenderfieshed, shivering little creature
and when the wind blows and lifts its silky.
fluffy hair the skin beneath shows as pink
as the flesh of an infant-and exquisite
sad-faced, plaintive little poodle born to
nestle amid silk cushions In any lady's
boudoir and be bathed in eau de veryaine
and fed on bonbons. Few paasers by fail
to mediate on the irony OF fate that dooms
him TO sit thus on a street corner the
sole support of a grim-visaged, brawny-
faced man. Yet he sits as long as he Is
hidden, alone, declasse-like the stolen
sisters in ''rhe Two Orphans" forced to
sing for charity.
A few days ago this ill-assorted pair were
on view in their accustomed place. The
wind was blowing sharply and the atmos-
phere was blue with cold. The pencil
man had strapped blanket over his dogs
back, but the dainty head, with its ever
present basket was held high as patiently
as ever Well-dressed women crowded by
on the avenue. Fashionable children, with !
their ribbon-bedecked CANNES, by nature
not half so fine and fragile passed in gay
parade and dropped pennies TO the shiver-
ing poodle. ~ the world loves dog,
that is, ali th9 world worth speaking Of
and many of the passers-by stopped to OBJ
| serve the little bread-winner Little
doggie! Poor little doggier they said. He
turned his tiny plaintive face upward 1t
was as sad as the face of a mfsused child.
He shivered with cold. and each cheek was
wet where the tears had rolled down
us your dog for sale?' questioned a
lady.
NO" was the short and sullen reply.
win you take SO for him?"
Mono" said the blind man.
'Wil you take ffty?"
ono. take nothing"
This was said with a vehemence there
was no doubling. The blind man eroped
out his hand and touched the dog on his
| back, The poodle Wagged his white tail.
| part of which protruded from under the
blanket. The lady dropped her dime in the
basket and passed on IL was plain the
| doge would rather beg for pennies with
the blind cripple than live with her in
! luxury.
The other beggar is sometimes met on
! Fourteenth street, between Broadway and
! Sixth avenue. He is a poor MANNED ar
/ hIcted creature, and sells papers for a liv-
| ing His legs have been crushed off imme-
/ diately below the hips, and one stump IS
1 longer than the other, which gives an irS
/ regular, rocky motion to his cumbersome
! gait and throws his body roughly from one
4 side to the other
One afternoon last week he was shuf-
| fling along as usual with bundle OF pa
pers i'm his arms. His eyes were bent ON
\ the ground and his voice rang out clear
and strong In some simple minor song
There was a qualify IN his voice which Is
never heard in the voice of cultivated
singer a sort OF barbaric pathos echoing
a primeval sorrow, a simple, seductive
untaught sweetness rejecting IA It's tones
! the trials OF a humble, wretched life.
Thus singing. he iolted on with his gaze
bent downward, as though the song were
! for himself and not for others. While pen-
MES rained upon him from the purses Of
. rich and poor, one old woman, bent with
poverty and care, stopped with the tcara
streaming from her eyes aud contributed
her mite 90 the hesgar's store furnishing
10 those who CHANGED 20 note the scene
another proof OF the strange power OF the
human musical tones 10 refine and make
clear the hum9n eympathlcs.