The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-02-17

LOT ludhlllS lie SO easy lOF US.
Later we found that the ''hand-me-
outs did not come as freely, and that
the marble heart was just as chilling
then as now. Strange as it may seem
as a rule we met with more uniform
kindness from the men than from the
women, though now and then a moth
erly-hearted woman would take us
to her heart-so to speak-and make
us welcome as the prodigal son.
We staid that night in an old barn
just beyond New Lisbon. My feet
had become quite swollen and tender
by this time, and the following morn
ing | could not wear by boots, so | had
to start out carrying my boots in my
hand. Our route now lay through a
streak of poor country showing shales
and out-croppings of strata of caai
The farms were poor, the people mean
and the water bad We could stand
our hunger with better grace than to
have to drink the trlckish water. No
plea that | could put up amounted to
anything, my begging was all in vain.
No one seemed to have mouthful to
spare. Indeed, the children looked
hungrier than we felt | had tried at
several houses only to meet with re-
bluffs from the sharp featured woman
of the house. Finally we saw a man
working at a spring in the rear of a
small shack that stood near to the
road. Here was the opportunity.
felt sure that could interest the man
in our misfortune and secure some
thing to eat. | left my chum stand
ing in the road while | went over and
put up my tale of hunger and destitu-
ton to the man at the spring. II
don't know how it will be, boy was
his answer, but you will have to see
the old woman; she's running the
ranch now" There was nothing else
to do, then, but to appeal to the ''boss
of the ranch Knocking at the door
of the house q gruff voice babe me
come in" | opened the door and
found myself face to face with dark
eyed hard featured woman of about
forty. No ways abashed, Il said, imam,
would you please give two poor boys
bite to eat, we haven't had anything
to eat for nearly a week?n mo, |
WON'T" she replied, mot to the likes
as you, hain't got enough to eat my
SELF
The man at the spring was right,
she was the "boss of the ranch" and
no mistake. AS we walked away we
looked back and saw him with his
chin resting on his shovel handle
watching us as we walked away. He
would have made a good subject for
an Amerfcanized Angelas, only | am
sure that his thoughts were anything
else than heavenly.
Hungry as we were we pitied the
poor devil from the bottom of our
hearts, and forvently wished that the
"boss of the ranch" would never get
enough to eat.
| Farther on we found house with
no one at home. We tried to break
| in, but the windows and doors were
securely fastened We tried the
( spring house, but found nothing there
but a small piece of bacon fitch as
large as my too hands. However, it
! was something to eat, and my chum
took it down, and wrapping it in a
piece of paper, stuck it in his bundle.
A short walk brought US to another
house where they refused to give us
anything to eat, and told us to move
on. While | was "soft soapin' de
loidy OBJ de house" my chum had no
ticed some potatoes in little out
building, and with much adroitness
managed to fill both my boots with
the succulent tubers.
We lost no time in reaching bit of
woods just ahead of us where we soon
had the potatoes roasting in the ashes
of hot fire, and the bacon grilling,
soldier fashion, on the points of sharp
ened sticks. Hunger is mighty good
sauce for a poor meal-and that rusty
bacon and old potatoes tasted better
than many a swell dinner has since
In the afternoon we found that we
were getting into better bit of coun-
try; better farms and better houses
My chum had been lucky enough to
find IA shilling along the road and
had picked up a new horse shoe; with
these we managed to secure a good
supper for us both. Night found us
near the town of Osnaburg, and a
heavy storm threatening. We made
a break for a big barn inst in time to
escape the rain; but the owner hap.
pened to see us and in no amiabe
mood made us turn out in the rain
whether or not. We trudged through
the rain and mud on into the town
and lodged along the back streets in
search ofa vacant building as n place