The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-17
Copyright by Robert Barr.)

The Beggar Man, and the prime re-
quisite of a completed poem is an audi
ence to listen to ii.
Like every other literary man, it was
praise and not criticism that James want
ed; still he preferred to have such praise
from the lips CT one who knew something
OF the life he tried to sing: therefore, as
evening came on, the monarch dressed
himself in his farmer costume and. TAX
ing his thirteen stanzas with him, ven
tured upon a cautious visit to his friend
the cobbler In the lower town OF Stirling.
The cObbler listened with an attention
which was in itself flattering and paid his
royal visitor the additional compliment
OF asking him to repeat certain Of the
verses, which the king in his own heart
thought were the best. Then when the
thirteenth stanZa was arrived at. with the
"No-that bad commentator, which is
dear To the heart of the chary Scotchman,
be he of high or low degree, Flemming
o0ntinued:
They might be worse and we've had
many n poet of great reputation in Scot
land who would not be ashamed to father
them. But I'm thinking you paint the
existence of beggar in brighter colors
than the life itself warrants"
mo, no, Flemming,' protested the
king earnestly. I'm convinced that the
only the beggar knows what true content
ment is. You see, he begins at the very
bottom OF the ladder and every step he
takes must be step upward. NOW I'M
agine n man at the top, like myself; any
move I make in the way of changing my
. condition must be downward. peggar
is the real king, and king is but beg
IL h;
favor of Others You see, Flemming
ANYTHING beggar gets is so much to the
good. and, as he has nothing to lose, not
even his head-for who would send beg
gar 70 the block?-he must needs be there
fore the most contented man on the face
of the footstool."
well In so far as concerns myself.
Your Majesty, Id like to be sure of a
roof over my head when the rains COM
ing down, and of that beggar never can
be- A king or a cobbler has a place to
lay his head, at any rate"
"Ay," admitted the king, "but some
times that place is the block. To tell you
the truth. Femming, I'm thinking OF
taking week at the begging myself. A
poet should have practical knowledge OF
the subject about which he writes. Give
mo n week on the road, Flemming, and
I'll pen you n poem on beggary that will
get warmer praise from you that this has
had"
.'Does Your Majesty intend to go
alone?''
Entirely alone, Flemmng. Bless me,
do you imagine 1 would tramp the coun
try as a beggar with troop OF horse at
INV back?'
Your Majesty would be wise to think
twice OF such q project warned the cob
t,c-.
.'Oh. well, I've doubled The number:
I've thought four times about it: once
when / was writing the poem and three
times while you were raising objections
To my assertion that the beggar is the
happiest man on earth.
IF Your Majestys mind is fixed, then
there's no more to be said. But take my
advice and put belt round your body
with a number of gold pieces in it, fol
the time may come when you'll want a
horse in hurry, and perhaps you may
he refused lodgings even when you greatly
need them; in either case a few gold ras
Gals will stand your friend.
That's canny counsel, F'lemming, and
I'll act on it"
And thus it came about that the King
of Scotland, with a belt of gold around
his waist in case of need, and garments
concealing the belt which gave little indf
cation that anything worth a robbers
care was underneath, tramped the high
roads and byways of part of Scotland
finding in general welcome wherever he
went, for he could tell a story that would
bring laugh and sing song that would
bring tear. and all such rarely starve
or lack shelter in this sympathetic world
Only once did he feel himself in dan
GER and that was on what he thought
to be the last day of his tramp. for in
the evening he expected to reach the low
er town of Stirling. even though he came
to it late in the night. But the weather
of Scotland has always something to say
to the pedestrian, and it delights IN up
setting his plans.
He was still more than two leagues
from his CASTLE and the dark Forest Of
Torwood lay between him and royal Stir
ling, when toward the end of lowering
day there came UP over the hills to the
west one of the fiercest storms re hao
ever beheld, which drove him for shelter
to a wayside inn on the outskirts of the
forest The place of shelter was low and
forbiddng, but needs must when Scot
fish storm drives, and the King burst in
on a drinking company, bringing a swirl
of rain and a blast of wind with him: sc
fierce in truth was the wind that one Of
the drinkers had to spring to his feet
and put his shoulder to the door before
the King could get it closed again. He
found but scant welcome in the compa
ny Those seated on the benches by the
fire scowled at him: and the landlord
seeing he was but a beggar did not limit
his iispleasure to so silent a censure.
what in the tends name.v he criee
angrilv, ''does the like of you want il
here?'
The king nonchalantly shook the water
from his rags and took step nearer tn,
fire.
THAT is a verv unnecessary question
landlord" said the Young man with
smile, nevertheless, / will answer it.
want shelter in the first place. and foo
and drink as SION as you can brin
then
.'Ill take your order for meal when