Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1906-03-08

|
her faith in mankind ard charity to-
ward all AS the good wife of Farmer
Moses Warner she fed more tramps
every year than any ten farmers
| heard any one complaining Of the In
| gratitude of human enature she always
! had words OF excuse. Her reputation
as good soul' extended for twenty
miles around, and the tramp who
passed UP or down the Red Bridge
road without calling and reapng the
benefits of her faith WAS i'll hurry TO
outwalk the constable.
| A few weeks before the farmer hus-
band died he spent an hour casting up
| figures. When the wife expressed her
curiosity he replied:
we have been married going on
nineteen years. In that time YOU have
fed 5000 tramps, You have let 400 Tin
pedders get the best of you in buying
your paper rags, you have given away
1000 bushels of apples, you have gath
cred about ton of maywced, catnip
and smartwced to give away - people
TOO lazy TO gather their own. You have
| done and done and done and you have
given and given ana given. ana I'll be
dogged if can see where you are any
better off,
But some one has got to q good 10
people in trouble replied Aunt Mary.
Then give some one else Il spell at
it. You've done your share. This fore
noon YOU fed Il great big wall eyed
tramp"
Yes. poor man. and When he had
finished the tears stood in his eyes. He
said l reminded him of his dead moth
err"
"Mebbe you did. but h. went out
through the garden and stole Il shovel
and hoe. | tell you, Mary
Come, CO he. Moses" she interrupt
ed, 1--WE must do our duty rs we see it,
and if you'll turn the cat outdoors and
wind the clock Wen go to bed. I'm
pretty well tuckered out with tbat big
washing today
Aunt Mary's faith neither increased
nor decreased after the death of her
husband She went right along in the
same old path, and the slices Of bread
and butter and the hunks Of cold meat
continued to be handed out. When
asked by friends if She ever had met
with one single instance of gratitude
she would reply:
no, | can't say that | have. but |
expect to some day if keep ON. Some
day | shall be the means OF making
a wicked man see the error Of his ways
and he'll bless me for it,
1t was hardly three months after her
| prophecy that man about thirty years
old came along the highway at late
hour one night and when opposite Aunt
Mary's barn climbed over the big gate.
to find the stable door on the latch.
He was after q horse and he found
two in their stalls.
Unfortunately for him. one of them
was Il kicker, and THE man had only
laid hands on him when the equine
dashed ont with his heels and there was
a yell of pain. The lntruder's leg had
to the highway, but the pain was too
great He suffered for half an hour
and then began to shout for help; and
after awhile the hired man appeared
with a lantern. Ii was no use for the
man to deny his errand. If the hired
| man had been alone he might have
tried a bluff but when Aunt Mary APP
peared and he heard her kindly voice
and caught sight of her motherly face
he saw his way clear and at once threw
himself upon her generosity,
I'm get the constable and wen have
him IN Jail inside of an hour" said the
hired man, who WASH. feeling for his
fellow man to any great extent, but
Aunt Mary shook her head and replied:
Wen carry him into the house first.
and then you 60 and get DR.. Walker
But he's horse thief, and If Billy
hadn't kicked him he might have got
away with both Of EN-
Yes But don't you see how he must
be suffering? I've always contended
| that a wicked man would come along
some day and that what | would he
able to do for him would change him
into a better one. Poor fellow, how he
must sufCerp'
! The stranger saw the opening at once
and took advantage Of 1t. He was the
wicked man for whom she had long
| been looking. He had been wicked
man. He had done everything but cut
threats and burn orphan asylums. Tie
| had been driven into such career by
seeing that no one cared for him It
had been over twenty years since any
one had given him kind word, while
| policeman or constable had ever stood
ready TO order him to move on and to
| ray him 90 the mead il be didn't. He
| had come TO steal nj least one OF the
horses, as he was ready to admit, and
| he had Intended to continue his career
| OF ylllalny TO the end. bur now that a
woman had spoken kindly to him. now
that he was being treated Ike a human
| being. now that
But his voice choked Up and the tears
rushed 10 his eyes and he Gould say no
more. The hired man had told the doc
tor about the affair, but the medico
made no comments until he had set the