The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-12-19
HE BEGGAR.


thing that is additional. under their
eyes.
Somebody asked a young woman
present: And you. maGam. are you
quite free of our modern manias!
Have you not single little nervous
habit to cOnfess?"
She appeared TO search her memory
in all sincerity She made a sign with
her head. NO, no."
Doubtless her modesty feared the
boast of so complete an indemnity
when every one around her had ac-
knowledged all sorts of little troubles.
She corrected herself.
Good heavens! can't say that
habitually add up the cab numbers or
that make an inventory of all my
dresses before going to bed. Still. the
other day | experienced something
that sufficiently resembles what you
have been describing. II / have UNDER
stood you quite--a kind Of interior im-
pulsion. Il force which compels you to
accomplish an Indifferent act on the
spot, as If 1t were Il matter Of life or
death"
We insisted on hearing the story. and
she told it most graciously.
In a few words this is what hap
pened to me: Five or six days ago Il
had gone out with my little girl SuZon
you know her: she Is eight was
taking her to her class. for this big
;vl Ill 1.lu
was very fine. we had decided on go
ing on foot by the Champs Elysees and
the boulevards from my house to the
Rue Lafitte. And so we were walk
ing along quite gay, chattering togeth-
en- when at the top of the Rond Point
lame man. rather young, limped up to
us, holding out his hand without say
ing anything | carried my parasOl
in my right hand. With my left hand
l held up my skirts. | confess had
not the patience to stop and hunt for
my purse went on and gave moth
Ing to the beggar.
"Suzon and | continued to walk
along the Champs Elysees. The little
one had suddenly ceased to talk. and
also. without quite knowing why, no
longer felt any wish to talk. We were
at the Place de Ia Concorde. and yet
we had neither of us opened our lips
since we had passed the beggar. And
little by little felt stir Rad increase, a
kind of inward disquie tttle. au uneasi-
ness. the feeling Of h;Eing accomplish
ed an irrepnrable actioa Of being
threatened. for 7thh%tKrra reasIn: with
vague peril In the future. In general
| strive to see clearly within myself
as far as possible. and thus. all in
walking, | began 10 examine my con-
science:
"'I.et us see,' said to myself; have
| sinned very grievOusly against char
ity in giving nothing to that beggar?
never pretend to regard it as my
duty to give to every beggar meet.
will be more generous with the next;
| that is ALL
But all my arguments did not sue
| ceed in convincing me. and my inward
discomfort increased. became sort
| of anguish. 50 that ten times | felt
wish to turn back to the spot where
we had met that man. Will you be-
| lieve it? 1t was Il false sentiment of
human respect that withheld ME from
| doing so in the presence of my little
| daughter. We are really worth moth
| ing the moment we act in view of the
| judgment of others.
I've had nearly come to the end CT
our walk. and we were going to turn
the corner of the Rue Lafitte. when
Suzon pulled gently at my dress to
| stop me.
Mamma! she cried.
"'What do you want. darling?
"She fixed her great blue eyes on
me and said gravely:
Mamma, why did you give moth
ing to that poor man in the Champs
ElyseesY
Like me. she had thought Of moth
ing else since our meeting with that
man. Her heart was oppressed like
mine, only, better than her mother, or
more sincere, she confessed quite sim
| ply her uneasiness.
Il did not hesitate an instant. You
are right. dearest | said to her.
I'VE had walked more quickly than
usual under the obSeSSion Of our fixed
idea. Twenty minutes or so still re-
mained before the class hour. |
called cab jumped into it with
Suzon, and the driver went up the
Champs Elysees at quick pace under
promise of a generous tip.
"SuZon and held each others hand.
and l beg you to believe that we were
far from reasSured II the beggar
should have gone away? Suppose we
could not find him again? Arrived at
the Rond Point, we jumped to the
| ground. We examined the avenue.
There was no beggar. questioned
one of the chair hirers. She remem.
bered having seen him. He was not.
she said. one of the habitual beggars
Of the Rond Point. She did not know
what side he had taken. We were
pressed for time. We were going
away quite distressed. when all at
once Suzon perceived the man sitting
on his heels behind tree. He was
sleeping in the shade, with his hat be-
tween his knees.
"Suzon went up to him on the tip OF
her toes and slipped piece of gold
into the empty hat. and then we went
back to the Rue Lafitte. 1t was
absurd. know quite WE'LL but we en-
braced one another as If we had just
escaped from great danger"
The young woman stopped in full
silence. blushing rose all over to have
spoken at such length about herself.
AS for us, we had listened to her re-
ligiously. We seemed to have breathed
y n very nurp air and to have drunk a