The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1908-08-21

EXPERIMENTING
ON A TRAMP.

The widow Gregg was q natural re-
former One afternoon she left her
farm for the village TO DO sgme trad
ing" At 4 o'clock. when size returned
aud drove into the yard a strange
spectacle greeted her What might be
called the north end OF a man was pro
trudlng from n kitchen window. The
case was plain. His trousers and shoes
showed him TO belong 20 the genus
tramp. lie had called and finding the
house alone. had forced up the sash
OF the window and started 10 climb IN.
AT the halfway point the sash had
come down on the small Of his back.
ana be was held as securely as If be
had been handcuGed and sha->led.
The Widows face beamcd with sat
isfaction as she entered the house 10
take look at his phlz. Yes. it was
tramp. and a hulhinc big. fellow 40
that. She went ouidoors ,eih look
OF anticipation n her eyes and hunted
up a biz of board Of Just the right
shape. and for The next half hour she
WAS a busy woman. She stood on at
lust the right distance from the win
dow. and the board rose and fell with
amazing regularity and visor The
tramp kicked his legs about and in.
dulged ga remarks but the wallopine
did not end until the woman had tired
herself out. Then she took down The
clothesline and wrapped It around the
tramp's legs about forty times, en-
tered the house and tied his wrists
securely. and then raised the sash and
let him fan backward on the grass.
As he lay there she came ont to bend
over him and ask:
"Wen, how do you feel nowT
Il don't exactly know" was the
reply.
This is an experiment on my part !
1 want TO bring you to a state Of hum
bleness. DO you think ! have accom- /
plished it,
Yes; / feel humber than / did It's |
new feelin', and you must take the /
risks Of it,"
"Oh, III look out for the risks. Just
make yourself as comfortable and as
humble as you can, and when the hired |
man comes up I'll see to your case fur
Their"
Two hours later the tramp's hands
were unbound and food set before him
The food consisted Of bread and water
There was a consistency in a humble
man eating humble fare. When he had /
finished eating he was again made Sc.
cure and dragged TO the barn and lock
ed up in the granary for the night.
The next step is to arouse your am.
hition," said the widow as she left
him, "and I'll tell you my programme
IA the morning. l hope TO find your
humbleness greatly increased by then
10 You still feel humility bubbling up
in your s0ulT
Il do. marin, and am sorter afraid
Of it, It's new feelin', and ] don't
know what it's going to lead TO. It,
an experiment, Is itT
1T is"
"Then you must take the risks. as ]
said before. / understands myself as q
cheeky tramp, but when you come &c
make a humble tramp Of me that's diff.
ferent.'
Next morning the fellow was hauled
out Of the barn and asked If any add.
tional feeling had come TO him during
the night, and he replied:
Il think there has. marin. think
I'm feeling what you call ambitious
this morning. l find myself thinkin' Of
work without the usual feelin's Of
dread Accompanying it, That's ambi
ton. take IT,
yes"
But don't blame me, marin, if any
thin happens. When you 60 for 10 i'm
plant new feellns In the breast Of
tramp you can't tell what he's goin to
do"
"Wnl you take hoe and 60 TO work
in the field If | give yon n good break
fastf'
Il WILL marin. I'm sOrter Gurus my
self TO see what's goin' to result from
this new feelin'."
The first result was a breakfast that
should have done for three hired men
IL kept the widow on the jump 10 keeI
he table supplied. lie wasn't eating
On his humility appetite, but on bis
one. When he had finished
At last he was asked to cut some wood
before going TO the field. IN the course
" ten minutes he shiyered two az
handles and gave a cherry tree a NOR
Ial blow. Started for the field to as
sist the hired man. he tramped oveI
he tomato and cucumber patches, tore
Town a panel Of rail fence getting ovei ,
Il and I'm the course Of another hall
hour had welded bis hoe so vigorous.
y among the turnips that he had dug
up two bushels with the weeds and
broken the blade The hired man
sought TO curb him. He was a lusty
lired man that had licked over a score
II tramps. but they had been tramps
without ambition When he tackled J.
his one he was laid on his back forth -
With.
Then the tramp headed for the barn
md with n club he smashed the spokes
,ut Of three wheels Of the family car
'lage He pulled the harness down
md dragged 1t about. kicked the horse
'ut Of the stable. broke up the wheel
arrow and pounded the tanning mill
nd he was shoveling oats out Of the
'ranary window on TO the ground
When the widow came out and said:
This was an experiment on my
art, you know"
Eyes. marin. and told you TO look
ut for results"
4aV ]