The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-05-15
lConinned.l


muddy highways. a tramp once, {
tramp ever. Other professional nner
may wander outside the sphere of THEN
profession and dabble in music, paint
ing, poetry or some kindred subjects
but the tramp wanders not outside the
confines of the road, the road and the
cities and villages on IL are his ideal.
He scorns books, he scorns work, the
grass by the WaySide and the trees
are his ideals OF nature, and the blue
vault of heaven his ideal Of art.
"A boys will is the winds will,
says the poet.
And a tramp's will is his own WILL
sings the tramp.
/ wonder who il was that called the
tramp species weary Willies. To my
mi:id it is not a good adjective, that
word weary, when applied to tramp,
for there is nothing weary about a real
tramp, so far as ] can see. \ real
tramp is about the sharpest judge Of
men and things that ] know Of. If ne
was not, his occupation, like that OF
Othellos would be gone" You may
say TO me Oh. isn't his gait weary. My
dear fellow you don't understand the
profession. A weary gait signifies not
when applied to a tramp-the word
tired, but the word willy. Let me prove
Il to you. Just look for one moment
one Low-sized with an old white
SLOUGH hat sitting on one side of his
head, a trousers much too large and
frayed at the heels, ne got it from
Father Tom, q waistcoet with all the
colors OF the rainbow in H. and with
three, brass buttons in front, tbs the
gift OF Squire Jones: a coat, it was
lounge one evidently from the shape OF
it. and it is double lounge one now
L., Il1Vff
Irvine supplies their place-that coat is
the gift OF Mr. Mannering, the Prot
estant minister; the tie is a sporting
one, minus the pin; it belonged to
Tom Nolan, the horse trainer and the
boots what remained Of them, once |
graced the feet of the bishop of the |
diocese; the toe is gone from one and |
the heel from the other 1t does not I
matter, however; they are cool in the
summer and they let in the water in |
the winter and let it out again. ! knew
A prominent doctor who always used /
the like kind when going on a long
shooting expedition; the stockings, well
one of them is a piece of a petticoat
and the other Il piece Of a shirt, such
Is a general description of the gar
nnents. Now for the man. He is me-
dunn sized. with a beard of a months
growth, acting as a cuirass for his
face and chin; lips about which a con-
linual smile plays, and through which
we discern teeth perfect in their for
nation. but black as indigo from to-
bacco Juice: the face is slightly pock-
marked and there is a long scar run
ming across the cheek. He would tell
YOU he got it in the Crimean war from
a Russian sabre, but we know other
wise. A branch of q tree, during his
deep sleep beneath its shelter remind .
ed him that there was a storm raging.
" hat the tramp said, well. / could not
chronicle. All l can say is that there
was more sulphur in the air for ten :
mir utes than was caused by the light
nings flash. You have seen often
times, / suppose. a ferret's eyes, we'll :
The eyes of my tramp were similar
they did everything ever mortal eyes
40 except close during sleep. Like the
sailors. they were always on the look
lut Now / told my readers / would
prove that this tramp of mine was not :
weary Willie. but a willy Willie. !
rreeping slowly along the road there
: not an object within radius of him
,ut ne observes. That piece of brown
PAPER over the other side of the way
las to be probed with his stick, it
night contain some food or valuable, q
-ou know yonder heap of manure
las to be inspected. for who could tell
What a careless farmer would do-a
watch q knife. a scissors or some such d
hing might be there. That piece of -
n old petticoat has TO be inspected,
90. for Mary Jane might have stuck
or brooch there during her careless d
1oments: il she has not, we'll its fine
men and bands of IT VIII make a a
tocl1ing. Yonder farmhouse has
i,osperous appearance about it, and L
Though it is 4 good mile in off the
Dad, my tramp, after diligent study
f K. comes 10 the conclusion that II is
-orth the walk there. Buffalo Bill A
nd his scouts never reconoitered an
adian encampment with such care l.
I'd shrewdness as my tramp does the
lrmhouse He mentally calculates
lat if there are no men around the
lace he viii terrorize the women folk
nd carry off a good haul He stands
y a few moments at the kitchen door @
afore knocking. and then, with an br
nperious rap of his knotted stick, he II,
Its the question in a tone of demand :
ither than entreaty: VI
Help a poor man, maan, on the Ia
,ad" tn
The occupant Of the house comes to re
le door, and if she is alone she, fear N,
u that curious looking customer, she be
,ings as quickly as she can some eat on,
oics. The tramp looks with scorn on kr
,c food and says: be
IT don't want yer food, I'd rather di,
I'VE money, an l ginerally take moth
less than two shillings from the likes ma
you su
Il haven't two shillings about me. wi
-ud wan do yeh?" tic
L might take it iv yeh throw in wud yo
q pound or two ov bacon. Hurry up, tic
lam, for me time Is precious OF
The woman, only too glad to be rid yo
the tramp, gives him the money and pr
Q bacon, and with. ''Yeh owe he an yo
her shilling. ma'am. yeh can pay it ad
hin / come agin," the tramp departs. he
II not before he takes two chickens ter
pm the hen coop. Bacon doesn't 60 ne!
I'll without chicken, so my tramp cas-
inks SOC
This is the parish priests home. and bee
y tramp must be on his best behavior ma
re. Father Tom is reading his Office on
fore the hall door, and my tramp, kat the
hand, and with a pious face, stands ito
out three yards away. Not a word is
oxen by either party. Father Tom
ks at the tramp and moves slowly q
ay. The tramp looks at Father Tom. rac
6 slowly follows him, keeping the na,
yulation distance. This proceeding sic
ltinues for fully ten minutes, and VIII
n Father Tom, tired of the trarnp's tiie
entions, turns suddenly around and >
rc in a CROSS tome