The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-12-09

! to the small front yard and walked up
to the house to ask for something to
eat. Moved by the miserable appear
ance of the tramp, Nine. Germier lis
tened to his appeal and was about to
give him some money. Then she saw
that he was young and strong and
able to work and thought better of it.
She was a young woman Of principles,
who wanted nothing better than to re-
lieve human suffering, but she did not
want to encourage laziness. And she
said:
But my poor man, why don't you
work"
"Oh. madame, I would be only too
happy If / could find some work"
II am sure you could IL you really
tried"
"As il / had not tried everywhere,
but luck Is against me. l can find no
one who needs me"
THAT is very strange
Il am as surprised as you are mad
anne, but it Is true nevertheless. Oh!
work, work, l am just dying to find
some work am actually sick from
this enforced idleness. Work! why l
would work for nothing, just for the
pleasure Of the thing. Now, this morn
!ing-this morning l happened to pass
the village church. You know they are
repairing the tower.
There were a lot of bags of cement
Lying around. You may not believe me
madam. but it is gospel truth / am
telling you when l say that the craving
for work was so strong within me that
l actually picked up one of those bags
land carried it on my shoulder fifty
times around the church. That just
shows you how eager I am to get
something to do"
well, my good man. think we un-
derstand one another. won't give you
money for nothing. but will give you
some work and pay you well for it, Are
you willing?"
"Certainly madam, am ready to do
anything you ask. How happy I feel
that am to have work, real work once
more"
ITO begin WITH" said the little WON
VIVA 80
that shed. Will you please unload that
and I will give you a good lunch.
The mans face darkened.
Unload a wagon! Oh madam, If
you only knew-Imagine one day some
time ago l was unloading wagon
load Of coal. don't know how it hap
pened, but l dropped bag Of two
hundred pounds on little girl three
or four years old, who was looking
at me and killed her on the spot. l
shall never forget it as long as live.
You will understand me when l say
that since that day I can't bear think
ing of unloading wagon. And before
that time l just loved to unload wag'
ons. could not pass by wagon
without unloading it, just for the
n pleasure of it. The desire was stron-
1ger than L 1t was the greatest pleas
ure of my life. They used to call me
1.-The Unloader. But since that day
can't do it. 1t crushes my heart even
to think of it. I see the dead little
child, the whole family in tears. The
memory of it almost sets me mad. On,
madam, don't ask me. I will do any
thing except that
The tramp threw up his hands in
despair.
Nov, if that is not just like my
bad luck. Sprinkle the garden Why
my dear lady, you don't know of course
that have just spent six weeks in the
hospital unable to turn over in bed
by rheumatism. The doctor has Civ
en- me strict orders to avoid damp
ness. beg you to note that before
that time / just loved that kind OF
work, 1t was Impossible for me
to pass a vegetable garden without
sprinkling all the beds. You have nc
idea how the work interested me. II
was my greatest pleasure in life. Ev
erybody called me The Sprinkler
But since l was sick have been rob
,, bed of this employment. If l should
, sprinkle your garden now. l know
should be sick before night and 20,
would have me in bed to take care O.
for at least two weeks and l reall,
can't run that risk. Ask me to da an,
kind of work but sprinkling."
Then must try to find something
, else for YOU Yes, know one thing
you can do. You will carry all thu
furniture and rugs out of the parlor
but be very careful not to break an!
Of my bric-a-brac. Then after tina
you will wax and polish the floor"
This time the man tore out bunch
of hair In despair.
There never was a man the like o
. me in bad luck. l really never had .
decent chance all my life. Bric-a
brack! Why, madam, have neve
been able to touch any without break
, ing it in a thousand it in a Thousand
, pieces. am that clumsy! Just lool
, at my hands! What can man d.
with such paws. l am built for heav,
, work. If you want me to carry YOU
trunks to the station or to take YOU
piano to the tuner, or to put your bill
lizard table on top of the roof, l an
Just the man. But bric-a-brack! Real
ly my conscience forbids me touch
ing that. l would smash all of it. L
! would not be honest of me to say 9th
erwise."
well, We will say nothing more
about it. understand that you abho
the thought of this particular kind o
NIL "a Z