The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-12-12
The Stingy
Guest
A Christmas Story
By WILLARD BRAKEMAN

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Tomorrow. sir. will be Christmas
and would be happy to have you din.
with u.s."
The words were spoken by the land
lord Of Fraunces' tavern. New York
city. more than hundred years ago.
But this is not the beginning Of my
story. The early part Of the nine
teenth century was not the early par,
Of the twentieth nor anything like 1t
Therefore what am going to tell
should be prefaced by an explanation
New York in 1900 did not extend far
above city hall. Frances tavern. 10
Gated a short distance east Of the old
New Amsterdam fort at the foot OF
Broadway. was the first hostelry in
the city. A newspaper In those days
was something Of rarity. and since
there were no reading rooms the jour
nal subscribed for by landlord for
the use Of his guests was eagerly
sought No sooner was it laid aside by
one person than 1t was snatched up by
another. and frequently there were
several persons waiting for it.
The gentleman who had been invited
to take his Christmas dinner without
charge at Frances tavern had appear.
ed there one evening a stranger. gone
into the taproom. seated himself at a
table and called for a glass Of brandy.
He sat slipping the beverage. waiting
till the person who was at the time
reading the newspaper should lay 1t
down. and when he had done 80 the
stranger picked 1t up. The paper. once
folded. was about II by 10 inches.
with not as much matter printed on It
as one would find in a column Of a
modern journal The gentleman read
the news. principally summary OF
what had happened in Europe a couple
Of months before; then turned to the
advertisements. The former In this
Issue was a statement Of the opera
lions Of Napoleon l.. the latter an an.
nouncement Of the sailing of ship. az
auction and a reward for a runaway
slave. When the reader had exhaust
ed both news and advertisements he
paid his reckoning. six and quarter
cents. and withdrew.
That was the beginning Of the stran.
gers appearances at Frances tavern
Rarely did an evening pass without his
coming into the inn. calling for his
glass Of brandy. reading the newspaper
and retiring. His object was evidently
to 'kill two birds with one stone" or
rather. to get his daily dram and the
news for one price. His clothes were
shabby and seemed to indicate that he
could not afford to subscribe for n
newspaper and was obliged to sponge
for his reading on the tavern. The serv
ants conceived the contempt usual a.
menials for stingy guests and would
have let him know by their manner
their opinion Of him had 1t not been fOr
the landlord. who would not counte
nance any disrespect to guest. no
matter how little money he spent in
the house.
Indeed. the landlord conceived some
thing akin to respect for his guest
Though the latter never spent more
than the six and quarter cents. he In
variably paid his reckoning before leav.
Ing the tavern. He was unobtrusive
never engaged In discussions with 9th
er guests of the house. and the land
lord used to say that he wished some
Of the boisterous persons who met in
his taproom would learn something
from the impecunious guest.
The strangers first appearance at the
tavern occurred at the beginning Of
the year. and from that time up tn
Christmas not servant In the house
had ever received tip from him: con
tequently when the landlord was over
heard by Roots to invite him to n
free dinner on Christmas day the
knight Of the backing brush at once
communicated the fact to the maid of
the dustpan. who told It to the queer,
of the skillet. and II thus at once be-
came known to every servant in tn,
house.
"Just to think Of it, snapped TIL
scullion. "'E's been comm ere year
and not one Of us as got cent from,
I'm"
ut can't be-" said waiter. 'that
ell accept such an invitation"
L. - -.
to accept hanything"
None Of these comments came to the
ears Of the landlord or he would have
reproved the person making them. H.
had been watching his patron ever
since he first came to his house and
made up his mind that though h,
might be poor he was certainly honest
There were too many persons VIII
spent money lavishly at the taver'
who ceased their visits without payir
their bills. In time the Landlord
knowing about what hour the gent
man would appear. occasionally too
the paper and read II himself TIL n
stingy man came in. I'm order that t..
might be able to turn it over with tit
glass Of brandy.
This he did on the Christmas eve h,
had given the invitation to dinner. or
rather. mine host did not read the pa
per. being too busy making his prepara
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