Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1913-12-19
The Stingy
Guest
Christmas Story
By WILLARD HLAEeMAN

$S&88@@s@s@ss98ssees sss
Tomorrow. sir. will he Christmas.
and woui happy to have you dine
with ua'
The or's wore spoken by the land
lord Q. Fraaares tavern. New York
city. mo4e thiin hundred years ago.
But ibis is ~ the beginning Of my
story Tie ey part Of the nine
teenth century IS not the early part
of the twsaietli nor anything lie It.
Therefore vaa am going g tsill
should be rs'' BY an explanation
New York i lsli did not extend far
above city l. o. raunces tavern. 10
Gated a short III nee east Of the old
New Amsterdam .art at the foot Of
Broadway. was the drst hosteiry IN
the city. newspaper In those days
was something Of rarity. and since
there were no reading rooms the jaur.
nal subscribed for BY landlord for
the use Of bis guests was eagerly
sought. No sooner was it hid aside by
one person than It 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 Irrannces tavern had appear.
| ed there one evening stranger, ss,le
iate the tuprUon scAtpa himself at q
table and called for a rl.iss 6: brandy.
He sat sipslng the beverage va:tia,
tn the person Who was vt the tisu,'
reading the newspaper should lay 1t
down. and when he had done so the
stranger picked it up. The paper. once
folded. was about u by 10 inches,
with not as much matter printed ofeit
as one would find in column oa
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 statement Of the opera
tons Of Napoleon L. Tie latter an an
nouncemenf Of the sailing Of a ship. m
auction and a reward for a aawas
slave. when*the reader had exhaust
ed both news and advertisements he
paid his reckoning. six and 9uarter
cents. and withdrew
That was the beginning Of the stran
gers appearances at Fraunces' tavern.
Rarely did an evening pass without his
corning into the inn. calling for bis
g. IS Of brandy. reading the newspaper
ard retiring. His object was evidently
to "kill two birds with one stone" or
gather. to get his daily dram and the
news for one price. His clothes We're
shabby and seemed to indicate that he
could not afford to subscribe for a
newspaper and was obliged 70 sponge
for his reading on the tavern. The sery-
ants conceived the contempt usual to
menials for stingy guests and would
have LET him know by their manner
their opinion of him had It 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
variabiy paid his reckoning before ieaP
Ing the tavern He was unobtrnsive
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 to
Christmas not servant in the house
had ever received a tip from him: con-
sequeutIy when the landlord was over.
heard By Boots to invite him to
free dinner on Christmas day the
knight Of the backing brush at once
Communicated the fact to the paid OF
the dusfnan. who told it 10 d9een
OF the skillet. and It thus, d be
came known to every sssy&ezr he
house.
Just to think Of itf' snapped the
sculllon. LES been comm 'ere a year.
and not one Of us as got a cent frem
'im.e
1T can't be-" said waiter. that
ell accept such an invitation
TO be sure e will 'e's mean enough
to accept hanything'
None Of these comments came to the
ears Of the landlord or be would have
reproved the perso1 making them, He
had been watching his patron ever
since he first came to his house and
made up his mind that though he
might be poor he was certainly honest
| There were TOO many persons who
4 spent money lavishly at the tavern
| who ceased their visits without paying
their bills. In time the landlord
knowing about what hour the gentle
man would appear. occasionally took
the paper and read II himself til the
stingy mas ime in. in order that be
| might be able g. fern Y over with the
glass of brandy.
This be did on the Christmas eve he
had given the invitation to dinlf ~.
rather mine host did not read the si
per. being too busy making bis preHara
tions, but hid it under the bar and as
soon as his gaest came IN handed Il
to him. This naturally caused lnaiena-
tion on the part Of other gseSts Int