The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-11-15
EARN BEFORE EATING

The following from the Kissimmee
Valley Gazette narrates an instance
that proves that in dealing with impe-
cunious tourists it il best to make
them earn before they eat.
He looked the picture of hard luck
when he commenced to hunt for some
hight werk-and he had most lady
like little hacking cough which indi-
Gated that the work must be light or
he couldn't undertake it. No, he really
couldn't. Also he was hungry. Ger
tainly he was. He had had but very
little sustenance to maintain what lit
tie life he was carrying-and even
that was Of nature that didn't seem
, to agree with him.
He greatly impressed Lewis O'Bry-
an with his story. Lewis voice almost
broke when he was telling of the con-
dition of the poor man-and Lewis
voice seldom breaks. Then he immed-
lately impressed ]. NJ Wilson so
strenuously that tears came to his
eyes when he mentioned the sad, sad
story, me mates, of the hungry and
sick man who lacked everything
even money-with tends to make life
worth living. Then when he met with
Rev. L. III. Kirkby, and made the
twice-told tale still more graphic and
intense, there was a communion of
souls that was especially interesting
and thrilling. Mr.. Kirkby desired his
yard cleaned-not that it needed it but
The desired an excuse to let the vic
tim of misfortune "earn" some mon
ey; he wanted to run the roller of hui
Imanity over the road the wayfarer
must tread and feel that he had done
| a deed to brighten the corner where
the homeless might rest.
| And Mrs. Kirkby, learning that
only fresh eggs-those Immediately
from the egg foundry-would "set'
well in the running-gear of the unfor.
tunate man made hurried calls upon
the neighbors till at last she found
| d place where the fowls were work.
ing-while the rector skurried about
ftilI he found q bit of homegrown
butter the bread of the bitter. Anc
/ the man worked couple of hours
after which faintness nearly overeame
him. Had it not been for the glad.
/ some nneal-one of those where ev.
lerything was furnished the guest
| just the same as when the Episcopa
Ibishop drops in for feed--it is evi
dent the man would have gone into &
state of alienation. It was s-o-m-t
meal-and the sick man did it justice
Il And when the rector handed him /,
dollar upon his promise to return il
the morning to complete the job the
smile of the destitute man far more
than repaid the work of the diligen
hen and the yielding COW and the la
Dor of love m everything. "Charit!
ccvefeth multitude"-of grafters
"Charity suffereth long"-and get!
stung.
The rake next morning was In it,
Eaccdstcmed place. 1t had not beel
lworn by work or fatigued by action
Nothing was missing but the man
Investigation upon the part of tn
reflective rector showed that early OF
the same morning the -and-butte
fed wanderer. a constant suffere
from q hacking cough, had filled hi
tank with gasoline, added a couple o
hqaarts of heavy oil, and had left il
! his excellent Cadillac for other-bu
] not fresher-ields to conquer.
Moral: Do not feed strangers o
: give them money until they hav
earned every cent of it. Florida vii
be over-run with people of this sor
this esason. There were some of thi
variety in Kissimmee last spring
tbut this years crop is being harvest
led earlier, and seems brighter an
i more engrossing than before.