Evening star., 1927-10-14
WORLD FAMOUS STORIES
THE DISABLED SOLDIER.
By OLIVER GOLDSMITH.

(oliver Goldsmith. 172s,1774. struggled
for years before he secured recognition as
famous mssr for Eth The b Deseesed village and The
Vicar of Wakefield" Ae a British writer in
sellers. as 81 % maj mai.s literary @ men have always
had 10 do. In the present short story Cold
smith begins with philosophical specula%tions %
about how the other half of the world lives,
making the observation that there is little
merit in bearing hardships when all the
endure great troubles in silence and obscurity
is a sign of true greatness; These renee
a disabled soldier and his misfortunes. which
10 given verbatim.
AS for my Inisfprtunes, master, I
can't pretend to have gone through
any more than other folks: for, ex'
cept the loss of my limb and my be.
ing obliged to beg, don't know any
reason, thank Heaven, that / have to
Complain. There is Bill Tibbs of our
regiment, he has lost both his legs
and an eye to boot: but, thank
Heaven, it is not so bad with me yet.
L was born in Shropshire; my
father was a laborer, and died when
/ was years old, SO was put upon
the parish. AS he had been a wan.
derinS sort of man, the parishioners
were not able to tell to what parish
] belonged or where I was born, so
they sent me to another parish and
that parish sent me to third. l
thought in my heart, they kept send
ing me about so long, that they would
mot let me be born in any parish at
All; but, at last, however, they fixed
me.
had some disposition to be a
scholar, and was resolved at least to
know my letters; but the master of
the workhouse put me to business as
soon as was able to handle mallet;
and here I lived an easy kind of life
for fve years. / only wrought 10
hours in the day, and had my meat
and drink provided for my labor. 1t
is true I was not suffered to stir out
Of the house, for fear, as they said. I
should run away; but what of that?
/ had the liberty of the whole house,
and the yard before the door and that
was enough for me.
i was then bound out to farmer.
where ] was up both early and late;
,hut I ate and drank we'll; and liked
lny business we'll enough till he died.
when was obliged TO provide for my
self; 30 / was resolved to go seek my
fortune.
In this manner I went from town
TO town, worked when / could get
employment. and starved when
could get none; when, happening. one
day to go through a field belonging
To a Justice of the peace. | spied a
hare crossing the path just before
me: and | believed the devil put 1t
into my head TO fling a stick at 1t.
Well. what will yoa have ont? L
killed the hare, and was bringing 1t
away. when the justice himself met
Yae. he called me poacher and VIII
lain. and collaring me. desired l
svould give an account Of myself. l
fell upon my knees, begged his wor-
ship's pardon, and began to give a
fIIlf account of all that / knew of my
breed, seed and generation; but
though / gave a very true account,
the Justice said / could give no ac-
count; so I was indicted at the ses.
Sfons, found guilty of being poor. and
sent up to London to Newgate Prison
in order to be transported as Vaga-
bond.
people may say this or that of
1,king in jail, but, for my part, /
<ofInd Newgate as agreeable place
as ever I was in In all my life. l
had nv belly full to eat and drink.
and did not work at II. This kind
of life wac too good to last forever;
so I was taken out Of prison. after
Eve months. put on board of ship and
sent off. with 200 more, to the planta-
lions. We had but an Indifferent
massage, for being all confined In the
hold. more than a hundred or our
reople died for want of sweet air; and
those that remained were sickly
enough, God knows.
When we came ashore we were sold
20 the planters, and I was bound for
seven years more. .As was nc