Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 170, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 July 1913 — BREAD ON THE WATERS. [ARTICLE]

BREAD ON THE WATERS.

Recompense, Just Lika In the Merisi and Plays, i A Cleveland paper tells of * trantf who came to the bask door of a rest dence and begged for shoes. Tbs mis tress of the house gave him a good pair and said to him: "There, pat these on, and Jf you want- to ebon your gratitude, just happen around here some morning after a snowstorm and clean oft our sidewalk." Some time after the lady was awak> sued early one morning by some one scraping the sidewalk In front of Die house. Looking out, she found that there had been quite a heavy fall of snow, and there she beheld the tismg to whom she had given the shoes, clearing away the snow • from the sidewalk with an old broken shovel When he eaught sight of his benefactress at the window he raised his tattered hat to her, and his self-imposed task finished, went away without saying a word or even asking for anything to eat Three times the same thing happened daring the winter, but the man never asked for compensation or food. A New York woman once invited a ragged, dirty beggar into her house, and -after he had had a comfortable meal and some clean clothing she sent him away with words of encouragement telling him that he was mads for something better than tramping; that it was a shame for a man of his apparent intelligence and good health to be getting a living In such a disgraceful way. This lady became embarrassed financially and was in sore need of money. She asked a friend where she could borrow SSOO, but he could not accommodate her, nor did he know of any one who could not Next day, to her great astonishment a man, total stranger, as she thought, called at her house and told her that he had heard she was pressed for money, and that he had come te fond her the amount she needed. With growing surprise she asked how it was that a complete stranger, whom she had never seen, waa willing to, trust her. The man then explained that he was the tramp whom, aj year before, she had taken to her home and treated like a brother; that her kindness on that occasion had < been the turning point in his career,, had made a man of him again; that his had prospered beyond his deserts, and that ever since he had gotten on this feet he had been wishing for an (opportunity to show his? appreciation! of what she had done foe him. .