His rags burlesqued the
form which they did not wholly hide; his broken shoes were covered with
dust; his coarse hair came in a plume through his tattered hat; his red,
sodden face, at once fierce and timid, was rusty with a fortnight's beard.
He offended the eye like a visible stench, and the wretched carrion seemed
to shrink away from our gaze as if he were aware of his loathsomeness.
"Really," said Mrs. Makely, "I thought those fellows were arrested now. It
is too bad to leave them at large. They are dangerous." Young Camp left
the room, and we saw him going out toward the tramp.
"Ah, that's quite right," said the lady. "I hope Reuben is going to send
him about his business. Why, surely, he's not going to feed the horrid
creature!" she added, as Camp, after a moment's parley with the tramp,
turned with him and disappeared round a corner of the house. "Now, Mrs.
Camp, I think that is really a very bad example. It's encouraging them.
Very likely he'll go to sleep in your barn, and set it on fire with his
pipe. What do you do with tramps in Altruria, Mr. Homos?"
The Altrurian seemed not to have heard her. He said to Mrs.
Pages:
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174