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COPYRIGHT BY 
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 A. D. l8S8. 
 I ALL KICHTS RESERVED.] 
 
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 ^^/* ij U Jj ill U 1j 1 1 . a K'inter storm raging ; 
 a citi/ enshrouded in snoir ; 
 A pile looming dim in the darkness ; a gate lodge trith window aglow ; 
 One, breasting the wind, tott'ring, ragged ; <i f.ice seared by time, ijet not old ; 
 A tremhling hand laid on the door-latch : a voice spealcing hoarse in the cold : — 
 
 "/Je n't this yer' thcr hospital, sV anger f They toY me so, long ujj th' street : 
 I cayn't see th' name on yer lanten '» 'count er th' snow 'n' th' sleet. 
 It be, eh ? 'X' down ther's th' river? Fm- thanlcfid ; for tlien Fve come right ; — ■ 
 HoV on ! Don shet me out, please, sir ! Say's, a woman been fotch'd yer' i'niyht ? 
 
Ten on 'em f Mas' like she's among 'em. Wot wer' she ? A tramp jes 1il-e me. 
 Oh, don' aht't Ih' do'r, .sir; fer OoiVs sake, please lemme come mside '«' see ! 
 Jump quick? IVal, I don' need no uryin'; this cold he: got inter ni' Inines ; 
 Fee hnjfd it sence 'arlg this nio'nin', 'n' readg ter drap on th' stones. 
 
 Yer right snug "»' warm in per', ain't ycr f Th' gate-house ; oh, thet's wot it is I 
 I've bin in some jails ez wer' handg. but never struck nothin' beat this. 
 Er course, yer sees all wot's brought in yer'-, yer see them ten wimmin t'day ; — 
 Say, tell me ; — wer' one on 'em luin'som', 'n' ha' r jes like gold, streaked wV yray f 
 
 She's out'n her mind, — kinder crazy, — 'ii' hnr ted somehow on th' head; — 
 
 I reckin they brought Iter yer' helpless; — 'n' p'r'aps, sir, they brought her yer' dead. 
 
 Xo f None er them ten wer' a-dyin f Wal , then I'm jes wastin' my time ; ~ 
 
 Wot say f Wer' she drunk, 'r bin fightin'f W'y, she wa'n't th' sort fer sich crime. 
 
Look yef : — 'jer don'' know wot yer sayin' in axkin' sich questions, fer she 
 Wer' trampin' '?i 'count er mi.ifortun', 'n' 7iot 'cause er vices, like me. 
 Thers mos' on us too bad fer hangin'; ther's some, — heav'n help 'em t'night,— 
 Thet's druv on th' world by its sinnin', '«' hides in the'r rags from its sight ;■ 
 
 Searts broke by th' fr'en's es they've trusted, V black' d by their shame ; many er one 
 Is wand'rin' from wrong thet's bin done 'ern, 'n' not 'cotint er wrong ez they've done. 
 Th' ain't many, I knoivs, but tvofs wicked, among us ole tramps ; but, kind sir, 
 Th' po'r weary soul thet Fm seekin', tramp'd th' world 'cause it trampTd on her. 
 
 So, none er them ivimmin wer' like her ■,^not one fr'en less gal in th' lot f 
 Then it's sartinfer sure she wa'nt brought yer', fer Tm all th' fr'en' ez she's got. 
 Wot is she ter me ? Xot my wife, sir ; -ah, no ; would ter God it wer' so, 
 Fer then we'd 'a' neither bin trampin', 'n' she'd had no sorrer n'r woe. 
 
Ifs too long a story ter tell yer ; it goes hack er good many years ; 
 It wouldnH le no use V tell it ; — Hivould ony rile up all my tears. 
 IV s ther same everlastin^ ole tale, sir ;— J lov^d her in days long ago, — 
 Lord hones' 'm' true ; — hut another jes snared her wV glitter '«' show. 
 
 She give up th' love that wer' hones', 'n' fell in th' trap thet iver laid ; 
 'Twer' on'y another man's heart hroke, 'n' jes one more woman betray d. 
 "Fivould raise th' wo'st in me ter ttll it •,~-iv'y, thinkin' duz, sometimes, oulil 
 I git from a man ter a devil, 'n' mad with a longin' ter kill. 
 
 Wot's that ; — if I tells yer, then mehhe 'twill help yer ter find her f All right. 
 I'll giv' yer th' facs, fer it's sartin tliey've taken her som'wher' f night. 
 I wer' raised, sir, doivn on ther Ohio, 'n' slie wer' horn ther', sir, es well ; — 
 My name's Bill, — we wo' n't mind th' tother, — 'n' she wer' know'd tillers e: BelU 
 

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 " 'N' she wer' know'd allers ez Belle," 
 
We grmv\l up tergether ez young 'nns ;— '»' Jim, he war' ther in them days ;— 
 He came ther' from York State, a babby, 'n' shared in our schooUn' 'n' plays. 
 Jim's father, he farmed it, 'h' my home tva'ntmor'n er stone' ^thraw from her gate:— 
 Her father wer' pa' son, 'n' my folks hep' storv 'n' a ware'-' us' fer freight. 
 
 Belle allers iver' hok'd ones han' som' , from er little 'un up ter fall grown ;- 
 Her ha'r wer' ez yaller ez broom-co'n, th' toa'n't no blue eyes lilce her own ; 
 Site tver' taUish '/r slender 'n graceful, jes like er young saplin' in May ;— 
 Ter think teat shv tver', '«" then see her, tli Belle I foun' tramjyin' ter day. 
 
 'Tiver quar wher' she got all her beauty, — th' pa'son wa'n t notliin' hut 2)lain : — 
 Som' sed, from her mother, who died young, 'n' com' ter this country from Spain. 
 It's eighteen year back thet I'm 'memb'rin'. — eighteen long 'n' hard, tveary years 
 Lyin dark in th' shudders er sorrcr, wher' er sun [latch er hope nerer 'pears. 
 
Th Oiem (7fl//s dotcti on liter Ohio icelioth conrlecL Belle, — me 'n Tim-,-' 
 W .lom'times Jim tho't I wer' favor'd, 'n' som'timex I tho't it wer" him. 
 We hoth on its lovd her too hones' tcr quarrel 'h' so (jiv' her pain, 
 So, Jceepin good naturd, wc spark'd her,— fust Jim, '«' then I tried uijuin. 
 
 "TV' this yer' tvent onfer a long whiles,— 'twer' morn two winters, 1 know ;- 
 'Til Jim sez ter me, ses he, ' Billy, this yer's got ter end ; yerll allow 
 Tliet both on us ffllers cayn't hev her ; let's one on us find out th' tvo'st ; '— 
 'N' then us two fools fell tor fightin' ez which on us orter speak fust. 
 
 'N' while we wuz wranglin '»' waitin', thel .summer, a hansom' boy came 
 Ter board at th' pa'son's 'n' study for eollidgc ;— / cuijn't spealc his name 
 'Thout callin' th' curses er heav'n on him 'n' all er his race ;— 
 His heart wer' th' heart of er devil, tho' er saint mighter own'd ter his face. 
 
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 'This yer's got ter end 
 
He wer' heir ter a fortun^ cr miUyinis, they sed ; '»i' tli' pa'son tor me 
 He wer" one er them horned in tlC piCple, wotever sich hatchin' may he. 
 Ill less'n er week arter comin' he went with our Belle er^ryivhar, 
 'X' Belle, she^d git miyhty oiieany if Jim '/• me ever calVd thar. 
 
 She went with him days on th' river, '«' nights, w'cn th' fuH moon hed com'. 
 Stopped late^ 'til th' nayhers got tallcin',—w'ile Jim 'ii' ms sullc'd it ter hum. 
 Jes Belle's age he wer', sca'eely older ; —thet smoothfaced he looked like er child ;- 
 'N' thet, I guess. Minded th' pn'soi'., who loolc'd on tlui'r doin's 'n' smiVd. 
 
 Er day com' w'en they went a-hoatin', 'w' thet night they didn't com' hack;- 
 Th' nex' day she sent hum er letter what toV th' hull story so black. 
 Th' pa' son he foller'd ' n' foun' 'em in one er th' hig Jilast'n towns, 
 'N' see her, all dimuns '«' laces, 'n' fix'd up in hemUiful gowns. 
 
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 'One er tliem born'd in th' pu'ple. 
 
Heprai/d she'd conC hack ter tK" ole home ; — fto line ; — they wti' marri'd, she »ed \ 
 But ya' son felt sure thel th' hitchin'' wcC n't regular but triflin\ inste'd. 
 He com' hum alone, sore 'ii' yrietnn', but held up his head fer her name, 
 'y toV ec'nj one she «•«' marri'd, 'n' never spoke naught ter Iter blame. 
 
 But Jim 'n'me didn't believe him ;—we never sed nothin' ter none. 
 We on'y shuck han's kinder silent on meetin', — our tho'ts tva' our own. 
 Th' pa' son soon grow'd pale 'n' feeble, 'n' sorrowin, hung down his head, 
 'Til, Uis'ly, they brought him. er letter, '«' then hejes tuck ter his bed. 
 
 Jim '«' me ivent ter see him one ev'nin', 'w', w'ile we sot with him, he cried. 
 'N' ioV us th' hull er th' story ; — then, jes faded out. 'til he died. 
 We berried him ther' in November, 'n' Jirn 'n' me know'd th' time'd com' 
 Wen me 'n' him hed pressin' biznis, a-goin' ter take u^ from hum. 
 
 »i 
 

 'Th' pa'son sood growd pale n' feeble. 
 
We both on us readpo'r Belle's letter ;— its tear-mark' d 'n tn-mbdy lines 
 ToV er hunger 'n' cruel demrtin\—how thet boy'd skipp'd out West ter som' mines ;— 
 Tliem mines wot hed gif Mm his millyuns, 'n' heap'd him up silver '«' gold ; — 
 Thet gold with which honor is bought, sir ;—thet gold fer which honor is sold! 
 
 We got all our money Vgether 'n' divvy d it fair, me 'n' Jim ; — 
 
 'N' then I com' East yer' ter find her, 'n' Jim , Iw went West ter find him. 
 
 We never let outer our people wot plans hed bin laid by us two. 
 
 But Jim 'n' me know'd, ic'en we parted, ivot each wer' expected ter do. 
 
 I com' ter th' town wher' he'd left her:-I ivasn't u-trampin' it then. 
 But travel' d respec'abk, 'n', sir, I lived like er man among men. 
 Th' folks tvher' slie'd lived spoke so kindly but sorrerful-like about Belle, 
 I knatv'd th' gal's trouble tver' deeper then she hed bin willin' ter tell. 
 
They sed, iv'en she Iwefd 'bout t]i"pc,'son, she 'pear'd like sli^'d tuni'd inter stoney 
 'jV, takin' tK few things wer' by her, ivent off, Hhout er word, all alone. 
 I hunfd all over thet city in places 'tioer' liJcely she'd go, — 
 It tuck me th' hull er thet tvinttir, 'n money begun ter git low. 
 
 Wen si)ring broke, I went ter another, '«' so I kep' on, nigh a year, 
 But find her I couldn't, 'n', som'how, begun ter git cold with th' fear 
 Thet mebbe her shame 'n' her sorrer hed druv her from this world ter one 
 Wher' wimmin like her is fergiven fer lovin' too fond, ez she'd done. 
 
 But, then 'twouLl com' over me alters, ez tho' she wa' not far awa'j. 
 Thet trampin' 'n' s' urchin' 'n' waitin', I'd find her 'n' save her. soni day. 
 'Long 'bout in th' very nex' winter ther' com' th' fust letter from Jim, — 
 Tlicr' wuzn'l no cause ter write sooner, tho' I hed writ of 'en ter him. 
 
'Twer' dated from jail in Nerady ; — he sed he wer' stoppiii' ther' 'til 
 He tuck en exalted persition wot he'd bin elected ter fill. 
 He sed thet wHle Fd Hn a-s'archin' fer Belle, she lied wandv'd out West, 
 A-tnjin ter git ter tlC villun thet wrong' d her po'r innercent breast. 
 
 She'd broke down at las' in Missouri/, 'n', dyin er want 'n' despair. 
 
 He'd foun' her, a charity-patienl, in som' instertooshin out ther\ 
 
 He stay'd ther', clus by her, 'n' 'tended ter hevin' her nussed, day 'n night, 
 
 'Til th' babby wer' born'd, '«' then waited 'til Belle hed got strong 'n' all right. 
 
 Then he toV her its father hed gone ter th' town wher' I wer' in ther East,- 
 Sed he lied, but he knoto'd she be safer nigh me than t^er go ter thet beast. 
 He^stalid her with all thet he hed, sir, 'sides pay in' her j)assage right thro', 
 Tlien. facin th' west'ard, he tramp' d it ; — I tell yer, ole Jim tva' true blue. 
 
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 'Then, facin th' west ard, he trarnp'd it." 
 
He tramp'd it rigid out ter Xecady, — it tuck him er thiindcrin' lo'ile ; 
 But thinkin' er Belle 'n' thet halibij. Ids grit didn't giv' out n'r spile. 
 He got ter th' mines in tlC winter, sick, starvin' 'u' putty nigh dead, 
 But sight er thet han'som^ young devil put life in him powerful, he sed. 
 
 He track'd Jtini. u' liearn all about him, 'n gut onter all er his ways, — 
 
 Then, sed thet he sot ter work thinkin' '«' hotherin' roun\ fer som' days. 
 
 Wot way he wer' gain^ ter git at him ; — 7v'en, siiddent, tli chance seem'd ter corn', 
 
 Fer, nieetin' an ole chap one ev'nin\ tvot Jim hed knov'd out yer' ter hum, 
 
 Who'd hin out ther minin' er long time, 'u' never d heer'd nothin' 'bout Belle, 
 Jim ups 'n' he ax'd him tur stake him ; — he don' it, '«' don' it blame well ! 
 Jim, slick' d up er bit '«' then tackl'd ih' best faro lay-out in town ;- 
 He sed th' luck wa' n't with th' dealer, — Jim ivon ev'ry bet he put doun . 
 
Re quit tv'en he'd coUar'd three thous'n\ — sed he reck'n'd thet 'ere ua' enough ; 
 'iV' nex' day he iloom'd ez er gent, sir, 'n' shuch'd off th' tramp 'n' </t' tough. 
 He got interdooced ter th' youngster, who never hed know'd Mm by sight ; — 
 In kss'n er week they tvuz playin' er small game er poker, one night, 
 
 With or'nary beti et beginnin'; 'fore long, tho\ they run rayther high ; — 
 
 At las' th' Lord giv' Jim four aces •,—then raisin' went up on th' fly ! 
 
 'N', w'en thet pot heldjes ten thous'n', he raked it in, Jim did, 'n' sed, — 
 
 ' ril take thisfer Belle '«' her young 'un ' ; — tlien rose up 'n' shot his man dead ! 
 
 Jim sed ther' wa' n't much on er trial, but he shed git hung all th' same. 
 So, tvrit me aforehan' about it, 'n' 'loiv'd he wer' goin' ter die game. 
 He sent me th' hull er tliet money 'n' sed, ' It is allfer her. Bill ' ; — 
 ^N' allerSy in aller my trampin's, I've kep' it, 'n' shell keep it, 'til 
 
I giv' it ter Belle with Jims blessiti'; — soni' sez, it won't bring her no ioy, — 
 Thet blessings donHf oiler a hangin' w'en murder's bin don' ter a boy. 
 Wal, mebbe 'tain't 'cordin' ter scriptur' ter Jdll sich low varminti ez him, 
 Bnt w'en th' Ins' reck'nin' is makin', I guess they'll be easy on Jim. 
 
 I've bin on th' tramp sence tliet winter from Maine down ter Texas, '«" — well, 
 In 'bout ev'ry toivn in the kentry, 'n' alters a-lookin' fer Belle. 
 Sixteen year is a Uarnal long w'ile, sir, 'n' walkin' 'II cover big grown 
 Wen 'tendin pertic'ler ter biznis 'n wastin no time stan'in 'roun'. 
 
 I've never let up, fer Fve hoped, sir, thet w'en I did find her. she'd be 
 Jes willin' ter talce er new start 'n' begin er new life 'long er me. 
 I know'd no one else, sir, could love her ez %ve did,— I mean me 'n' Jim, — 
 'N\ Jim bein' gone, thet she'd take me, onfindin' she couldn't hev him. 
 
 <» 
 
Er tramp ain't impirin' ter look at, but 'cause he's er tramp, it don't prove 
 He hesn'ter heart, 'n' it heatin jes hones' 'n' true ter some love. 
 I heer'd on Belle ivunst in KaintucUy,—it's ten year ago, sir, nex' spring,— 
 A-teachin' at school, 'n th' habby heel grow'd up er beautiful thing. 
 
 SJie worship'd thet chiV fer its father, 'twer more lilis him every day ; 
 W life fer them two wer right happy, — til one day 'twer' clean stole away 
 By som' ez hisfam'ly hed set -m her track 'n' hed hunted her down 
 Ter rob from th' breast er th' mother th' life tliet wer' dearer 'n her own. 
 
 Jes mad with her grief '»' her terrer. Belle wande'd away thet same night, 
 'N' s'arcMl 'til shefoun' wher' them Acj/.s- hed hid her po'r chiV from her sight. 
 Slie fought her way inter tliet houce lilcc a taygur 'n' fell by th' side 
 Er th' bed, wher' tli little 'un, lyin',jes jmt out its arms—'n' then died. 
 

 'N' life fer them two wer right happy 
 
'Twer' grievin' fer her es lied kilid it ; — it call'dfer her allers, they sed ; — 
 A mother's arms robVd er tW liinn\ — a mother's arms holdin' th' dead! 
 Som' fr'en' er her'n down in Kaintiickij 'twer' toV me all this about Belle, 
 'N' how it wer', w'en she com' hack ther\ a kind on er shudder-like fell 
 
 Upon her, 'n' dark'n'd Jier reason, 'n' made her turn crazy 'n' wild, 
 Fergittin' about it wer' dead, sir, 'n' wantin' ter go ter th' child. 
 At las', w'en nobody wer' watchin', she stray d off, nobody know'd wher' ;- 
 'N' nobody bother' d tir find her,—ther' tvnzn't nobody ter core. 
 
 So, all tliese yer' years we've bin trampin', — one on us hones' but mad, - 
 
 Tliet's her ; -n' th' t'other, theVs me, sir, not crazy like Iter, butjes bad. 
 
 'N'. tho', p'r'aps, we've bin nigh each other, 'n' mebbe cross'd one 'nother's ways. 
 
 Las' night wer' th' fust time Ftw see her ; — 'twer' wlier' sich ole tramps ez me stays. 
 
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 "She stray d off, nobody know d wher'. 
 
A sort on er celler fer lo'gins', — I'd yone tlwr' ier s/f.-y; oj)" tlC cold, — 
 'iV, sir, she kem ter mejes naVral 'n lian'som' li' sweet cz ov old, 
 Exceptin' her blue eyes look'd sadder 'h' som' on her gold ha'r wer' greif, — 
 fAke one thet wer' in her September instid er t/i' gal-time er May. 
 
 She smiVd ez I looked, '*t' she nodded, wen tryin ter speak, I sed, ' Jim ' : - 
 Sed she, ' I knows all about il, yer're got som' thin' fer me from him ; 
 ' Ter-morrer I'm gain' ter find babby. 'ti' then my long tramp, 'n' yonr'n too, 
 'Is done, 'h' 77/ meet yer, '«' surely begin er new life, Bill, with yon.' 
 
 On wakin', I foun' she wer' gone, sir, but 'mem'brin' th' promise she'd made 
 Ter meet me, I hustl'd ont 'arly, '«', walkin' 'n' watchin', I stray'd 
 Right inter a crowd on er corner, — 'twer som'one rnnn'd over, they sed. 
 Then som'bodii sed 'twer' er woman, 'n' hurt imry bad on th' head. 
 
A hmp cr oU rags in tli^ gutter it 'pear^d, in th' place wlter' she'd fell ; - 
 
 A face, framed in ha'r thet wer* golden, wer'' whifnin" vnlh anow ; — yes, 'twer' Belle ! 
 
 I must 'a' gone ravin' 'n' wild, .ti/r, iii tryin' ler git thra' th' crowd, 
 
 'N ' cri/in 'n' prayin' 'u' enrsin' 'em all, fir not bein' iilloir'd. 
 
 Th' nex' thing I know'd, I wer" stan'tti' alone, tvith th' snow on tn' face, 
 'N' som' one ufer' sayin' th' loomau'd Hn tuck ter som' hospital place. 
 So, crawlin' ter one, then another, I've com' yer' ter this one, at las' ; 
 Oh, sir, fer God's sake, say yer'U help yne, — my stntn'th is ajailin' me fas' ! 
 
 Th' pain in m' side yer' mos' kills me ! Wots that f Som' one else et th' gate f 
 How loud thet hell (^angii in th' midnight,— like th' voice er som' quick comin' fate! 
 A case fer th' morgue, did yer say, sir f A tramp, all in rags, sir, yer sedf 
 Stan' of ! Lmnme see! It's a woman! Oh, God: it's my Belie, 'n' she's dead !" 
 
J 
 
A thud on the stones, and another lies dead at the dead woman's feet :— 
 
 Ttvo bundles of rags on the pavement —grim fruit of the pitiless street! 
 
 Two graves in the earth of God's Acre, where God's poor sleep nameless, yel well;- 
 
 And Bill, after all, is beginning that new life hed longed for, with Belle. 
 


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