"I have," I answered. "The man you saw today sweeping the streets was
none other than myself, and I am proud of it."
"You are either joking or else you have gone out of your mind," said
Mrs. Snipe with a look of disgust. But upon my reiteration that I was
really the man she saw, both she and her daughters abruptly left my
presence and never looked at me afterwards. They no doubt communicated
the text of our conversation to the different people of the hotel, also,
for I discovered later that the other guests with whom I had become
acquainted, not only refused to converse with me, but regarded me as a
sort of curiosity or peculiar freak of nature. They would pass me on the
street, where I was working at different times, in their gorgeous
carriages, and, calling each other's attention would pass jokes at my
expense, and laugh loud and mockingly at me. At first these things
troubled me to some degree, but gradually I gathered courage to bear
their sneers-courage such as I had never experienced before.
I had faced all manner of dangers during my life without fear, but I had
never known the real meaning of courage until I made up my mind to do
right under all conditions, and accept the ridicule of my fellow beings
without resentment. In my humble position I could now appreciate the
philosophy and the true greatness of the Sagewoman's beautiful lessons
of unselfishness. I felt that I was just beginning to get strong-strong
in the grandest attribute a human being can possess-moral courage. The
great Sagewoman's teachings on forbearance were beginning to take root
in my nature. I was learning to understand that I must work and feel for
others, regardless of my own selfish desires.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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