What followed caused me to stand still. A poor, wretched-looking old man, with a basket on his arm, came hobbling and jumping out of the same street, with a cobblestone in one hand. He was evidently chasing the boys. As he entered the square, the boys turned around and cried again,— “Trip-Trip-to-dee-dee! Who stole the butter? Who stole the butter?” The old man came to a halt, and, with wild eyes and a frantic movement, threw the stone at the boys. They dodged the revengeful missile, and skipped away, calling,— “Trip-Trip-to-dee-dee! Trip-Trip-to-dee-dee!” A well-dressed stranger stopped near to see the odd episode. “Who is that old man?” I asked. “Oh, that is Trip-Trip-to-Day-Day. He is a character here. The boys torment him. They like to have him chase them. There are few boys in this part of the city that he has not chased.” “What is his occupation?” I continued. “Oh, a common beggar. He is almost the only street beggar in this city. He lives, I think, in some old hut outside of the place, and comes here begging each morning, with his basket on his arm. Look at him.” I looked. The running and the vengeful throwing of the stone had exhausted him, and he had just sunk down in a heap, as it were, on a seat in the square. The old question that James had asked came to me again with irresistible force. I crossed the street to the square, and sat down on the long bench beside the half-animated bundle of rags. The old man peered into my face. “I—am—all exhausted,” he said; “’gin out—I can’t do as I used to do.” “It’s a fine day,” I said. “Yes—ha—a fine day for fine folks. Ha—all days are pretty much the same to me. Are you a stranger here?” “Yes; what is your name?” “Seth—ha—Seth. That is my name. What’s yourn?” “Why do the people here allow the boys to trouble an old man like you? I thought people were civil here,—that this was a Christian city.” “You did, did ye, stranger? Ha, you thought that the people were civiller, ha? Well, they be generally, as a rule, but not to old Seth. Well, never mind. I shall get through by and by. I shall have to throw rocks at ’em while I live, and can hobble about, ha. Stranger, I’ll tell you how it was. It may seem strange to you that one thing like that should ruin a man’s life, but it has mine. I’d been careless about living on the square for some time, when it happened—that joke that crippled me for life.” He caught his breath convulsively with a halting “Ha,” and then continued:—