The Project Gutenberg EBook of Born Again, by Alfred Lawson

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Title: Born Again

Author: Alfred Lawson

Release Date: October 4, 2006 [EBook #19459]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BORN AGAIN ***

Produced by Jerry Kuntz as part of the Lawson's Progress
Project, http://www.lawsonsprogress.com

Born Again

by Alfred Lawson

DEDICATION

One day, not many years ago, while walking along a street in Detroit,
Michigan, I was stopped by a ragged and forlorn beggar, with the request
for a few cents to buy something to eat.

I gave him a dime and walking on a few paces stopped to observe his
following movements. Contrary to my supposition that perhaps he would
enter a saloon and buy whiskey he went as fast as his weary legs would
carry him in a straight course toward a restaurant on the opposite side
of the street.

As he was about to enter the place his attention was attracted by a more
pitiable wretch than himself standing outside who had but one leg, was
partly blind, and whose nose was almost eaten off by disease.

He paused for a moment and looked sympathetically at the crippled beggar
and then started again toward the door of the restaurant, but before
entering he stopped once more to take another look, and after a few
moments' hesitation he deliberately turned about, handed the other
fellow the dime and walked away without feeding himself.

Of all the heroic deeds I have ever witnessed, I recollect none quite so
grand and noble as this act, for notwithstanding this poor beggar may
have been heir to every other weakness a human being could possibly
contract, still he contained that spark of unselfish love for his fellow
beings, without which no man is more than a mere brute, and for that
reason I respectfully dedicate this work to his memory.

ALFRED WILLIAM LAWSON.

CHAPTER I

Judging from my own experience it is my opinion that many strange and
wonderful events have happened during the past in which man took part,
that have never been recorded.

Many reasons could be given for this, but the main causes perhaps, are
that the participants have lacked the intelligence, educatio