Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-10-21
MISCELL A N Y
From the Neac York Tribune
A Curbstone Hero.

If all the merchants who are engaged in COM
transactions on large scale had the
pluck, energy and perseverance and determined
eo-ahead.ism exhibited by couple OF rewsboys
at one of the ferries last night, financial crisis
would become as great rarity as the veritable
Phoenix (uot John) and "stoppages, "suspen-
sionsn and crashes be no more known IN this
land. The individuals referred to are two of
the "Knights of the Newspapers" who hold
their constant Chapter meetings on the cor
uers and the crossings of the modern City of
Gotham. despite the noise and confusion, to
which they contribute in no small degree. The
pluckv two were attired in the full regalia of
their honorable Grand Order-the long coats
reaching down to the heels and the long panta-
looms reaching up to the armpits, through the
inevitable rent in which the white flag of the
Order fiuttered to the chill night air, and the
tattered cap stuck inexplioably on the back OF
the head, in position which deties alike the
laws of gravitation and the force of the wind and
which it would not retain for q single instant,
were it placed there by any mortal hand other
than that of New York Newsboy. One sport
ed pair of boots of dimensions almost porten-
tons in fact there was so little boy and so much
boot that he looked like pint of cider in five
yallon measure. The other had as yet achieved
no such aristoeratic luxury; INT little apparent.
" cared he for that and il his sturdy legs and
feet were red, it was not that they blushed for
their nakedness, but that the air was cold.-
They were brothers and were working in concert.
The Younger was about nine years old, and al
though the elder was not Of more than twelve
winters himself he could not have assumed a
more protecting air over his younger charge
couldn't have cared for him more earnestly
couldn't have spoken braver words Of encour-
agement, if he had been old enough to see his
own children's children.
The elder boy with that shrewd estimate OF
the state of the market and the demand for his
wares which is intuitve in New York newsboys
who are, in small way, the sharpest fnanoiers
in the city, had purchased no.more papers than
he had sold in regular hours at cash advance ;
but the younger one, more inexperienced, or
perhaps dazzled by the prospective profit, had
invested his entire capital in the speculation,
and, as a consequence, had overstocked himself,
and got "stuck" with about two dozen Of the
latest evening papers. Then the protecting he
70 of twelve came nobly to the aid OF the
nire-year-old victim Of misplaced confidence,
and taking half the papers, Joined Justify in the
endeavor to force them ON the market, and so
ssrealize" Immediately. Thus it happened that
belated sojourners in Brooklyn, going wearily to
their homes, were at the ferry gate saluted at
1-2 o'clock at night with the unusual cry,
Express an Evenin' POST" Express, thir'
dishin; got the rival of the Daniel Webster and
the breakin' OF six new Banks" uttered in shrill
childish tones, and reiterated with perseyer-
ance which plainly showed that they meant
business Every person was saluted with the
appealing question, "Buy paper, SirY" and,
whether he bought or not, the next instant the
cry '.Erpress, on'y two cents ' rang ont sharp
upon the midnight air. Divers were the rebutts
the little fellows met with, and many were the
harsh words, and even oaths which were level
ed at their persevering little heads; but with
that truest OF courage-courage to woIk, and
courage to go on working till the end is accom-
plished, they kept on. Occasionally, when the
younger one, espying hoped-for customer in
the distance, would run to him, trot alongside
him, repeating his anxious supplication to buy
a paper, Sir" till they reached the gate, and
then affect no sale after all, he would for an in
slant seem little discouraged; but the cheering
"Never mind, Jenny, here's another 'un CON-
in" from the elder hero brought him around a.
gain. Metaphorically knocked off his feet, as he
was a dozen times in ten minutes in his fight
with bad luck, by rough exclalnations from hur-
ryine passengers who didn't want to be bother
ed, a word from the brother always brought
him to the scratch again, sound in wind and
limb, ready to pitch in and fight another round.
AS for that brother, nothing discouraged him
forty angry shoves out of the way wouldn't
have troubled him-a hundred harsh refusals
wouldn't have interfered with his determination
to sell those papers-a thousand unchristian, un-
civilized oaths wouldn't have set him back one
inch, wouldn't have dismayed him one second,
and wouldn't have taken one atom of the de-
termined pluck out of him. With no tremor or
failing in his voice, with his bold, confident eye
never flinching from the contemplation of the
work he had to do, he stood up there to face
and fight his hard luck, with manly forttude
which would have carried through with tri-
lmphant success enterprises that have ignomin.
ously failed in older hands. The amount in
,olyed was slight, but the truth involved was as
yreat rs if the sum had been millions. He was
working to retrieve his weaker brothers broken
fortunes, undisheartened and uncomplaining.-
And though he was but twelve year old ur-
chin in ragged clothes, though his face was dir
~, his hair uncombed, and though his rough,
red feet were naked on the fagstone, he stood
here hero-he don't know it, but he is-one
Of those ten thousand unOstentatious heroes
whom the world ignores because it does not Of
ZEN appreciate heroism save that sanguinary
Kind which runs rampant in blood and destruc-
ion.
And our newsboy hero succeeded-of course
le did; such hopeful courage could not fail he |
meant to sell those papers and he did it-he
old avary ona of them and he'd have done If Is