Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-06-07

upon the heart OF Pat Hagans at that mo-
menti for, just as a big, bad boy had struck
poor Ben and made him cry burly Pat lla-
gans roared out
" Dry that up Yer dassont lick a boy Of
yer size, nohow
From that time big Pat lIagans was the
champion Of little Ben lie educated him
to be a newsboy, as | told you
That very first night Pats " baby sold
every one of his papers And that night lit
tie Ben and his mother had some supper
though Ben wondered what made his mother
cry again, as they sat down to eat, and hold
him so tight in her arms, and kiss him again
and again. He thought it was a little un-
reasonable in a woman to cry when she had
plenty Of bread and milk
Maybe the angels had brought little Ben
and his mother their supper after ALL
But Pat lIagans was the only angel direct
y visible in the case, and he was rathera dir
" looking angel, chewing tobacco, and smok
ing a stump pipe as he did. And I'm posi-
lively certain that nobody would have let him
into a Sunday school tableau as an angel
Nevertheless, for all his patched trousers and
toes sticking out Of his boots he was pro-
tecting spirit to little Ben. lie was so little,
so helpless and harmless that by and by a
spirit Of pity and geuteness toward him be-
gan to develop itself even among the merci.
less, outcast newsboys. They came to be so
kind and chivalrous toward him that not a
boy Of them all would 60 near little Beu's
heat not bov Of them would take custom.
err from him am Glad 10 write that of them
Tbov were clod IN pemember il too after that
bap1eped which did happen.
So for months that weak little how earned
sumner for himself and his mother. People
were kind TO him mostly. Ladies and gentle.
men bought paper. of the pretty polden.haired
child even when thew aid not want them
| Gar drivers often slacked nm y little when
tbov saw him conino so tbat he might climb
on SoG,ly and even fbo Nh, nolicemen used ~
watch Kim carefully across the street little
Rem learned more of tbe big world than he
ever tbougbt was N he known more than
was Good for child to know nerhons He
nsed To look at tbe fine c,rriogds and wonder
whether he conld over sell naners enonob IN
b,,, corr;.,,o Tia ,vo,IoraJ ,gbot bo ,So,ld
10 wbor h. 20 man uo would not he a
norrsronor lit bo ,hor,b, hooanse' od;tors
,ro.o IL so oros, ar5 i, s,cb a bnrry
Nav he be gonId he a strcot car driver lie
lI;,cl ,ha. hot,or ~ NOV he l,o would o,on
bayo 70 ,o anJ ho o. t.eg;5lator and bavo IN
be bonie5 oLon, in bact ond ho cared at
He ,ronld not lile N,t NJ ali On tSc vboIe
bo ,bonsbt be woriJ be min, mon be tol5
lbis mother bocanse a m;ltman conId ride all
Jav in ,vacon and soon,o5 70 ,ot moro ,nopoy
,ba, arybo5g oIso And Ettis Re- learne3
some bod word. and rorgb wavs from tbe
otbor bors Zoo Rnt he 9cver said tbo bad
word. bs}oro his mother nevcr And he al.
,yovs coyo ber everv nennv of his Iittle earn.
;ncs Sot oron kooninG. .onoIgh 70 Inv noct .,
lrI;f, n,i,b two bIados tboyoh bo wanted il
moro more tban ANYTHING else in me world
A. Iast terribIs tbinc bannened bardl,
lrow how 10 Wit, il down for whom 7 On II
write If that NV hand sbakes and tbe Tear,
come in snite Of me and somehow I seem tc
he writing If one who was verv near kin
to me,
One afternoon little Ben went ont merrily
to sell his naners his slender delicate hand,
and nale face verv clean and his lone brigbt
Icnrls shining in The SIM His mother watch.
ed him ont of sipbt from her window lust a,
always That was the last time she evel
curled little Ben's long bricbt hair: the las
time she was ever to watch her darling from
the window. Poor little BEN
He had sold three napers. and the littl,
fellow climbed into street car and sold anoth
er. He meant to step off at the crossing. bu