Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-05-12
Vol. Xiv NEW SERIES. VOL. XVII
From the Cincinnati Commercial
LITTLE BEN, THE HEWSBoE.

TOUCHING LITTLE SKETCH.
Some months ago, or year ago, maybe it
was-I have forgotten just how long, for
don't remember times and seasons very well
two ueople were walking down street one
day. 4 big, burly newsboy, very rough
looking. very dirty and unc0mbed he was.
walking slowly along, just before the two
people. crying, in hoarse, brazen voice -
j '' Ner's yer evening pippers, O'Clock
e-dish-ing -
Just as hundreds Of rough looking, IN
combed newsboys do, every day. But few
feet behind the big boy, another boy. little
one, was walking timidly. He was the
merest mite of little boy, not more than
seven years old, think, and small for his
age, too. He was a fragile looking little fol-
low, with pale face and slender little
hands. His hair was combed and curled
carefully, in long, yellow curls, almost Ike
girl S. None bat q mothers hand can
comb and curl boys hair Just that way,
| have noticed.
The small boy hai few papers under his
arm, trying to hold them as the big boy
held bis. And when the big boy sung out
his cry, " evening papers-5 O'Clock c.
dish-lng - in his loud, rough voice, he
would turn Immediately around to the little
one, and nod encouagingly, and tell him
Now you say it, Baby"
Then the pale little fellow, with the long,
yellow curls, would take Up the ry. family
and ieebly, and Try to say it in his weak,
childish quayer. somehow it made one feel
queer about the throat, to hear that poor
little voice.
The large boy was teaching the small one
! how q be "a ncWsbCy. Next afternoon the
two boys had another rehearsal, and the
next, and that time the little boy vcnturcd
70 cross the street, and 90 down the other
side, family and timidly echoins the cry Of
his big. rough friend opposite Hundreds
of people must have noticed the two, 1 am
sure.
The small boy was little Ben.
have not much saving faith IN the race
| Of newsb1ys. as a general thing. am afraid
/ that, in spite Of Sunday schools and night
schools, and savings banks, and even news
/ boys homes, they remain "a class OF the most
| depraved little wretchos under the sun
/ know | should be 70 myself in their place.
/ 1t is not their fault. 1t is the fault Of the
/ barbarous civilization which turns children
/ out of their cradles 70 earn their living.
! Learned doctors say that the moral faculties.
I being the highest endowment of human na-
/ ture, arc therefore the very las. to be de-
/ yelOped. Aud that is why children a-e
mostly such unmcrciiul, cruel little heath
/ ems, and pinch and torture each other, and
/ steal and tell hes, and have to have ideas Of
/ right and wrong educated into them, SO 10
| speak 50 that it is not until children au-
| pr0ach manhood and womanh50d that they
/ begin to be truthful and honest and tender
| hearted. Indeed. | have known even fall
| grown men and women who did not seem to
] have any very vivid ideas of right and wrong.
/ not beng fully developed mentally. So
| when crlel necessity lays the burdens of
] bearded men on the shoulders l1 weak cLil-
/ dren, we cannot expect anything else OF
/ them than that they viii he miniature
/ sharpors and wicked little wrctchos But |
/ never meant 70 preach. / only meant to
| tell the simple and sJu0wlul Story ot Lit
tie Ben. 1t is a true story, too. III could
/ have made it up myself, God knows would
/ have gwen it a different ending
He was a newsb1v, as l told You. Not
/ one of thc angel kind either. lie sometimes
/ said words little as he was, which would
/ have shocked You. | am afraid, ii you had
heard them. And | know the only reason
/ in the world why be did n9, knock down
/ the big boys who Usel To- kick and cuA him
/ when lie went TO take Ills turn in the row OF
/ boys in the newspaper oG,e, va, simply be-
/ cause he was Too little to 40 it. Patsey
/ Hagans did i- for him, and Paaey was the
bully OF the ucWshlv-. the toughest, tJugu-
/ est most reckless oi them all. the hardest
/ case in town. who always slept rolled u0 in
/ a blanket on the door, and who knew how
/ 70 swear when lie was tg3 years old. Pat
rev trained Little Ben % be a ncWsb0v. and
! called him his baby. So Pat-cv had O. Elit
spot in his hard heart after all
Ben was the smallest ucweboy you ever
| saw. Such a little, little mite of d fellow
/ he was, that vou wondered low he could
/ sell rapcrs g.. al and how any mother
could trust him out Of her sight. Fine
| ladies said sometimes that Is was a pity such
a pretty child should be q uews10y, and
that bis mother surely did not care mach
for him, letting him run about the streets s5,
in constant danger OF being knocked down
! and killed. II be were their boy De iouil-
n 10 it for anything. Fog little Ben wes
q very pretty child, with his slender bands
and long, golden cu1ls.
How was it, DID NOT his mother care i5r
her child Aye, she did for he wa the only
comfort she had in the world. Her only
comfort and her only child Little Ben had
a father, but he might better have had no
/ father. This father was g. Door, ritiiGl
wreck Of humanity, fallen so low that !
! think scarcely the angels OF heaven could
/ have reached him in tie depth Of degrada-
/ tion to which he had sunk J am sure no.
| body except an angel could have reached
him, away down in the pool of slime and
1 filth which was all over him. For 10 beast
Is so beastiy as a human beast.
Time was when ths weak, bad ilan had
/ been well t. do IN tie world, and rcspecta-
bic, and had friends. But is must have
been always in him u be weak and bad, or
he would not have fallen 30 easily when
temptation came An old tradition. which
tells how the angels fell from Paradise. saws
that the thread which drew them into evil
- was at first as thin as q c0bweh, but they
/ did not resist it, and it grew strong as a
I cable. So with little Ben's father lie
| did not resist the c0b-web at first. and now
/ the cable bound him hand and t0ot. and
/ left ham no power. n0r even toe Wish, ever
/ to rise again in this world. With the faith
| er Of little Ben we have nothing more 70 90.
| Time had been when his gentle mother,
/ with her slender hands and yellow curling
] hair, SO like little Ben's own, lived in @
I large house and had carriage to ride in.
| Time had been when she had such a happy
home that she had nothing lef- On earth To
wish for. But that time was so long gone
/ by now THAT Ben mother, IN her great
/ trouble and despair. looked forward 10 DO
| happiness and no beautiful home till she
should pass over the river and enter tlc
gate Of the celestial city. Indeed, 80 heavy
was her trouble that she sometimes lost
sight Of even that one Lass hope.
The days Of pleutv and happiness were so
long gone by for litIie Ben and bis mother
that one night they had ID supper. And
the next night lt was just the same, and
the next-ant after ihat little Ben ottcn