Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-12-24


know the wind blew keenly too:
A newsboy, with a newsboy's lungs,
square Scotch face, and honest brow,
And eyes that liked to smile so well
They had not yet forgotten how:
A newsboy, hawking his last sheets
With loud persistence. Now and then
Stopping to beat his stiffened hands,
And trudging bravely on gain.
Dodging about among the crowd,
Shouting his Extras" DER and DER;
Pausing by whites to cheat the wind
Within some alley, by some door,
At last he stopped-six papers left,
Tucked hopelessly beneath his arm
To eye fruiterer's outspread store:
Here products from some country farm
And there CONNECTIONS, all adorned
With wreathed and clustered leaves and flowers
While little founts, like frosted spires,
Tossed up and down their mimic showers.
Ne stood and gazed with wistful face,
All child's longing in his eyes;
Then started, as touched his arm,
And turned in quick, mechanic wise,
Raised his torn cap with purple hands,
Said, Papers, Sir? World Herald Times ~
And brushed away freezing tear
That marked his cheek with frosty rimes.
. How many have you Never mind
Don't stop to eount-I'll take them all
And when you pass my Office here, gs
With stock on hand, give me a call"
He thanked me with broad Scotch smile,
look half wondering and half glad
4 fumbled for the proper " change"
And said, You seem little lad
'~' To rough it in the streets like this"
"I'm ten years old this Christmas time! -
g Your name ?'' Jim Hanley." sc Here's bill
I've nothing else, but this one dime
IS Five dollars. When you get it changed
Come to my ofice-that's the place
Now wait bit, there's time enough:
You need not run headlong race.
IS Where do you live?" "Most anywhere.
We hired stable-loft to-day,
Me and two others'' Sand you thought
The fruiterer's window pretty, hey?
"Or were you hungry P" 'sJust bit,"
He answered, bravely as he might.
g I couldn't buy breakfast, Sir,
And had money left last night
" And you are cold ?" "Aye, just bit
I don't mind cold.' ''Why, that is strange!"
He smiled and pulled his'ragged cap.
And darted off to get the 8 change"
So, with half unconscious sigh,
[ sought my office desk again.
An hour more my busy wits
Found work enough with book and pen.
Bnt when the mantel clock struck five
I started with sudden thought,
For there besica my hat and cloak
Lay those six papers had bought. >.
50 Why, where's the boy and where's the change
He should have brought an hour ago?
All, well ali, we'll they're all aIike
was a fool to tempt him so
60 Dishonest Well, might have known;
And yet his face seemed candid. too.
He would hare earned the difference
If he had brought me what was due.
- But caution often comes too late.'i
And so took my homeward way,
Deeming distrust of human kind
The only lesson of the day.
just two days later, as sat,
Half doing, in my Office chair,
I heard timd knock, and called,
In my brusque fashion, :" Who is there ?"
An rchin entered barely seven
The same Scotch face the same blue eyes
And stood, half doubtful at the door,
Abash ed at my fofbidc ing guise.
g Sir, if you please, my brother Jim
The one you give the bill, you know
FL e couldn't bring the money, Sir,
Because his back was hurried So
IS He didn't mean to keep the change;'
He got ruined over, up the street:
One wheel went right across his back
And t'other fore-whee mashed his feet.
=" They stopped the horses just in time
And then they took him up for dead,
And all that day and yesterday
He wasn't rightly in his head.
They took him to the hospital
One OF the newsboys knew ,owas Jim
And went too, because, you see,
We two are brothers, and him.
IS He had that money in his hand.
And never it any more.
Indeed, he didn't mean to steal
He never lost cent before !
IS He was afraid that you might think
He meant to keep it, airy way;
This morning, when they brought him to,
He cried because he couldn't pay.
9. He made fetch his jacket here:
It's torn and dirtied pretty bad
It's only fit 10 sell for rags,
But then, You know, it's all he had
SO When he gets we'll it won't be long
If you viii call the money lent
He says he ii work his fingers off
But what h II pay you every cent"
A nd then he cast a rueful glance
At the soieo jacket where it lay.
SO No. no, my boy! Take back the coat.
Your brothers badly hurt, you say!
Where did they take him 2 Just run out
And hail cab, then wait for me.
Way would give a thousand coats,
And pounds, Tor such boy as he ~
A half hour after this we stood
Together N the crowded wards,
And the nurse CHI cked the hasty steps
That fell too 10 udly on the boards,
thought him smiling in his sleep,
{, AND scarce believed her when she said,
smoothing away the tang led hair
from brow ard cheek, - The boy IS dead J"
D Eau q ad SO soon? How fair he locked
D. - - isas Ct unshine on his hd1r.
~ lou Wen, it is warm in heaven:
w neeo % Change and jackets there!
And :, neth1ng rising in my throat
Mace II so hard for me tie .,,eak
i turned away, nd LEFT . tesr
Lying upon his sunburned cheek