The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-11-17

4" Chicken soup, 10 cenH; .ple-tney
! ofye tremendous pieces hare, thick, Itell
ou--10 conts. That's 25 ceuts; half q
dollar for two OF course, 7 don't do
this way every day in the year But
mothers glad to have me-, once in O
while.g Here! waiter !" And Bert gave
his princely order as if it we're no very
great thing for liberal young fellow
like him, after oil.
"Where is your mothers Why don't
YOU dine with herr" the little man
asked. ttt.N E|tEF
Bert's face grew sober in moment.
"That's the question Why don't 1
I'll tell you why don't. I've got the
best mother in the world What I'm
trying to do il to make q home for her,
SO we can live together, and eat our
Thanksgiving dinners together, some
time. Some boys want one thing, some
another-there's one goes in for good
times, another's in such hurry to get
rich he don't care much how he does it
but what L want most of anything is to
be with my mother and my two sisters
again, and / amt ashamed to say So"
Bert's eyes grew very tender, and he
went Oh while his companion across
the table watched him with very gen
tie, searching look. r.g
haven't been with her now for two
years-hardly at all since father died
When his business was settled up-he
kept little hosiery store on Hanover
street-it was found he hadn't left us
anything. We had lived pretty well,
up to that time, and and my two sisters
had been to school; but then mother had
to do something, and her friends got her
places to go ont nursing-and she's a
nurse now. Everybody likes her, and
she has enough to do. We couldn't be
with her, of course. She got us boarded
at good place, but saw how hard it
was going to be for her to support us,
so L said. I'm boy; I can do some
thing for myself; you just pay their
board and keep EN- to school, and I'll
go to work, and maybe help you little,
besides taking care of myself >"
"What could you do 2" said the little
old man.
"That's it; was only 'leven years
old and what could Il What should
have liked would have been some nice
place, where could do light work, and
stand chance Of learning good bust
ness. But beggars mustn't be choosers.
l couldn't find such a place; and 1
wasn't going to be loafng about the
streets, SO went to selling newspapers.
I've sold newspapers ever since, and 1
shall be IL years old next month"
"You like il? ?" said the old man.
81 like to get my own living" re-
piled Bert, proudly. "But what want
is, to learn some trade, or regular bust
ness, and settle down, and make home
for But there's no use talking about
that. Make the best of things-that' 8
my motto. Don't this soup smell good
And don't it taste good, too9 They
haven't put so much chicken in yours as
they have in mine. Ii you don't mind
my having tasted it, we'll change"
The old man declined this liberal
offer took Bert's advice to help him
self freely to the bread, which "didn't
cost anything" and ate his soup with
prodigious relish, as it seemed to Bert,
who grew more and more hospitable
and patronizing as the repast proceeded.
Come, now, won't you have some
thing between the soup and tho pie 2
Don't be afraid-Pll pay for it.
Thanksgiving don't come but once a
year. You won't. A cup of tea, then,
to go with your pie :"
." think l will have a cup of tea-you
are so kind" said the man.
"All right Here, waiter Two
pieces of your latest and biggest squash
pie and u cup of tea-strong for this
gentleman.
"Tve told you about myself" added
Bert; suppose you tell me some
thing!"
about MYSELF"
eyes. l think that would go pretty
we'll with the pie"
But the man shook his head. "l
could go back and tell about my plans
and hopes when was lad of your age
but it would be too much like your own
story over again. Life isn't what we
| think it will be, when we are young.
You'll find that out soon enough. am
all alone in the world now and / am
67 years old"
"Have some cheese with your aie,
won't you2 1t must be so lonely,cat
your age What do you do for 6
living"
"I'have little place in Devonshire
street. My name is Croker. You'll
find me up two flights of stairs, back
room at the right. Come and see me-
and I'll toll you all about my business
and perhaps help you to such place as
you want, for ! know several business
men. Now don't fail"
And MIR. Crooker wrote his address,
with little stub of pencil, on corner
of the newspaper which had led to theil
acquaintance, tore it off carefully, and
gave it to Bert.
Thereupon the latter took card from
his pocket-not very clean one, must
say q am speaking of the card, though
the remark will apply equally well Il
the pocket, and handed 1t across the
table to his new friend.
Herbert Hampton, Dealer in Ne,Os
papers," the old man read, with hi
sharp gray eyes, which glowed up fun
nily at Bert, seeming to say, I" Ism
this rather aristocratic for l2-year.olC
newsboy?"
Bert blushed and explained. $50
up for me by printers boy L know
I'd done some favors for him, and 81