Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-12-01

"Too much? No, sir!" laughed

Bert. "Chicken soup, Is cents; pie
they give tremendous pieces here
thick, | tell you-lO cents. Tha (
25 cents; half a dollar for two. O1
course, | don't do this way every day
in the year! But mothers glad to
have me, once in a while. Hcre!--
waitcr!." And Bert gave his prince
ly order as if it were no very grea,
thing for a liberal young fellow like
him, after all.
"Where is your mother? Why
don't you dine with her?" the little
man asked.
Bert's face grew sober in mo.
ment.
"That's the question! Why don't
l? I'll tell you why l don't. Pve
got the best mother in the world!-
What Pm trying to do is to make a
home for her, so we can live togeth.
er 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 a hurry to get rich he don't
care much how he does it; but what
| 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 on; while his companion
across the table watched him with a
very gentle, searching look.
81 haven't been with her now for
two years-hardly at all since father
died. When his business was settled
up-he kept a little hosiery store on
Hanover street-it was found he
hadn't LETT 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 out nursing-and she's
nurse now. Everybody likes her,
and she has enough to do. We
couldn't be with her, of course. She
got us boarded at a good place, but
| saw how hard it was going to be
for her to support us, so | said, 'Pm
boy; I can do something for my
SELF: you just pay their board and
keep 'em to school, and rll go to
work, and maybe help you little,
besides taking care of myself"
What could you do?" said the lit
tie old man.
"That's it; was only 'leven years
old; and what could L? What |
should have have liked would have
been some nice place, where | could
do light work, and stand chance OF
learning a good business. But beg
gars mustn't be choosers. l couldn't
find such a place; and l wasn't going
to be loafng about the streets, so
went to selling newspapers. I've
sold newspapers ever since, and
shall be II years old next month"
"You like it?" said the old man.
81 like to get my own living" re
piled Bert, proudly. "But what
want is, to learn some trade, or regu
lar business, and settle down, and
make home for. But there's nc
use talking about that. Make the
best of things-that's my MOTTO
Don't this soup smell good? And
don't it taste good,too? They haven't
put so much chicken in yours as they
have in mine. If you don't mind
my having tasted it, we'll change
The old man declined this liberal
offer; took Bert's advice to help
himself 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 the pie:
Don't be afraid-Pll pay for it.
Thanksgiving don't come but once
year. You won't. A cup of tea
then, to go with your pic?"
81 think l will have cup of tea
you are so kind" said the man.
"All right! Here, waiter! Two
pieces of your fattcst and bigges,
squash pie; and cup OF tea-strone
for this gentleman"
give told you about myself" ad.
ded Bert; ''suppose you tell me
something"
"About MYSELF"
eyes. I think that would go
pretty well with the pie
But the man shook his head 81
could 90 back and tell about IN,
plans and hopes when was a lad o1
your age; but it would be too mucl
like your own story over again. Lif,
isn't what we think it will be, whcl
we are young. Youth find that ou
soon enough. am all alone in thu
world now; and l am 81 years old.
"IIavc some cheese with your pie
won't you? 1t must be SO lonely, a
your age! What do you do for 1
living?"
81 have little place in Devon
shire street My name is Crooker
You'll find me up two flights ofstairs
back room at the right. Come ano
see me, and I'll tell you all about m,
business, and perhaps help you t.
such a place as you want, for know
several business men. Now don
fail"
And Mr.. Crooker wrote his addres
with little stub of pencil, on ;
corner of the newspaper which haC
led to their acquaintance, tore it of
carefully and gave it to Bert.
Thereupon the latter took a care
from his pockct-not very clear
one, | must say | am speaking O.
the card, though the remark will ap
ply equally well to the pocket, an'
handed it across the table to his new
friend.
"Herbert Hampton, Dealer 1,
Newspapers" the old man read, witt
his sharp gray eyes, which glowe'
up funnily at Bert, seeming to say
"Isn't this rather aristocratlc for
l2-year-old newsboy?"
Bert blushed and explained. $50
up for me by printers boy l know
I'd done some favors for him and S,
he made me few cards. Handy t