The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-12-29
THE LITTLE NEWsB0Y..
A story os Everyday Life

'You see that fat. comfortable-looI
ing woman" said to q brother Jour
nalist who was punching . cold suppe
with me lately, ''that laundress v h
justwent out. after bringing my clothe
| home from the washP, filiffsst. s,i
'.Your definition is a very good one,
replied my friend Dali. "She looks fat
comfortable, and 1 should Judge sh
weighed 180 pounds. Is she widow?'
Yes" ta,t- 500.
''Well. she's bonnie-looking. healthy
kindlyloOking woman, but hope yo,
are not Bohemian enough to have an!
idea of marrying her." replied m!
friend Dali.
l laughed long and heartily. ant
! then, as the memories Of my first meet
ing with my honest old laundress cam.
into my mind, became silent anl
thoughtful. The further my memorJ
went back in connection with good
Mrs. Merriam, the more il was hedget
with thorns. At last Dali, seeing mt
musing. said:
'Old boy, your grog is untasted. and
you're thinking about something pain.
full. I'm sorry If made Joke tha,
hurt you-let us change the subject
Are you going to see the small yachts
race on Saturday.
''My dear Dali" 1 answered, ..mosi
emphatically shall refrain from wit
Messing the iliputian plungers cavori
around our bay on Saturday. and have
to remark, in addition. that there is no
necessity to change the subject. But,
if you will hoist up your interminable
cruel appendages on TO the table. and
get outside of that grog and blow .
cloud, Twill tell you the washerwomau's 9
story" a.
s.One act or thrcep" asked Dali,
''because have 10 report q meeting of
the Pecksnifs at P. NJ, who are GO
ing TO try the sexton on a charge of her
esy-guilty of taking snuff and sneez-
ing during the bcnediction, believe. :"
Dali is nothing if not absurd, but he
put his legs upon the table and retort-
ed
Fire away. old csix-foot. .of-misery,
and make it short" and I did. But
Dali is incorrigible, and just as 1 was
beginning: About four years ago"
he interrupted me with:
Say, drink your toddy. / know this
yarn is an internal lie. but if you swal-
low about three ounces of alcohol I
have noticed you always talk so much
more pleasantly" o. s.s..ts-g...,, +.
So I emptied my glass and COM
menced: ,e,f
About four years ago. when was on
the local staff of the Post, was stand
ing chatting with the herculean cashier.
Blackburn. when tiny little boy. much
emaciated. came in and bought ten
He must have disposed Of them very
snIy ~ &x,,. h. s,. u
again. until calculated lie must have
disposed of at least fifty papers
ssThat's smart boy,'' remarked to
a dollar and half in the last hour.''
eyes" replied that official thought
fully, t'but l sometimes have to trust
him for papers. There's something
wrong about him. See how thin he is.
Guess he's forced to sell spapers, and
has n father who takes every cent away
from him. u51': fn s
''Shouldn't wonder," ] answered.
These little street fellows have a
tough road to. travel" and just as I
spoke ] heard the shrill weak little
voice piping outside the counter. Item
more papers. please. - sif7r fss-1,} .4
/ left the Office, Dali. and went round
to saloon on Clay street to get q cock
tail before going home; but l couldn't
get the idea of That littlo newsboy out
of my head, aud. although n PARTY of
us we're chatting over. the election and
dozen subjects interesting to newspa-
permen. that little boys face still stood
in tie background of my minds retiec-
tions.
All of a sudden, while we were
laughing at one of little Is jokes.
I heard the tiny voice and saw the boy
again, with his lips all pinched and
looking winter than ever.
This time was determined to find
out something about him. -.
fIe was Watching his opportunity.
and when he saw the b;,rkeeper at leis-
ure he pulled his coat timidly. and I
heard him say:
PLEASE, Alfred. give me a glass Of
water and cracker" .
The kind-heartcd barkeeper, Dali,
gave him some bread and cheese, some
water with raspberry syrup in it, and
..Piteh in, little 'un. How's your
mother?",i1sc ?. Slu
.sWorse," was the little croak from
the bundle of bones; ..but I'm bully,
you bet; and l sold fifty-seven papers
tonight and took the money home.
Bot your sweet life mother was pleased,
They're mighty good. he chirruped.
'.to me at the Office, and the cashier
give me three extra papers. Made dol.
lar and forty-five cents Tonight We
got coal and wood and meat and bread.
for mother, We're hunky. So long"
We'll. Dali, stood petrified, had
inst set the drinks up for the crowd
S1.25-and here WAS this little fellow
like a beaver, all skin and
bone, for his mother, and felt like
brute" -. .',s
..Broke you up, as it were" said
Dali.
'.Made me esthetically weary" I re-
piled.
: 'Wcll. what did you do next" que.
ried Dali. "a - . s
didn't do ANYTHING for several
nights, but couldn't get the little beg
gar out of my mind, and one night l
him. He came mp and asked
me to buy a paper. and. before he
could run off after getting his five cents.
said: 9s3e = i9iJa.s7 as
'Say. sonny! come up and get a cup
of coffee and something to eat; you
look hungry" Pc s5Es~ @ y
The little midget looked at me with
his bright, sunken eyes for q moment.
and said: Say. sir. you belong to the.
and Pve often seen you
look at me, butsI don't want no coffee
nor nuffen, only. L can't, sell no papers
t night. and if ye'd like to gimme the
price of the coffee. / could use it bet
ter" ,fia5lesT =
'.How betterP" ! asked. tt9
Mother" gulped the boy. But he
was iraul,''' said Dali, Fraud? Well,
let me tell you. ! got that boy. to take ]
me to where. his. mother lived. and she
gave. me the whole business, She was
getting we'll Of typhoid fever. more by
luck than through science. and she had
wanted for nothing from the day she
sickenod until the night ] saw her lying
white rs a ghost. and thin as y shadow.
Oh "a pallet bed in an alley of jackson
street.
"And you-what did you do?' que
ried Dali. a's - %'i'
..WeH, L hal $50 for my lsndlady.
aud all know is that she didn't get it.
and called me a blk for a whole
= les II g