The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-11-02
TIE E1gake McwsDow.

=@S#4@ SMNbb - ]@# @%@
Tae Esasase NcweDov.
california xdvertiser.l
"You see that fat, con1fortable-looking
woman" / said to a brother journalist who
was furnishing 8 cold supper with me lately,
.sthat lauDdress who jus, went out, after
bringing my clothes home from the wash.''
Your deinition is 8 very geed one," re-
piled my friend Dali. She looks fat, COM
Portable, and. should judge, she weighs 1870
pounds. Is abe 8 widow q"
Yes"
"Well, shes @ bonnie-lopking, healthy,
kind]y-looking woman, but | hope you are
not Bohemian enough TO have any idea Of
marrying her" replied my friend Dali.
| laughed long and heartily, and then, al
the memories o., my 6rst meeting with The
honest old lsundress came Int my mind, l
became client and thoughtful. The further
my memory went back In connection with
good Mrs. Merriem, the more Is vas hedged
with thorns. At last Dali, seeing me mus-
ing, said:
''Old hey, your greg is untasted, and you
are thinking of something painful. [ am
sorry if ! made . joke that hurt you-let ua
change the subject. Are you going to SEQ
the small yachts race on Saturday =
my dear DALI / answered, tsmost en-
phatically ehall I refrain from witnessing the
liliputian plungers cavort around our bay on
Saturday, and I have to remark, il addition,
thar there Is no occasion to change the sub
ject. But if you viii hoist up your inter
minable crural appendages on to the table
and get outside of that grog, and blow a
CLOUD, I will tell you the washerwoman's
story
lone act or three r. asked Dali, because
4 have to report q meeting Of Pecksniffs at s
p. n., who are going to try the sexton on a
charge of hers sy-euilty Of taking snuff and
sne,zing during ! he benediction, J believe
Dali is nothing il not absurd; but be put
Lis legs upon the table and remarked:
Fire away, old SIX. -footof-mlsery, and
make it short"
And did. But Dali is in. corr'g1ole' ana
just as I was beginning, "Abol 1our years
sago-rD he interrupted with:
Say, drink your teddy, i knowt H. IS yarn
is an internal lie, but it you swallow : bout
three ounces of alcohol, 1 have noticed you
talk 50 much more pleasantly"
50 I emptied my glass and commenced:
About four years ago, when | was 81 the
local staff Of the -, | was standing chat
ting with the herculean ~casiia~5 hen q tiny
little boy, very much emaciated, came in and
bought ten papers 1T the regular neWsboys'
rates.
re must have sold them very quickly, for
he came in again and again, until calculat-
ed that he must have disposed Of at least fifty
papers.
.sThat's 4 smart boy" ! remarked to the
cashier the must have made nearly q dollar
and a half in the last hour,
yes replied that official. thoughtfully !;
but I sometimes have to trust him for papers.
There IL something wrong about him. See
how thin he is. Guess he's forced to sell
papers, and has q father who takes every
cent away from him"
ssshouldn't WONDER answered. 'These
little street fellows have 9 tough road 20 tray-
ell and just as ! spoke 7 heard the shrill,
weak, little voice piping outside the counter,
t.Ten more papers, please
I left the office, Dali, and went round to
q saloon on Clay street to get . cocktail be
fore going home; but I couldn't get The idea
Of that little neWsboy out Of my head; and,
although q party of US were chatting over
the election, and q dozen subjects interesting
to newspaper men, that little boys face stood
still in the background Of my minds Tefec:
tons. 4E55
All Of q sudden, while we were laughing
at ore Of little LIS jokes, heard the tins
voice ard saw the boy again, with his lip
all pinched and looking whittier than ever.