Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-27
BILLY THE NEWsBoY.
Features of Life in the Great Metropolis.
Grrnhic

news stand which viii soon be vacant or
presided over by some one else, it the
present owner is fortunate enough to dis
pose of ii at his own valuation. He is go
ing out West to Join his mother and little
sisters there, and | do not suppose in all
the length and breadth of New York there
Is happier lad 60 be met with than Billy,
the newspaper boy.
Yet, though Billy is only fourteen years
old, and as he proudly assures you "a
self-made man," he has not always been
either happy or prosperous. Two years
ago he was pitiable, AFFECT little urchin
enough. begging stray pence from the
charitable passers by or picking up any
odd job he was lucky enough to lind. The
only recollection OF a satisfactory meal
Billy had was associated with his fathers
wake. for whom his mother did not wear
the willow long, but very soon after en-
shaved an unsophisticated brewer with her
buXOm charms. The numerous progeny
Of the dear departed did not profit very
/ much by this new arrangement, as from
an embryo state of ill-treatment, with oc-
casional intervals for rest, they emerged
into state of full fledged abuse in which
the championship of their buXOm mother
was but of little avail, as she only trans
ferred all active proceedings to herself.
Billy scarcely wondered that two such
| opposing elements could not agree as she
would persist in calling the brewer Sthigh
/ Dutch" and he retaliated by clubbing her
Low Irish,' which so worked upon each
others patriotic feelings as scarcely to
call tor cessation Of earns" One fine
morning, however, the brewer declared a
state OF truce by Yacating the field and
betaking himself to new sphere of ac-
ton out West without the preliminary
ceremony of taking leave Of his wife and
six encumbrances. The fair deserted one,
however, nothing daunted, jerked her
I plump arms out Of the chronic sOap-suds,
levied contributions upon her whole clan.
converted all her effects into ready money,
and buckling on her bonnet and her child
rem prepared to start in pu:suifOf the fly
ing Dutchman. All but poor little twelve
/ year-old Billy, who, being the patriarch
of the family, was left to shift for himself
as his mothers means did not warrant
her in taking him along also. The boy
4 will never forget that bright September
| morning when, with his heart lump of
! lead in his bosom he watched the emil
4 grant train disappear which bore his
mother and little sisters tear-stained
/ faces from his view. For him the sun did
not shine for many day after, and he had
no worse shivering fits in January than
4 he experienced just then. Here he was
| ready to face the world with the streets
/ fer his home and quantity of vague re-
/ solves to start with in life. He rubbed on
/ somehow during the rest of the autumn.
! sometimes assisting in the sale of papers,
/ opening the carriage door for some E1swelP'
! or lady-Wlth, however, very seldom re-
/ muneration-or picking up a stray meal
/ here and there. But when winter came
/ with It's sharp, keen blasts-ahi then it
was that Billy realized what it was to be
alone In the world. He shivered and troze
ana starved, and finally fell sick. He
/ crept into a stable and hid himself under
/ the straw with the instinct of wounded
animal, and the rough, burly fellows let
him alone, so that in the warm, grateful
atmosphere Billy soon came to again.
ana then 1t was that one morning BillV's
star rose in the ascendancv. and like the
/ proYerbiai do he went forth to meet his
day at last. He had only a few DAVIS since
risen from his sick bed, and the bows pal
lid, sunken face and hollow, implOring
eyes moved the most Indifferent to pity.
4 stout, substantial looking man came
along with rugged, weather-beaten face.
who In his long swinging stride seemed a
very bulwark of towering strength to the
starved, stunted boy implOrlng so pitiiully
at his side. He shook him off perempt0-
rlly without the pFeOccupied look leaving
his face, then after walking on a few
yards stopped short as if struck by sud
den idea, turned round and beckoned Bill
ly, VINO had stared after him in vague.
dazed kind of fashion, to follow.
II suppose you're very hungry" he
catechized, his keen blue eyes looking the
shivering, abject little figure through and
through.
Billy could only respond with a success
sion OF very emphatic mods, for his throat
was too full to speak.
''And frozen too: that's easy enough 10
perceive. Come along, boy, Wen see
what can be done for YOU"
The stranger resumed his long. swing
ing stride with Billy running at a full
irot beside him till they reached a large.
spacious warehouse in Pearl street. of
which he was evidently master, to Judge
by the respectful greetings the numerous
employees bestowed upon him. They en-
tered an office on the second floor. plainly
furnished enough, but which, to the bows
unaccustC med eyes, seemed the very per
sonitication of comfort and elegance. A
cheerful CRATE fire diffused a welcome
warmth all over the room, beside which a
capacious armchair stretched out its in
yIting depth. But what aroused Billy's
interest more than anything else was
pam but substantial breakfast set out on
side table which the master. after d.
Vesting himself OF his oYercoat and hat.
pushed toward the boy already deyOUrino
it with tamished eyes.
Eat" he said briefly, ''and," indica-
ting the armchair with a sweep of his
hand, warm Yourself" Then he turned
perfectly Obvious to everything but the
numerous piles of papers he began ex-
aiming, While Billy, with characteristic
American facility for adapting himself to
any situation, immediately ayailed him
sell OF the permission so kindly given, He
ensconced himself on the extreme edge of
the chair and commenced as fierce an on
saught on the hot rolls and coffee as only
10y constitutionally starved is capable
OF performing, and thrust his tattered
knees almost between the bars of the CRATE
as If he intended to Law in a stock of
warmth for the rest of the winter. By
and-by, when he began to ease up in the
process OF masticatiOn and finally entire
~ stopped for sheer want of further re-
serve force, his entertainer turned round
and surveyed the remnants of the break
fast with a smile Of grim enjoyment.
Now, boy" he questioned, 'shave YOU
no money at all to buy bread with?''
For an answer Billy drew from his
pocket handful of small coin and dol
lar bill, which he handed over without the
least hesitation.
merchant said, and then looked at Billy /
inquiringly, who nodded in response.
odd you beg all this?''
~ es, sir. Since day before Yesterday. I
| changed the little money for the green /
back for fear it might not last"
suppooc YOU Ie uOIug lnlS LOT Dur- 4
pose, then?"
yes, sir. A pal o. mines maxim a |
heap o. money seliin' papers on little /
stand O. his own, and it struck me | could I
do just as well purvidin' l had the money I
to start with"
''And was it to save up this money that /
you took to begging and starved your
seli?'
Again Billy nodded. 1t seemed to him
the most natural thing in the world. The |
gentleman weighed the coins in the broad I
palm of his hand in an distracted fashion.
then he said, suddenly looking up:
sHow much do you want to start with %
eight dollars, sir. Couldn't do it less,
could l, STRIP and he looked anxiously
into his interlocutor's face.
Hardly" responded he with a smile.
g Now tell me where you live and how you
hit upon this plan for starting in bust
ness?
Thus invited the boy gave him resume
of his history and how he had been flung
upon his own resources. When he had |
finished the merchant touched a bell, in
response to which a bright, open-faced
youth made his appearance, who on re-
ceiying some instructions in a low tone of
voice instantly disappeared Then Billy
and his affairs We're consigned to oblivion
again, as far as the merchant was con-
and an hour went by in which