The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-05-14
An UNKNOWN HERO.

An UNKNOWN HERO.
"Evenin' Telegram, fourth edition
All about the bulls Il an bears, totterin
dynasties furrin affairs! Telegram
sir? only penny"
Above the tumult and roar of Broad.
way the shrill little voice piped its song
in the ears of hurrying humanity. The
shadows were beginning to fall, and the
lamplighter, intent upon duty, ran past
with his ladder and link.
Two living breathing tides surged in
opposite directions through the great
thorougllfare. Each looked out for
himself; no one thought of his neigh
Dor.
"Eyenin' Telegram fourth edition y
The thin little voice in its sharp STAG
cato was alone sufficient to conjure in
the mind of the imaginative picture of
hunger and want, and youth without
childhood, coupled with the experience
and sorrow Of age.
All this, in addition to the legion woes
Of his tribe, chance glimpse of the pin.
ched little form conN eyed?
He was boy Of dozen years perhaps,
with frecklcd face and pair of hon.
est blre eyes, whose whole vitality SEEM
ed to have cen eFed in a remarkable
shock of brick colore1 hair, He stood
pressed against "A iamp-post, with his
bare feet drawn close for safety and the
ragged Jacket buttoned to the chin; an.
der his arm was bundle of papera and
a grimy little hand fourished Ole in
time to his shrill little tune:
"Buy paper, sir? Telegram only a
penny"
But somehow the hurrying crowd
cared little for the news, and the pennies
accumulated slowly in the ragged
pocket.
He counted them over now and then
spreading them out on his palm.
Cone, three, seven, ten, fifteen! No
dinner tonight, Tim, if you don't do bet
ter than this.
For a moment his face would fall, but
he would sing line of two of "Sweet
BY and By" and then, as if the inspir-
iting words had given fresh courage
begin again:
"Fourth edition, Eyenin' Telegram.
Still the crowd surged on; the labcrer
to his humble home, where all his trea-
sures were gathered and in which his
Joy centered: clerks and shop-girls drag
ging their weary bodies on blisteEed feet
to the doubtful refreshment of com
fortress boarding houses; gentlemen of
leisure sauntering to their clubs; women
whose sole vocation in life was to be as
tsthe lilies of the field
The honest blue eyes staring out OF
the hungry, freckled face, scanned them
all as he offered his paper with nice dis
elimination to those only whose mien
was inviting.
The shadows fcll swiftly now, and
myriad gas jets burst into light while
sudden cry of fire caused the strug
Cling streams Of life to rush yet more
frantically each in its own direction.
SIN the sweet by-and-by" sang the
newsbOy, watching with his bright blue
eyes the efforts of beautiful young wo
man to free herself from the crowd. As
she neared him, Tim put out his haand
and touched her sleeve.
"MsVd this way, lady; come here on
the curb by the lamp post an stand
still for mint. ! won't let you get
hurt"
'%Oh thank yon, my boy / am SO fright
ened," she answered, slipping into the
place Tim made vacant, while he put his
little form between her and the strug-
Cling mass Of humanity.
There's nothing like a Broadway
crowd this time o. day, lady. But the
rush'll soon. be over; the cry Of fire
made it worse. and every ybody's a-goin'
to dinner Just now; leastways every body
wots got any dinner to 60 to, he added,
gravely.
One pretty arm, clothed it its blue vel.
vet sieve, was wound round the lamp
post for safety, but as Tim finished she
Slid it down. without removing it, and
laid that hand on his ragged shoulder,
saving:
"DO ron ever have 70 60 without din
aYery often lady, he made answer
looking with honest admiration into hei
sweet face.
"How Is it tonight viii you have .
good dinners
aNot very, / gess, less sells enough
papers to pay for my stock an dinner too
and l amt done that, yet lady.
Are ven very far Of
For answer he held up his bundle d
papers and spreading out the pennies oE
his hand counted again
Three, eight, ten, thirteen, eighteen
Itwenty-three, not very snmpt0us din
ner tonight, lady.
sWili this help toward it e she asked
lrying bright silver dollar among tha
small coin.
-Et will pay for feast, lady. Clan
soup. roast beef, huckleberrg puddin' an
III he answered. with an junction tha
showed the pretty young lady how Ii
/ lie he vas accustomed 70 such fare.
1 But lie picked up the silver coin Iron
among the others and Eeld i ont 2
her.
Pm very much obliged, lady, and its
nne0mnlon kind ID y0u. but ! c0nldn.
4 take II, eos likes to earn what eats.
But you have been oE services to me
nv lad. ard you can be still tnofe i yol
viii 70 With me aerqss the street A.
Icsll ! coach then you sill have earnel
the n1oneT
Thanf yon LADY but 4 very biiI
tav Tor little work.
Then ssss threaded their ~ lhr0ngl
tie lesserIfna stream a people, Tin q
wnue sfer 81 two Ia advance a elsa
tie road. When they reached TIE mid
IIIs 3f 4he sEfest "a Il.iI.e drawn by : pei
81 nov exfs.l BLACK IIel1e IlsLhlIe foE "a
f'xs. 1ft des.li1E past Eila tfeak.nee|
rne Tin turned aud s. bis con
rani5H s danger fh1zE IeEnefl
WITH ESk tsfot aa Thrust g
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