St. Landry democrat., 1884-02-16
A VALENTINE STORY.

Tony lived in q San francisco Gel
lar He belonged to that class Of boys
that learn so early in life all the trough
and tumble" of this strange working
world--the newsboys.
He was a queer-looking little fellow.
His cap hadn't any front, and it was
/ pulled down so as to hide his hair,
which was all tangled up so that you
| could almost make q birds nest of it.
You have seen his brown face and great
| black eyes sometimes, perhaps at the
| depcts, the ferries, or the entrance to
the theater; I saw him one evening, as
with his arms full of the latest edition
just from the press he boarded 3 street
car down Market Street, crying: Stock
three papers for a bit !" He looked like
vitalized atom of California stock
| himself, and that is the keynote to ev-
I erything on this coast. The conductor
rudely pushed him off, saying: "Pll
| punch yer head if We git on again.
| saw him a moment or two later on
the rear platform, when the conductor
had gone forward to collect fare, and
then / lost sight of him as he darted
across the street to knot of gentle
men.
It is a strange, hard life-that of q
neWsboy-but there is a bright side to
the picture, for, thrown upon their own
resources and stimulated by the thought
of weaker ones who depend upon them,
these little fellows early develop a
sturdy self-reliance and brave fortitude
that is of inestimable benefit to them in
later life.
Though Tony was scarcely twelve
years of age, he was the sole support of
himself and his sister, two years
younger, gentle little Nell, who thought
Tony the handsomest, the brayest and
the best of boys. To be sure she did
not know many boys, and most of those
that lived in her neighborhood were
cross to her; but Tony was always good,
always kind.
The children had never known
''father," and there was asunken grave
in the paupers' burial place that repre-
scented mother to them now. They
did not visit the place very often, for
after their first visits they grew be-
wildered, there were SO many new
graves just like the one they sought,
that they could never be quite sure
which was the right one.
One evening when Tony came home
there was a new look on his face, look
that Nell had never seen before.
She had seen him when he was wet,
tired, cold and hungry; when there had
been great sensation, election news,
disaster at sea, railroad horror, or a
great fire, and extra editions had. been
in great demand, and he had earned al
most twice his usual daily wages; she
had seen his face flushed with happi-
ness as he exhibited the magic bits of
pasteboard that would entitle him and
her to q seat at the bountifully spread
tables of the newsboys annual dinner:
once there had been strange look of
awe as he came from looking on the |
white dead face of his little companion,
Jack Sanders, and all that evening he
had been unusually still, with an eager
questioning look in his bright eyes; but
this night the look was different. Tt i
was that of fierce anger, vet there was
a tender, subdued expression that now
and then softened the angry CLEAN of |
his eyes, as if a sudden recollection of |
some rare pleasure came to him. His
personal appearance, too, was more
tousled than usual.
Nell wondered in silence, but her low
al little soul never doubted Tony-ie
would tell by and by what had hap
pened. She tried all her little woman
" airs to divert him, but the anger still
flashed from his eyes at times.
'.Well, Nell, I'll tellyer all about it"
said Tony, suddenly. 'sYe see, this
here wasn't good day for me; I didn't
sell many papers, somehow, an when I
was settin' on the steps of that there
big church on Californy street, Hood
lum Jake he cum along with two other
fellers, and seq he: sWhat yer dom
here?" What yer dom yoursel'?' seq
|, and with that they all pitched on to
me. So, as my dander wuz up, I give
'em as good as they sent, but it wuz
three to one, and it Wuz a goin' pretty
hard with me, when out came all the
folks from the church (they had
meeting there this arternoon0, and
them fellers they skinned out. All my
papers wuz lynn about, lots of 'em torn
and good for nothing. Nobody seemed I;
to mind; they all hurried on; some
arfed at me and them. = Here Tony
stopped to take breath, while Nelrs
eyes lighted with eager sympathy, and
her little hand stole into his and
gave it a warm pressure that
invited more confidence. And
hen she cum to me and
says in the softest way: Little boy,
what is the matter? Can / help you?
md she went to pickin' up all my pa
oers. IWuz that ashamed, but She
.aIked on real nice, till I told her all
about IL and size said Il WIZ q h1a,.,,in