The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-06-21
THE LITTLE NEwS-MAN,
MRS, L. II. DRAKE,


BILE works in the city of Chicago. Evel
80 many fine monuments, delicately
carved and finished stood there complete
to show how well work could be done
and then there was work in all stages oil
of finish, some pieces of marble just
begun to be chiseled; little and great
simple and elegant. Then there were
broken pieces of marble lying there ap
parently useless, and some otherwise
but broken in process of chisellng.
Not one of all these escaped the quick
eye of the little street vagrant las any
OF us would have called him) who had
entered the yard few moments before
with such business air, and walked
from one to the other and scanned them
closely.
We had paid little attention to him,
for we thought that for want of some.
thing worse to do, probably, he had just
wandered in. 1t was his first question
that startled us. The smiles died away
from the faces of all as we listened to
him and watched him, He stepped
nearer the one that he took to be the
boss among us and said:
say, mister, how much does this
cost.
He pointed to plain marble slab that
looked simple enough in the midst of 80
many finer ones.
l can't tell you how his question
sounded, for you can't hear his voice. 1t
had in it something which brought tears
instead of smiles.
The boss named the price, a disap-
pointed look crept over the face OF the
ragged little newsboy and with forced
smile that was sadder than tears, he
looked up with
Why, that's more than thought;
amt able to pay that.
He went on through the smaller ones,
inquiring :he price of each, and each
time looking his disappointment that all
were too costly for his small means.
Finally he stopped in front of broken
shaft of marble, one of the remains of
an accident in the yard the day before,
He took off his ragged hat, and gazing
at the broken stone for few moments
he stammered out through tears:
| say, Mister, that looks like her,
somehow. How much can have that
tor?
lie was asked if he would want it let
tered, and when it was explained to
him what that meant, and that it would
cost something to have 1t done, he
said:
No. l can't afford that, but p'raps l
can manage that myself, and again that
sad, forced smile.
Ye see, he went on, mother and |
were all there were left of us, leastways
as far rs we knew, for we haven't
heard from father for ever so long. We
kept house together | earned what
could and mother she worked as long as
she was able She wasn't very old, but
she was always crying, only when she
cheered up to make her little son hap
py-that's what she called me; but she
couldn't cheer up for long. She grew
sicker and sicker' and-well-I did all |
could for her, but-she died last week.
The little fellow was sobbing now as he |
leaned on the broken shaft that remind |
ed.him of his mother.
His tears were not the only ones,
can tell you,
We nodded to the boss and he named |
a price so small that the manly little
fellow looked up with Amusement that |
at last he had found something within
his means. He quickly closed the bar
gain and counted out the nickels and
pennies for his prize.
He walked about for few moments .
among the stones spelling out, as best
nt COlllu, tllt uSCllpllOllo' lShCNl SCNCl III
questions about how it was done, and
how long it took; then hastily went
out like man of business saving:
I'll be after it tomorrow.
He came toward the middle of the
day, when the morning papers were all
sold
He had little four wheeled cart on
which he asked us to load the stone ;
and never purchaser had left that
yard with sweeter, sadder satisfaction
than our little hero.
He took the streets toward the ceme
tery-we knew for we watched him
and more curious and interested set
of men you never saw than were our
workmen, to know what had become of
our little news man, as we grew to call
ing him, for he didn't seem like boy to
us.
We half expected he would turn up
some day to learn more about the let
tering or something, but he never came,
and our curiosity, we thought, was
likely never to be gratified
One Monday morning as we gathered
at our work, one of the men, who had,
we noticed, seemed particularly sober,
startled us with,
say, boys, wouldn't you like to know
what became of our little news-man?
Yes, yes; what do you know Of him?
came from several at once; and work
was forgotten for time as we listened
to the story of our little hero to the
end,
Well, said the workman, will own |
have thought of the little fellow every
day since he was here; and somehow
couldn't get rid of the thought that ,
should like to know what had become
of him. How to find out | couldn't tell,
for not one Of us had asked where he
lived, or his name, or knew any one
who could tell us. Yesterday thought
Of a plan, and so in the afternoon |
started for the cemetery thought it
likely he had carried his stone to. |
was lucky, for at almost my first ques-
ton the man in charge seemed to know
whom | meant and asked if would f.,
know the stone if saw it. told him
l would and he started with me toward
a corner of the cemetery that | was !
afraid was the Potter's Field. | asked !
him if he was taking me to the pauper's
burying- ground, for could not some
how bear to think that our little news {
mans mother had had no better place !
to be laid away in. !
He answered.
NO; but II 1t hadn't been for one of
your good churches down there in the
city, She would have Jared no better
than all other paupers. You know that c
big mission church down there on the c
avenue? Well, they couldn't think of a
burying their Sunday school scholars in |
the Potter's Field, if they were only t
paupers, many Of them; and so several i
years ago they bought a big lot up here
just for them, and there's where I'm
taking you. Here it is. he said, as we
stopped in front Of a big Tot, nicely fixed =,
up-and sure enough, there was our !
monument, at the head Of one of the !
larger graves; knew it at once, just as d
it was when it left our yardI was going
to say, until got little nearer to it
and saw what the little chap had done.
Oh, boys! can't describe to you the .
lettering on that stone; you will have to q
go out and see it for yourselves. will =.
confess that something blurred my eyes d
SO couldn't read it at first. The little
man had tried TO keep the lines straight
and evidently thought that capitals -
would make it look better and bigger, p
for nearly every letter was capital. |
copied it and here ii is, but you want to
see it to appreciate it; 4
MY MOTHER i
SHEE DiDE LAST WEAK
SIIEE WAS ALL | HAD. SHEE
SED SHEAD Bee WaITiN Fur
And here, boys, the lettering stopped,
After while | went back to the man in