Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-09-30
THE LITTLE NEWS-MAN.
The Pathetic Story of His Moth
er's Tombstone.

Si . 1SillcoOoL2O'
1t was no wonder the men stopped their
work and stared. 1t was no wonder that
one or two of them laughed for moment 1t
looked 50 strange and somehow out of
place None Of us had ever seen or heard
any thing like it before.
1t was in the yard of the largest marble
works in the city of Chicago. Ever so many
fine monuments, delicately carved and fin
| ished, stood there complete to show how
well work could be done, and then there
was work in all stages 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
| apparently useless, and some otherwise,
but broken in process of chiselng.
Not one of all these escaped the quick eye
of the little street vagrant (as any of US
would have called HIM who had entered
the yard few moments before with such a
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 something 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 to the one that he took to be
boss among us, and said:
81 say, mister, how much does this cost2n
He pointed to plain marble slab that
looked simple enough in the midst of so
many finer ones | can't tell you how his
question sounded, for you can't hear his
voice. 1t had in 1t something which brought
tears instead of smiles.
The boss named the price, disappointed
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, l amt
able to pay that.n
He went on through the smaller ones in
quiring the 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 mar
BILE; 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:
81 say, mister, that looks like her some
how, How much may have it forl"
He was asked if he would want it lettered,
and when it was explained to him what that
meant, and that it would cost something TO
have it done, he said
"No; | can't afford that, but p'raps l can
manage that myself" and agan that sad,
forced smile.
"Ye see,n he went on, "mother and /
were all there were left of us, leastways as
far as we knew, for we haven't heard from
father for ever so long. We kept house
together l earned what / could, and
mother she worked as long as she was
able, She vast very old, but she was al
ways crying; only when she cheered up to
make her little son happy-that's what she
called me; but she couldn't cheer up for
long, She grew sicker and sicker, and
well-l did all could for her; but-she died
last week. The little fellow was sob
bing now as he leaned on the broken shaft
that reminded him OF his mother
His tears We're not the only ones, can
tell you. We nodded to the boss, and he
named price SO small that the manly little
fellow looked up with amazement that at
last he had found something within his
means, He quickly closed the bargain and
counted out the uickles and pennies for his
prize He walked about for few mo-
ments among the stones spelling out, as
best he could, the inscriptions, asked sew
cral questions about how it was done, and
how long it took; then hastily went out like
n man of business, saying;
I'm be after il tomorrow"
He came toward the middle Of the day
when the morning papers were all sold He
had little fourwheeled cart which he
asked us 10 load the stone in; and never a
purchaser had left that yard with a sweeter,
sadder satisfaction than our little hero. lie
took the streets toward the cemetery-we
knew, for We watched hm-and moro
curious and interested set of men YOU never
saw than were our workmen TO know what
had become of our little newsma as we
grew 10 calling him, for he didn't seem like
u boy 10 us.
We half expected he would turn up some
day Ia learn more about the lettering or
but he never came, and our
we thought, was likely never 10 be
gatlhed.
one Monday morning as we gathered at
our work, one Of the men, who, we had no
iicod, seemed particularly sober startled US
with;
Il say, boys, wouldn't YOU like 10 know
Nha, bocame OF our little news-manm
YES, yes; what do you know ~ hint"
'ame from several at once; and work was
orgotten for u time as we listened 10 the
',ary OF our little hero 20 the end,
Well" said the workman, II will own |
lavc thought OF the little fellow every day
,inco he was here; and somehow couldn't
'et rid of the thought that should like 10
,now VIII had boONome OF him. How Ia find
'ut couldn't tell, for not one ~ us mad
.skod whore he lived or hls name or knew
'uy one who could tell US. Yesterday
hoagA, Of a plan, .ad " In the atternoen I