Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-12-25
PETERS CHRISTMAS.
AHolday Story of Life Among the Newsb

| Hohoay otory or LIE among tne NeWSpoys
! Pete lived at the Newsboys' home in
big American city. Pete was not a news
boy, but the way he came to be at tn,
home was this: His brother Patsey, min
years old, was father and mother ant
all to Pete, and Patsey was newsboy
Pete was but six, and too young to ped
die papers, so Patsey thought, and as hi
was quite successful newsboy himself
he could afford to shave his family witt
him." as he said. Pete was his family
There were only those two, and neithel
could remember when there had beer
any one else in the family circle. 1t die
not cost very much to live at the home
for the charge each day was five cents
for supper, six for lodging and six fol
breakfast, which for both boys would
amount to not quite two dollars and a
half a week, and "find yer own lunch.
But first it must be explained that the
home is place where newsboys who
have no other place to live can sleep
comfortably and get their breakfasts and
suppers besides, if they wish, for the
small sums mentioned above. Its object
is not only to give them good places to
sleep, but to help them in other ways
1t furnishes its inmates with schooling,
books to read and baths, free. 1t gives
them chance to save their pennies by
affording each place in the bank-a
great table whose top is full of number
ed slits-and offering reward for the
boy who has saved the largest amount
when the bank is opened at the end of
each month. 1t also makes them keep
good hours by refusing admittance to
all who come very late at night. A
''home" isn't the worst place in world
for boy who has no parents. In fact,
it is pretty place.
But to come back to Pete. He staid
at the lodging house most of the time,
because Patsey was afraid to have "sech
little chap" on the streets, and the ma
tron, Mrs. Brown, was very good to him.
She allowed him to remain with her
during the day, and gave him his din
ner when she took hers, because she said
he was ''real help to her, so he was"
in her work. He was a quiet little fel-
low and very sweet tempered. The
newsboys all loved him, and many alad
remembered to bring Pete flower or
bit of fruit at night. Newsboys are
rough in speech and action, but many a
one has a kinder heart than beats un-
der fine jacket.
Patsey, as have said, supported him
self and Pete; but you must not think
it was an easy task. In order to do this
and put pennies away in the bank he
had to work early and late. He sold late
papers because there were not so many
newsboys on the streets then and not so
much competition. Sometimes he did
not come in until little Pete, who went
to bed directly after he had his supper,
had been asleep for hours in his little
bunk, with its neat white pillow and
blue coverlet. The great dormitory had
rows and rows of beds, built one over an
other, like berths in ships, and when the
word "Bed'' was spoken on the stroke
of in the room where many of the boys
spent their evenings in reading, all had
to go, and all out much later were fined
Indeed, no boy was allowed to come in
after IL, and Patsey was real hero to
stay out after that time so that all his
papers might be sold, and then sleep
he could lind a place. Mrs.
Brown knew why he staid, and was sure
he did not hang around the streets until
II just for lark, as the boys sometimes |
did; but the rule was strict, and she |
could not set it aside for one boy. How
ever, Patsey was bright and good ma
tured, and quite favorite with certain |
set of people who used to buy his pa
pers pretty regularly, and he was not
often left with any on his hands as late |
as IL.
1t was nearing Christmas time, and |
great were the calculations which Pat |
sey was making about a "Chrlsmuss
treat fur little Pete" He talked it over
with the matron one night, just after
the announcement had been made that |
the banks in the big table would be
opened on the 23d of December, in
stead of compelling the boys to wait un-
til the first of the month, as was the rule.
"Ain't it jolly, Mrs. Brown?" said Pat
sey. 81 believe there'll be couple of
dollars in my bank, and I'll spend every |
red cent of it fur Pete. It's kinder tough |
on little chap like him not to have any
folks when Chrismuss comes ash give |
i'm presents an turkey an all the things |
that everybody has then. But I'll make
it up ter him as well as l kin, you bet.
Hes a goin' to hang up his stockin', AN
I'm goin' ter take him out fur tiptop
grub to one of them eatin' houses-res-
tyrants, as the swell folks calls 'em, an
we're a-going' ter have turkey an mince