The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-05-15
LITTLE yiM's FUNERAL
IAiile Jims death bal caused a good
deal a talk.


Of South BroolIyn kna~n a. the "Ps'ei.'
has been talking about ], for the past week
/ for lin uss osc Of The ccltbriies oi that
I locality.
i, " uo' alone II his death they are talk
/ ins, hossver Tor that haj been sniieipst
! ed Tor some tine. aud besides deaths are
80 common there that but little is thought
al them. Mn Moriarty. one Of the lead
,ng lsdies ci iLe Patch expressed The
general opinion ,ersrly hut fairly when
abe said recently. Sure. ise ~orsi thing
abont iyin' il ,ha, oetcbonr the doctbors'
the wake, The ulderiskrrs sD' the bury in /,
its cheaper to live rather mixed state.
mrn,. the meaning Of which is ciesr,
however.
No. i ws not the death ~ l,'tls jim
that caused all the talk before referred
TO-
Not At all
Ii Was bis funeral that gave rise TO oil
the talk. twas one OF the most remark
able funerals ever seen 10 South Brook
lyn
No one who knew little jim Ia life would
have supposed be could CON maud such
honors 10 death.
Jlms life was not one that even the
ordinary street Arab would naturally
envy.
The locality in which Jim lived and died
does not include am Ong its Inhabitants anY
" hose nance figure in and elite directory.
There are a sprinkliug OF longsboremen
aud truck men. some ordinary laborers,
and some persons who neither toll nor
spin, There are the usual diney rum shops
that are more prosperous than aDy other
kind OF snops. There are pigs aud goats
and dogs inBumerable that always seem
to be engaged 10 breaking city ordinances
aud getting their owners into trouble
Taking it all in all, 1t is unique locality
in more respects than one.
Tradition 10 the Patch has ii that at one
period jim had father and mother.
Nov, society at the Patch does OF ask for
much. bat il would seem that the parents
OF Jim did not come up to the social re
anirements Of even this easy going local.
ty. so there was no regret when Jim's
mother died after prolonged spree, and
bis father left the Patch. never to return
This did not occur, however, until after.
10 some family brswl, one or the other, or
both Of them had in some manner. il jur.
ed jim, 80 that be remained cripple un-
Ill the day Of bis death.
1t was about this time that Timothy
Murphy, 'lonRshoremsn, coming home
from his work one night, and being thirs
~ directed his steps to resort for the
bibulously inclined, known as Hole in
the Wall" He wss Just quencbng bis
thirst when he saw a dwaffsh form enter
partly with the assistance Of an improvised
crutch.
The gentleman who presided in the es
tablIshment leaned over the counter.
Well, what is 1t? he demanded.
I'm lookin' for me fadder. was the re
ply.
Well. yer father ain't here, go you'd bet
ter get out,
Hold on, said Mr.. Murphy. 'longphore
man, at this juncture. Come here, me lad.
It's meself that knows yer blaggsrd av a
father. an it's me opinion you'll see him
no more, an sorrs the much loss
The boy set up "a whimper. and then the
big 'loneshoreman put bis broad hand
over bis mouth.
Wbishi, be said; come with me, and
the burly 'longshoreman and the little
cripple left the store together.
few moments later Mr. Murphy,
'longshoreman. appeared in his own doni
cile with little Jim.
It's that bye Of FIaher'y's. Mary, said
he to his motherly looking wife, Give
him sup an q place to sleep. We've
enough sv our own to feed. bnt wan
more'll make little difference. II we've q
feast we'll not miss what be stes. II we've
. famine sorra' bit Nv me but thinks tbs,
he's used to that same.
Aud that is the way Jim became domi.
ciled with the Mnrphys Hard enough |
times the Murpbys bad Of ii too. for there
were days and weeks when Murphy long.
bad enough to do to keep bis
family in bread. Yet the ugly duckliug
that he had taken 10 got as good as the
Mnrpbys did The warm heart Of Mrs,
Murphy went out TO The fofloIn cripple,
aud sbe treated him as though be had
been her own child
Nor was Jim ungrsieinl. lie developed
\ variety Of talents that brought many q
penny iato the treasury Of the Mnrphys.
He was enand boy for most of the Patch,
And despite his cruich could perform a
mission more quickly than most other
boys. aud With more iD,,llig-nce. He also
picked up somehow the art ~ writing 10 a
queer spider like fashion, and wrote let
!ers Tor those denizsns Of the Patch who
sould no, write themselves. There is
'ormula follo~edin writing such letters IS
hese. for the writer always starts out with
he rather supeianous announcement that
be "tskes bis pen 10 band and always
,nds 10y "~ishine this viii fnd you 10
rood health an It leaves me ., present, I"
'egrdless Of his actual condition Of hsslth.
This formula is ss immovsbl- ss were the
sx, Of Modes and Peussn-. aud by Lis
lieli,y to i, little jim sdded 10 bis popu
sriiy sud bis Income.
Tben jim bad little crack ed voice siih
as, little s~eetpcss 10 II. sn3 be Gang
90 OF three songs 10 = manner thai The
,eopie oi the Patch Concluded s. being eI
rfnsly artistic yiu . repertoire vas not
Intensive He sspg Only Picture. and