Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-11-28
Brick Whites Bsnties.

1t was the night before Thanks
giving, and two people were unhappy
j. Knox Faber, newspaper man,
because he did not have pathetic
idea for Thanksgiving story which
was due on the city editors desk the
following morning, and Brick"
White, newboy, because he did have
a pathetic idea for Thanksgiving
story, and at . o'clock that evening
Faber was crossing City Hall park,
New York, when pleading voice ad-
dressed him.
Hey, boss, please buy yuckstra.
I'm stuck wild twenty, an ef l don
sell em de ole woman's goin' To kill
me banties." The speaker was Il
very small boy with a very large
bundle of papers. Faber glared fix
edly into the boys eyes until they
filed with tears.
You're not lying to mef What's
your namef and what are your ban
| tiesg"
Hope to die, boss, II l amt giving
il to We straight Me names Brick
White, an got banty rooster an
hen, an they're me pets, an ef l
don git enough money fer to buy IA
chickin fer Jen's Thanksgiving dinner
de ole woman's goin'-goin' to chop
off the banties' heads off, The boy
was sobbing now, and boring one
cold and grimy fist into his eyes.
Faber drew him out OF the rush and
interviewed him.
"Ye see boss, when / was n fresh air
kid las summer over'n Jersey / got
stuck on a couple o. banties. They'd
come when / called 'em an eat out OF
me hand, an / hadn't never seen no
banties before, an he was such n reg
lar little slugger, he was-w'y, say,
he'd sail into de bigges' rooster on de
| hull farm an do 'en, too, he would
an the woman she give 'em to me fer
a present. ! lugged 'em home wild
me an fixed up n coop In de windy.
an now every day de little hen she'l'
go "chuck, chuck, tecackutr an lay
de littlest white egg ye ever see, an
! Sullivan-dat's de rooster-hell walk
around de coop prouder'n y IL he
owned FIT aven'e. Me ole man was
killed on de elevator railroad, an de
ole woman she-she washes, an Jen,
that's me sister, she's been sick long
time. Doctor says she'll die soon, an
she's been wanting n taste OF chicken
ever sence she had some onct about
four years ago, when she wus In de
hosspittle. want Jen to have the
chickin, but do want her to eat my
banties, an she wouldn't neither II
she knowed. but ma won't let me tell
her got me eye on a big cbickin
down TO Wash'n'toD market, and j
been hustlin' all day an amt got half
enough money yet. Ef j could git
rid OF these ere papers could"--
where do you live 7" Faber asked
coldly, turning his head away.
"No. -Bayard street. You'll take
one OF these yuckstras often me,
WON'T
But the stranger had gone. With
despairing glance at the big bun
die OF extras Brick" manfully dashed
away his tears and again cried.
"Yuckstra Yucksra ~ Thousands
OF people hurried by tine little shiver-
ing figure, but at the end Of MI hour
only three papers had been sold.
Brick" began 10 slowly work his
way up the Bowery. At II o'clock
he reached home. tired, hungry. cold,
and weeping bitterly. He had fifteen
papers left.
"Sully's dead rooster" he moaned
as he took a last look at his pets be-
fore tumbIing into bed
Early Thanksgiving morning dis
trict messenger boy left two packages
at the door OF Mrs. Whites rooins.
One was great fat chicken labeled
For Jen," and the other was big
bag Of feed marked For Sullivan" :"
and when Brick" saw them he yelled
with delight, seized wildly eluckiDg
bantam In each hand, and executed n
Bowery war dance on the floor, and
the city editor Of the brightest even
ing paper in New York assured Faber
that his "Brick Whites Banties" was
the best thing he'd done for the paper
/ in six months.