News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-03-27
The squarest un Among En-.

The charitable ladies from the hos
pitsl stood beside a little newly-nade
grave in the potter's field, over which
the preacher had said the last prayer
for the departed child soul. One kind
faced lady. turning to walk down the
narrow path, saw a ragged newsboy
standing beside one of the mounds.
She had seen dozens of newsboys
of the same type every day.had
passed them by unnoticed on her
way to the cemetery that afternoon
yet it was strange to find this boy in
such place, and there was something
in the face bent toward the poor
mound that tempted her to speak
"Why, what brings you hcce, my
little MANI"
The boy looked up in establishment.
Dropping his eyes, as if to hide traces
of tears, he answe. ed:
IL thought I'd jest come on and
see where it was they put JIM"
''And who was jim? Tell me about
him."
slim? There weren't nothin' much
about Jim, 'ceptin' he was my pal, and
he died. They wouldn't let me see
him when he was sick and l thought
I'd like to find out which one of these
was his'n. They hain't given him so
much as board to mark it."
''Did you like him?"
''Like him? Didn't though? You
just bet did He was the squarest
un among 'em. Never took a cent he
lidn't earn at shines or sellin', and
was alters fair at penny-ante. He
made the others play fair, too. Why,
seen him scoop in twelve cents all to
onct-fair play, too. Then the littlest
fellow in the crowd he cried cause he
lost his two cents and couldn't have no
supper, and Jim up and gave him ten
cents and buyed doughnut with the
other two cents fer himself, and give
me half, cause he alters looked out fer
me, bein' smaller'n him. We liked
each other, can tell We, Jim and me.
He left me his newspaper bag and this
here piece of caliker, what he wanted
me alters to keep. 'Taint nothin' worth
nothin', but he thought a sight of
if. 1e see twas like this: One day
last winter he'd been trying all the
mornin' and hadn't sold paper, and
he was so cold he was a-runnin' and
hollerin' ter keep him a little warm,
he happens TO think of this in his
pocket. He stops short and takes it
out and looks at it and puts it back in
his pocket and buttons his coat tight
on it and runs on. A cop what sees
him do it comes runnin' after him,
thinkin' he was gettin' off with some
thing he'd been a-thievin'. And he
ketches a-holt of Jim in way as Jim
said as hurt him, and he says to show
him what he's stole and come along
with him. Then Jim stands up as
prompt as he can, bein' held so tight,
and says he, takin' out this bit of
caliker:
"1t's piece of my mothers dress,
sir. It's all I've got as was hers. /
keeps it in my pocket, and | looks at it
when things goes hard, and it helps
ne to SELL"
"And it did help him that time, for
the folk0 as was standin' round, hear
i'm it, crowded up to buy his papers
fast as he could hand 'em out. He
sold most hundred papers that day,
and that night him and me went to
RESTING and had such supper of hot
stew and things as ye never eat.
keeps the kaliker cause he left it fer
me with the woman at the hospital.
81 wanted to do somethin' for him,
but Pm broke just now and can't
Business amt brisk since he amt in
partnership with me no longer. L
hain't got nothin' ter leave here with
him 'ceptin' this. | took it out of a
store We're there was a new party jist
movin' in. He had likin' for them
advertisin' cards."
The lady glanced down at the little
mound of earth, where the boy had
placed pasteboard card from shop