The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-31
NATURAL FRUIT FLEWoRS.
Tom and Jerry.

was hurrying along Park Row one evening
last week. says writer in the New York
Recorder, when boy. right at my elbow, said:
"Evenin' paper, missesw turned around. He
had just one paper in his hand,
'All the rest soldY' asked
"All but this. :" he replied.
AS took il noticed book under his other
arm-a cheap little pamphlet-and said: "Wnat
book are you readingg"
He held it up 50 that could read the title,
"Great Heroes"
"Well. how do you like itY" asked.
Purity well, misses. Some of EN- was great
men and fought in big battles, but don't know
as that's what make hero after ali. -
20, you don'tr' said l. We were walking
along side by side by this time And what do
you think constitutes herof"
Well. ! knowed little chap once as was
what call a hero. But nobody ever knowed
much about him, and he want never put in no
book. He's dead now"
We were at Cry Hall park by this time.
Come and SIT on this bench beside me-" ]
said. land tell me about this boy you knew ]
can't put him In book exactly, but I'll put
him in a newspaper, and all my children will
read about him and praise him for his heroism.
VIII you tell meY'
He nodded, and we sat down. 1t was pretty
cold in the park. and he was barefooted But
when laid my coat over his knees he showed it
aside and said he didn't mind cold weather And
then he told me the story.
HE was my chum, he said. land he's been
dead now year. l missed him awful at first
and | do yet, on cold nights when the wind
blows. wake up sometimes and wonder If he's
colder than he used to be when he was sleeping
out doors lonRside of me
His namewas Tom, mine is Terry but the
boys nicknamed us Tom and jerry, and I've
allus been called Jerry ever since. He was a
little feller-Httlern me-but he want Hraid of
nothin' ger
He sold papers, too, and we aIlus kept TO-
gether. We lived down in Gotham court. Some
times we had bed, but oftener we slept out
doors.
There WIZ a tough gang down there, but we
never mixed in no rows. Some Of the boys
carried knives, but We kept straight and be-
haved ourselves.
zone night we wuz coming home and we
heard row going on.
6 What is lty' says Tom. Somebody's bein'
hurt. Let's go see
I've ran up. There was gang Of boys rob
bling an old apple woman who used TO sell on
the corner
Tom jumped into the fight to help her.
Then the boys turned on him.
81 saw knife flash in the moonlight aud l
heard Tom Rroan.
Then screamed as hard as could for the
p'lice.
They came running down the court double
quick, and first they caught the boys-all Of
when they came to pick Tom UP It want
no use, He was going SO fast that no doctor nor
no ambulance could help him.
The plice made all the boys stand in front
OF him and held a lantern fur Tom to pick out
the one that stabbed him,
But Tom wouldn't, and he knew, too.
He just smiled and said: No, won't tell on
the boys
Then he rolled over toward me, said Good
by. Jerry and died.
That was ALL but It seemed to me Tom was
hero just as much as some of these In this
book. Don't it seem 80 to you, missis9"
Yes, Terry, / think he was"
And will you tell your children?" he said,
Rnxiously.
''Yes, | will tell them
''Thanky. I've ailus kind of wanted some
body TO know about Tom. He's lynn out In
potter's field now. There amt no way Of re-
ter way, won't ity"
''Muoh bstter,'' said, and SO to-day l have
told you the story Of Jerry's chum, Tom.