Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1891-01-03

roof Of Lyric Hall staid quiet, it is truth that
those four walls never had given ear to such vbra-
tions of sound
Each boy found on taking his seat, beautiful,
steaming, savory pyramid of turkey and stufiing
and mashed potato and turnip on plate before
him, all bathed in gravy-who ever heard of boy
who didn't love gravy. Side dishes contained
bread, fricasseed chicken, mince pie, and cup OF
coffee. No one told them which they must eat
first, the only form of manners insisted upon was
that they should take off their hats on entering
the banquet hall. For three minutes by the clock
there was a noise Of knives and forks only, then
they stopped for breath.
They were of the unanimous opinion that the
feast was glorious and SO expressed themselves to
each other in newsboy parlance: "What's de mat
ter wild de turk?' "It's all right" "What's
de matter wild de mnce pie?" 'Its all right!'
In the exhuberance of spirits they might have
thrown biscuits at each other, if each biscuit
hadn't been Christmas biscuit and as precious
as gold.
Then Marshall Wilder made fun for them. An
other man sang, and the band played, and all the
entertaining was of the most unique nature, for
the newsboy is nothing if not critic The come
dian knows the power of the so-called gallery god.
They shouted and roared and shrieked and clapped
and whistled, and when familiar song was sung
they joined in the chorus with all the vigor of
boys lungs. Do you wonder that the walls of
Lyric Hall nearly burst
One regiment fed and entertained they were
turned out to tell the tale and as soon as the
tables were fixed another army was turned in, and
third time was the hall filled, the tables holding
500 at time. 1t was notable fact that out of
the entire 800 there were only three who could
not write their name and address on their tickets.
This speaks we'll for the instruction given at the
various homes in the city. The genus newsboy is
study as interesting as a bug, and the various
homes in the city have sought in every way to I'M
derstand him. No restrictions whatever are
placed about them, save that they shall be in at
certain hour If they are not, they have to re-
main out all night They can attend school at
night if they wish to, but it is not obligatory, and
a school is maintained at each home. A good in
fuence is unconsciously thrown about them, but
these children of the street have to be handled
very carefully. The prevalence Of the name John
Kelly among them testfes to the popularity of the
Tammany cheftain and to the utter lack of their
own identity. They admire the name and they
simply take it and there is no one to care.
Think you not the man-the unknown-who
gave the dinner to these little waits, must have
been happy at the sight of the joy it had been his
privilege to give? And you may be sure he was
there. Twas in human nature that he should be,
but no one knew which was he among the throng
of spectators. They were only hungry urchns-
dirty faced, too, but happy-faced also-and some
OF them had little fellows in tow, to see that turkey
drumstck and pieces of pie fell to their share.
There was little blind colored boy too, and a
policeman carried him up to the bright banquet in
his stout arms There were only two regrets sent
to the dinner. One little fellow was very ILL., and
another had died and was carried off to the pot
ter's field on Christmas day-but he doubtless had
few joys, if any, to leave behind him. Before
New Years every boy will hand in his ticket for
pea-jacket which could not be made in readiness
for the day of days.
Poor, dear little, motherless chaps, the day and