The morning call., 1892-04-10

A SKETCH FROM LIFE.
written for THE MORNING. CALI.

The first time / heard the nickname the
other newsboy had applied to the little fell
low it seemed to me bit of satire so gross
as to merit stern rebuke, if that could have
done any good.
Hi! Chirps! Here's lady wants a Bull
letin. an Pm cleaned out" one of the boys
had called out. when l stopped at Lolita S
fountain, to buy an evening paper. and wait
for my car.
Chirps came forward with his bundle of
papers under his arm. and, contrary to their
| usual custom of making life burden by
their clamor for preferment to every pros
pective newspaper buyer, not one of the
other newsboys approached to interfere
with his sale.
Poor little Chrps. AS though poverty had
not been heavy enough burden for his
young shoulders 20 carry, the shoulders
themselves were rendered hideous by de-
formity, almost Incapable Of bearing any
sort Of burden. They were shrunken and
mischapen, and from back and breast the
curved, disease-smltten bones had bowed
out in humps, between which his big head
rested, no sign of neck appearing. One
knee was bent and stiff. making that leg
much shorter than the other, deficiency
that was supplied by an iron extender, thus
enabling the boy to dispense with the crutch
that would otherwise have been necessary.
AS he h0bbled toward me. holding out the
paper, a feeling Of indignation stirred me.
Groans, howls, curses, almost any word, so
it was expressive OF rage at fate would have
seemed more appropriate to his wretched
condition than Chirps, which he had doubt
less been chrStened by the boys in sheer
derisi0n. l sighed to self, at the brutal
lty of young humanity, as L paid him mis-
nickel and turned away.
why do you call him ChirpS?' l asked
OF another boy, when out of earshot of the
cripple. HAS he no decent name of his
own?" who? Chirps?' was the re-
Spouse. why, l gesso, but he's such
jolly little cuss ChirpS just suits 'iul." My
car coming just at that moment, L pursued
MY way. fOrgetfui, for the time, of Chirps
After that. however, L always used to look
for him at the fountain, aud at last it be-
came an understood thing that should buy
my evening paper OF him. As the winter
progressed we became quite we'll acquainted,
and had many fragmentary chats together
during our commercial transactions. L
found the newsbOy's nickname an admirable
summary OF his character. My chirping
philosopher" j began 10 call him, in think
ing of him. He was always cheerful, always
ready with q philosophical opinion on the
affairs of life. pretty wet, isn't it, Chrps? ?"
L said one evening, when the rain was pour
ing in streams, and he was sore put TO it to
keep his bundle of papers dry beneath his
ragged. soaked jacket.
Rather" was his reply. Just what we
need, this Iain-dO a heap o. good" and he
actually cooked speculative eye at the
weeping heavens, for all the world like
weather-wise farmer medtating upon the
probable benefit his crops would derive
from the dowDpour.
Another time cold wave" struck the
city, so that the price of coal went up. and
asfonished Californians walked the streets
with blue noses and chilled toes. while
Eas tern visitors, with family disguised eX-
ultation, made naive inquiries concerning
Californian weather, declaring it to be
colder here than they ever knew it to be in
the East. | found Chirps at his usual sta
tion and expressed TO him my unqualified
disapproval of such weather. He drew his
hapleSs little form close against the side of
the fountain that sheltered him from the
wind. thrust his purple hands deep into his
pockets and declared that the season was
mighty fine fer maxim folks stir round 20
keep warm," and that what we want is
only enough Of it ter make us kinder git
ust ter it, and we'd like it first rate.
In like manner he assured me one day in
January, when the sun sbone out with
scorching ferv0r and all humanity took 70
the shady side Of the way and sweltered,
that such day was lust what we've all
bin needln' TO warm us up an make us feel
good" He took off his battered fragment
of a hat as he spoke and with its grimy
crown wiped the perspirati0n from his face.
Ii was the first time | had seen Chirps
without hat, aud was wholly unprepared
for the change the removal of that article
made in his appearance. His forehead was
high and broad and white, and despite its
tangled mat of hair the outline of his head
was strong and shapely. sharp contrast to
the shapeleSs shoulders upon which il lay
l scanned the face more closely than L had
ever done before. Dirty, freckled, the
mouth disfgured by the absence of one
front tooth, and the whole thrown into
deep shadow by the dreadful misshapen
form, yet all the features were good. and