The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1893-12-30
WANTED IT SPECIAL.
BY Mrs. f. Rolfe, Superior, Wis.
Copyright by Northwestern News
paper Union.)

Two newsboys were crying their even
ing papers, Evening Herald! all about
the great explosion down in the coal
mine" Evening Telegram! all about
the great explosion!" and they had halt
ed now just in the blaze Of the great
plate glass window filed with the BRAY
cry of Christmas goods; a grand har'
mony of light and color. And poor
little Jack had the soul of an artist,
though he was only a little "newsy,'
environed by meagerness and poverty
and fairly revelled in all this wealth
and beauty. He would have gone with.
out his dinner any day to feast his eyes
on the beautiful, however un~attainable.
"Oh, yes" answered his companion,
"1t's just grand, but who cares for dolls
and gauze angels and silver stars and
such truck? Tomorrow up at the
lunch rooms we are going to have just
loads Of turkey and mince pie, lots OF
good things. I think they are awful
good. I'd rather have them than all
the shine in that big window.
"Oh, yes, they are kind up there,
and the faces OF some of the women
are lovelier than any I have seen since
mother died." But, it's for us all.
That's all right, but don't you ever
wish there was somebody to q r for
you special? Not just because you was
n Of that great hall full Of hungry
boys they are such. good friends to,
but because you are Ben Saunders,
and they have an interest In Ben Saun-
ders; special, you know.
I know, Ben, you hain't never had
1obody, no folks, I mean. and I s'pose
you don't think so much about it.
Now, you see, I a remember when
father was alive. Father was a brick
layer, he was, but he was sick lots of
the time and we awful poor, but
he was good, and I tell you he never
groaned half 80 much about his pain
as he did because he couldn't do for
US as he wanted to.
1t seemed to hurt him so about moth.
and 4 az: s' aToor Elsie! poor little moth
er; I wish I could make 1t easy and
bright for you" BY and by the fever
got thick round where we lived and one
morning father couldn't get up, and
they said he had the fever.
Well, he got worse and worse, and
when I went up to the bed to see him,
he didn't know me at oil, but Just look.
ed at me, oh, SC wild, and said: There
We're SO many boys there, and they
all looked ragged and hungry, he could
not take a r Of them all, but, mother"
says he, do the best you can for little
Jack. Jack would make q man II he
only had the chance. I've tried, I've
tried, God knows" and then he shut
his eyes and looked tired, and never
said anything about me again. Next
morning he was dead. Oh, dear, Ben;
you don't know; you can't know.
I had two little sisters, LEFTY and Su-
sic, and I had the loveliest mother.
Handsome? No not like some of these
grand ones that are all dazzle till they
fairly make a fellows eyes blink. but
just lovely. Why everybody loved
mother. I never loved nothing nor no.
body as / loved mother and I guess up
in Heaven the angels love her too.
Well, after father died there was
something in her eyes that I had new
er seen there before. Kinder deep and
sorry as II she vas looking way OF for
something she couldn't find here.
Well, I went to selling papers, and
mother, she Just did splendid she work
ed and worked and seemed to love us
more than ever, but all the while there
was that look in her eyes. But we got
on pretty well and when Christmas
came she tried to make 1t just as it
had always been.
I don't think there was so much fur
key and mince pie as there will be I'M
yonder tomorrow, but then you see It
was for US, special because she loved
US Pc. - IL
I saved a little money and got Lefty
and Susie some dolls. They weren't
much dolls side Of some you see in
there, but oh you ought to have seen
how glad they were and how their eyes
shone. Why / do believe they were
just as glad as IL they had had one Of
them In there, with real Gully hair and
all silk and spangles.
But father was not there and we
couldn't be real glad, nobody but Lefty
and Susie. who were such little things.
BY and bye the diphtherla came and
Lefty was sick, and they sent me up ia
the lodging house, and when I wont
back they were both gone; both NV
sisters. The house looked SO emntv
and mother was there all alone. and
that look you know I told you about in
her eyes, only worse, she stretched ont
her arms and I laid my head in her Ian
and we both cried together, a long time.
Then she said We'll Jack, I will try
to put 1t away and not pile the clouds
any thicker on your young head" You
see she forgot herself and thought spec-
ial of me IN the midst Of that awful
trouble.
But somehow she could not forget It
much, though she did try. Her eyes
grew bright but that look that came
when father died never went away.
and her face grew thin and by and bye
she could not go about any more.
They took her to the hospital. and
the Sisters said she was SO patient and
good that II wasn't any trouble to take
care OF her.
I used to 60 and see her every dav.
and she grew thinner and thinner ana
weaker and weaker. and she used to
talk to me and hold my hand III hers.
that was so thin and hot.
One morning they, sent for me early.
There was q light III her eyes lust al
y the morning that was Just ! beaming