The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1894-12-22
SPUD GALLAGHER
A Christmas Story with the Usual
Moral.

doleful melody around the World
office; little wlsps OF snow were
blown against the window panes
only to melt and trickle like tiny
tears down the glass in quiet har-
mony with the sobbing of the
wind. 1t was healthtul Christ
mas il "a green Christmas makes
a full graveyard;" nature had
nothing green to show this year
and the season was as it should
be. "Spud" Gallagher, sub on
the Word, was pulling out his
last take, working harder than
usual, not because he had little
tots or loving wife ut home pre-
pairing for the morrow but because
his mind wandered back to the
time when as a paper boy his
Christmas was maze pleasanter
for him by the newspaper men,
and he wanted to make u " string
that would enable him to do some
thing to make Christmas merry
for some one.
"Spud" was a character such as
may be found around Printing
House Square seven days in the
week; by no means u rare bird
was Spud Gallagher. He used to
say to the boys as lie watched the
white froth on his beer melt away
and gradually settle into the dark
red liquid -" Me hearts all right
but when l was kid sleepin i'll
in barrels down 10y the big bridge
l guess she got misplaced an
somehow II don always get where
/ want it, an when 1t ain there
it's no use tryin' to shove it around.
/ don't try to be tough, see! Il
just comes, natural like, and l
cant do nothin' to, shake it oil.
When | feel it thumpin' over on
this side" touching his left
breast, " 1 know she's all right, all
right, and 1 can pull out us blg a
string ~ any ot you, but let her
flop over To where she don't be-
long, and say Cul, there $ nothin'
sweeter in this lie to me than u
drink a. beer. You's fellows don,
seem IA y.t ON 4, II hut IT'S n fnct
I'm poin TO hustle next week and
say, II my hearts right yous Eel.
lows III have to shake yourselves
uut next week was generally tn,
week after. and Sp,id would tel
his companiops of his intention,
and the direful effects of a mis-
placed heart 40 long ns he had ,
listener. III he couId enrn n hnl
dollar throwing in a case for com
positor. ten cents would suffice foI
a menl nj any of the cLeap restnu
rants ON IN. iyowery. and the bal
ance would 20 into the pocket o
th. mnn who sold the longest drinj
for nickel, for Spud respecte,
the one who wns most liberal viii
his customers t;oIiouI,.r dr,ul
for the Oblivion in WHICH the Iiuuol
sent him rather thnn because n,
loved the tuste of IT, Brought III
in a misery and suualor, 1eniet,
the comfort of n home and a moth.
er's love, familiar with the pangs
Of hunger as child, and ever re-
manning ignorant of any other
conditions in lite it was natural
that lie should drop into the groove,
III which he travelled. As II young
ster he was taught to delude u
stranger into buying his stock oil
papers; he knew nothing Of morals
No boy ut the ferries could force q
paper INTO the hands Of hurryinl
passenger and make change NOR,
deity than Spud Gallagher
Grown, as 1t were, IN an atmo
sphere oil stale beer, and hourishe'
upon iooa III when quantity no
quality was u part, II was apparen
10 Gniiaghers friends That III
Prediiecuoh Tor Deer ana che"l
restaurants was from natural
rather than acquired taste IL
drank Tor the CON pahiohship ther
was IN H. ana when lie worked
was 10 optaih money WIN whie'
I" puy 'ha' eoihpahiohShiP'
Once, when Spud remaine'