The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1895-06-15
AT A NEWSBOY'S FUNERAL.
How His Companions Remembered Him
and His Mother Also.

How His Companions Him
and His Mother Also.
1t was one of the solemn days
along the alley, for another newsboy
had died.
He had not been a prominent men,
Der of the push and had earned
no title. If he had achieved distinc-
ton in any way, he might have been
called Rubber Neck, idiot Foot"
or "Sleep Out"
They had known him a. Freddie.
He had been accustomed to stand in
line rather meekly and endure more
than his share of the pushing and
scuffling. His bundle of papers was
never very large, and as he wasn't
tall enough to talk loudly and
boss around he was never prop
erly respected in the alley until he
died.
Then a heavy grief settled on the
colony, and "Bootsy" Thompson
went about with a wrinkled brow
and was ready to chastise any young
ster who seemed to be cheerful.
1t was suddenly remembered that
Freddie had always been ION the
square," that he had never gone
camping on another kids" corner,
and some recalled the affecting cir
cumstance that he dropped in his
last mick" to help buy flowers
when fanny was killed by the ca
BILE car
They had seen him around only a
week before, and it was within the
last two days they had heard that
he was very sick.
When a newsboy dies, his COM
rades hold a meeting. Instead of i'm
itating the conspicuous example of
their elders and passing resolutions,
they go down into their pockets and
make up a fund.
They held a meeting at $3.50 in the
afternoon. After the spokesman had
announced the news Of Freddie's
death he said that every kid"
would be expected to ''come down.
Then the hats were passed, and there
was a steady jingle of red and white
coin. A committee to count up re-
ported that $7.13 had been contrib
uted, at which some of the thought
less ones We're inclined to yell, for
getting that the occasion was one of
sorrow. "Overcoat, ""Hawkey" and
"Cocoanut Charley" were appointed
to buy the floral tribute and take it
to Freddie's home on tho West Side.
Next morning the three members
of the committee and a largo box
wrapped in white paper came into
the office of the man who was re-
garded as the supreme authority of
the newsboy army. He was the
court of last resort in all "scraps, -
and a good man to be ''next to-" So
they brought the tribute around to
show it to him.
He united the string and lifted the
lid. Within the box was a huge clus-
ter of pink roses with waxen leaves
and wire stems, wreathed about by
stiff hand painted leaves.
"Why, these are artificial flow.
ers, said he, and he began to laugh.
The committee was silent and ap.
parently offended. Then "Hawkey''
spoke up: 1--WE got fake flowers be.
cause dey was cheaper, but deere all
right, and de kid wouldn' know dc
difference. We fought dey was
purity enough"
What makes this peculiar smell?'
The flowers gave out a peculiar alco
holic odor.
Oats perfumery. Fake flowers
amt got no smell, so we sprinkled 8
little perfumery on"
If the man at the desk had follow
, ed his inclinations, he would have
roared with laughter. But he hai
too much feeling.
"That's very nice, boys" said he
l replacing the lid. "Freddie's mothe.
| will be glad that you remembered
2 him. That's right. You give her tn
E money that's left. Don't sprinkle
any ore cologne on the flowers
They have enough now"
Then he followed them to the win
e dow and smiled to see them tro
happily away.
After ALL" he said, lit doesn'
make any difference"
In the afternoon, when the ale,
b delegation saw the hearse drive ava,
from the little house, the waXen flow
ers with the wire stems lay on tn
top of the coffin. -Chicago Record.