The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1895-10-01
Al : $1,000 ], : r..,-nAL.
How His Companions Remembered Him
and His Mother Also.

and His Mother Also.
It was one of the solemn day
along the alley, for another newsbo
had died
Re had not been prominent mem
Der of the push and had earne
no title If he had achieved distinC
ton in any way, he might have beel
called Rubber Neck, Hot Foot
or "Sleep Out.
They had known him as Freddie
He had been accustomed to stand il
line rather meekly and endure NOR,
than his share of the pushing anC
scuffling His bundle of papers wa
never very large, and as he WASH
tall enough to talk loudly ant
tboss" around he was never prop
erly respected in the alley until ht
died.
Then heavy grief settled on the
colony, and "Bootsy" Thompson
went about with 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 inn
itating the conspicuous example OF
their elders and passing resolutions,
they go down into their pockets and
make up fund.
They held a meeting at $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 were 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 the West Side
Next morning the three members
of the committee and a large 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 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,F said be, and he began to laugh,
The committee was silent and APP
offended. Then "Hawkey"
spoke up: I'VE got fake flowers be-
5ause dey was cheaper, but deere all
right, ana de kid wouldn know de
We fought dey was
purity enough"
What makes this peculiar smell?'
The flowers gave out peculiar alco-
nolic odor.
Oats perfumery. Fake flowers
ain't got no smell, so we sprinkled a
little perfumery on
IF the man at the desk had follow
ID his inclinations, he would have
'oared with laughter But he had
TOO much feeling
That's very nice, boys, said he,
the lid. "Freddie's mother
will be glad that you remembered
lim That's right You give her the
money that's left. Don't sprinkle
my more cologne on the flowers
they have enough now"
Then he followed them to the win
low and smiled to see them trot
happily away.
After all" he said, lit doesn't
make any difference. i
In the afternoon, when the alley
saw the hearse drive away
rom the little house, the waxen f1ow-
rs with the wire stems lay on the
op of the coffin.-Chicqgo Record.
n ITs.