Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-11-26
THE OLDEST OF THE NEwsBoYs.
ale That Overcomcth, the Same Shall b
Clothed In white Raiment."

s.He That Overcometh, the Same Shall b
Clothed In white Raiment."
Nobody knew anything about him,
not even his name, except that he was
very old, and sold newspapers at his
stand, whichwas a hydraut. He was SO
poor that he could not afford hired
lodging, but he found bunk and scanty
fare at a. charitable asylum in the city.
New boys on the street sometimes
made fun of Dad" as they called him,
but the neighboring newsboys who had
staked out their claims on adjoining
street corners were sure to administer
chastisement to these offenders and to
tell them to leave Dad alone, or quit
the block" Indeed, the ancient news
boy was so quiet and cheerful and poor,
that it was no wonder his ragged COM
petitors once in awhile threw custom
er in his way, and would forego for his
sake the usual squabble for stray coin.
Even the youngest of these little gamins
looked upon himself as Dads protector,
although the old man was old enough
to be his great-grandfather.
When the other boys were frantically
yelling the names of their Sunday news
papers on the Sabbath day, and were
selling them briskly, the old man meek
~ handed out tracts from his familiar
stand behind the hydrant. Sometimes
people stopped and tried to interest
themselves in him, and questioned him
about himself; but he made only
meager replies. The newsboys answered
such questions with shake of the head,
or by two curt monosyllables.
One morning he did not get up from
his bunk. The keeper of the beds at the
Refuge went ITO awaken him. There
was no answer. The manager shook the
poor, shriveled creature by the shoulder
and turned his face around. The worn,
weather-beaten, shrunken features told
the story. The oldest of the newsboys
was dead.
OF course the city. undertaker was
called to perform the last offices for the
unknown man. Then somebody sudden
ly remembered that long time ago the
old fellow had deposited little tin box
in the Office of the asylum. Beside an
army button, it was his only earthly
possession.
With some curiosity the officers of the
Refuge hunted up the box which their
pauper ledger had guarded so zealously.
With eagerness they broke it open.
They had hoped to find some written
history of his past. Instead, they found
only bit of writing on apiece of folded
paper, frayed with years. Within this
paper lay two withered violets, and
upon it was written in a delicate
woman's hand: t#s d
"He that overcometh, the same shall
be clothed in white raiment."
Reverently the manager put the
sacred paper back into the tin box.
This, with mist in his eyes, the under.
taller placed in the old newsboy's rigid
fingers; and so the dead man carried his
only earthly treasure with him to a
pauper's grave.
What was the memory, what was the
sacrifice, what was the hope that gave
this poor old man the strength to live
so patiently in direst poverty, till he
filled an unknown grave? The meaning
of this obscure history will never be
known; but it is impossible to think
about it without a quivering at the
heart, and a desire to be more worthy
of our own lives. Seen beside such
desolate sacrifice as the old newsboy's,
what easy struggles are ours!
He had learned the greatest lesson of
living to be patient, when the acquisi-
ton Of patience seems to be all there is
left to live for.-Youth's Companion.
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