The Press., 1898-12-15
BRAVE LITTLE BORR|ODOOLA CHA.

it was more her way to sing than to cry, and the carol was the only thing she could think of just then. It was the first carol she had ever learned. She could remember just how sweet her mother had looked while teaching it to her and Jimmie, the brother, who would keep his seventh Christmas to- morrow-keep it in heaven. she thought with a gleam of sorrowful joy. The dear mother who was in the hospital now, whose Christmas would be spent in 8 whitewashed W ard, clean, bright and tender, with kindly care, but still not so bright as the little attic room would have been if only she could have been there. Macgie's song grew very queer at this point of her reflections, and her voice was trif1e unsteady, but she persisted in humming Ut came upon the midnight clear" and even smiled little as she laid down the cheap little doll she had been dressing for Sweetie, the dear little sister who was her darling, ani who was now being cared for by kind friends of her mothers youth.
 In another moment she was dashing down newspaper alley at full speed, el- lowing her way Q trifie more gently than the average habitue of that far famed locality, but pushing to the front with a dogged resolution none the less, and no sooner had tho bunch of papers which came in answer to her warcry of Twenty specials-throw 'em along quick, JimmIeu' reached her arms, than she was off with a bound, and cry of "Papiers! Papiers! Here is yer extry!'' which sounded startling ly loud and harsh to come from that girlish throat. Down Mason street she flew, anxious to ..ach the "stand" which the boys of that corner had unan imously ceded to her with rough chiv- airy when she had first appeared upon the scene, timid, ner, ous, afraid to cry her wares. She was the first of all the crowd to reach State street Rapier, papierl Here is yer extry! It the accident at Borrioboola G
 shrieked in the voice which woI
 been sweet and clear but for itf "a treatment and out of doors use, es atner abuse. and queer little smileE-; rved the corners of her mouth as she gave vent to her peculiar trademark, " as the "other boys" were wont to call the odd name which invariably closed her exhortation to buy an evening paper. That exclamation had quite history. When Maggie had been driven by her mothers illness and the want of food | in the home cupboard to try paper sell ing, she had been afraid to cry loudly. and her conscience, home taught and tender, had forbidden her to invent news announcements after the fashion of others of her "perfesh. For some days she had sold very little in consequence, and the capital she had each morning invested in papers seemed in fair way to be lost, when Irish Pat, the tough est boy in the gang, had taken her to his heart and shown her the mistake which spoiled her sales.
 Yer don't know nothin, yer don't, " he had said contemptuously, striding along by her side with an exaggerated imitation of the walk of the last actor he had admired from the peanut heav- en" of the Academy and keeping level with her as she dejectediy started homeward, crying softly and wiping the tears away with her ragged but clean handkerchief.
 "Yer too bloomin scared" be said, again copying the Academy actor, both in speech and gesticulation, Ian yer'll never do no good till yer makes yer roar more like better feller than yerself. ''
 He paused and looked at Maggie ex- pectantly, but Maggie had no idea that the "better feller'' was Pat himself. and she never dreamed that the pause should have been filled with compli- ment, we'll deserved, in Pats opinion, 70 she said nothing, and the boy took up his parable again. <
 "Now, this yer's the way yer calls, '' he said, initiating her weak little cry to the life, ''an this yer's the way yer oughter yell" And he let out 8 shout of Paper herei Paper! All about the great fire on the west side! Many lives lostl Nineteen firemen go down Tn the ruinsr' which startled Maggie and rang down the street for block or more.
 Maggie soon found this to be true, if she was to equal the sales of the other paper sellers. But still, as has been said, her conscience rebelled against the deceit. So she decided with one of the compromises possible only to innocent souls upon inventing a cry about an event which could not possibly happen, and, having read Bleak House." she chose the words "Borrioboola Cha" as her "roar." She said nothing to her mother of all this, although the strug- gle in her mind was long and severe, and she longed sorely for sympathy and advice. She had grown so accustomed to using the "yeli" that she no longer thought of it at all. She called out the long word as sLe did tbat of 'Paper!'' and it had no more significance to her. But on this particular day, this dreary | Christmas eve, as she stood mechanical | ly repeating it, thinking meanwhile of i"o added pleasure for her mother and weetie which every penny meant, she was startled by light touch on her shoulder and turned her head to see a kindly face looking down into hers. "Where do you say the accident hap pened?" queried the tall, pleasant faced man who owned the hand which still lay on her arm. "Did you say Borrio- boola Cha? l have heard a great many queer cries used by newsboys," " he said with a whimsical smile at the pretty face. which bent away from him, "but yours is the most peculiar have ever known. Did you borrow it from Dick ens?';
 | "Yes, sir" she whispered, blushing still deeper. and hurrying breathlessly