The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1898-12-15
!. BRAVE LITTLE
BORRIODOOLA CHA.
SS.a,ssssasssssaasasass @saaaaaaa@aasa

it was more her way to sing than to
cry, and the carol was the only thing
she could think of just then. 1t was
the first carol she had ever learned. She
could remember just how sweet her
mother had looked while teaching it to
her aud Jimmie, the brother, who
would keep his seventh Christmas to-
morrow-keepi it in heaven, she thought,
with a CLEAN of sorrowful joy. The
dear mother who was in the hospital
now, whose Christmas would be spent
in a whitewashed 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. Maegie's song grew very
queer at this point Of her reflections,
and her voice was trifle unsteady, but
she persisted in humming 'It 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 ana 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, ell
bowling her way trifie more gently
than the average habitue of that far
famed locality but pushing to the front
with logged resolution none the less,
and no sooner had tho bunch of papers
which came in answer to her warcry of
'sTwenty-five specials-throw 'em
along quick, JiInmie!'' 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
few, anxious to <each the "stand"
which the boys of that corner had unan-
imously coded to her with rough chiv-
airy when she had first appeared upon
the scene, timid, nerN Gus, afraid to cry
her wares. She was the first of all the
crowd to reach State street. Rapier,
papier Here is yer extry! t
| the accident at Borrioboola G
shrieked in the voice which wou
been sweet and clear but for it,
treatment and out of doors use. ~ aGner
abuse. and queer little smil9f@; rived
the corners of her mouth as she gave
vent to her peculiar trademark, y 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 a history.
l.
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.
Eyer 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 dejected1y started
homeward, crying softly and wiping
the tears away with her ragged but
clean handkerchief.
eyer too bloomin scared" he 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 Teller than yerself -
He paused and looked at Maggie ex-
pectantly, but Maggie had no idea that
the "better Teller" was Pat himself
and she never dreamed that the pause
should have been filled with "a compli.
ment, we'll deserved, in Pats opinion,
DO she said nothing, and the boy took
up his parable again. K
CHOW, this yer's the way yer calls, -
he said, initiating her weak little cry
to the life, San this yer's the way yer
oughter yell. - And he let out shout
of paper here! Paper! All about the
great fire on the west side! Many lives
lost Nineteen tiremen go down III the
ruinsI'' which startled Maggie aud
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 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 10 longer
thought of it at all. She called out the
long word as size did that of ''Paper!''
and it had no more significance to her.
But on this particular day, this dreary
Christmas eve, as she stood mechanical
~ repeating it, thinking meanwhile of
TO added pleasure for her mother and
weetie which every penny meant, she
was startled by a 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 ann did you say Borrio-
boola Cha? have heard great many
queer cries used by newsboys, he said
with whimsical smile at the pretty
face, which bent away from him, 'but
yours is the most peculiar I have ever
known. Did you borrow it from Dick
ens?''
eyes, sir, she whispered, blushing
still deeper. and hurrying breathlessly