The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-01
A STRANGE HALLOWEEN HAPPENING

Ing crowded street was knocked down by q passing street-car and so badly injured that now his life was dispaired of Soon after this terrible accident the landlord of their little flat seized the furniture for rent and Neddie found him self on the street parentess, penniess and homeless.
 At first Neddie. heart-heavy, was dazed. Which way to turn, what to do to sustain life, he did not know. He wandered about the streets the first day of his homelessness, his mind and heart full of his poor injured father that he forgot he had nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep or shelter himself from the night
 But at last tired-out nature asserted itself. As the darkness fell Neddie's weary limbs gave out and hunger cried aloud within him. He had no blood rela- lives to whom he might apply for imme- diate help. He was too proud to go to strangers who would doubtless call him a beggar. So he hunted about for some place where he might creep for the night. On the morrow he would hunt for work. By chance he found the old tumble-down tenement house that had been condemned,
 
 final destruction at the hands of hired despoilers. Into this abode the child crept and slept on the bare floor. And here he slept each night for a whole month, earning q few cents each day sell ing papers. The money went for food food of the worst kind. At the bakers Neddie would buy cheap sweet cakes, and from a street vender he would buy "hoky poky' and pickles. So you will not won der that soon the child became pale and weak feeling each night as he lay down to sleep on the cold floor of the silent tenement house that nothing short of a fire could arouse him again to action. But each morning there was the thought of his father and the cry of his gnawing stomach to send him forth Into the street again.
 And thus the time passed, arriving at the morning on which this story opens the day preceding Halloween.
 By nine o'clock Nedde had sold out his stock of papers and had a profit of seven cents. With this splendid sum for it was more than Neddie usually made of morning-he went to a bakers and bought some cakes. Then, having three cents left he wandered about till he saw a hot-coffee vendor measuring out steam ing black stuff from a sort of oven-pail. Men and women and children were buy ing this liquid and drinking 1t to keep out the cold and check their hunger. Ned. dle bought three cents worth, which was given him in an old tin cup which he handed back to the vender after having drunk the contents.
 "Now," he said to himself, "I'l wan der round in the park till time to go to see poor father" Once in the park Ned die made bold to wash his face and hands in the playing fountain. He wiped them dry on a bit of paper he found lying OH q park bench He was anxious to look as neat as possible when he called to see his father.
 At the hour when visitors were allowed to call upon their sick at the charity hospital Neddie was admitted to his fathers bedside. The poor man lay like one already dead, so colorless he was. But he opened his eyes when Neddie whis- pered Father dear, it's me-Neddie, come to see you" Then in very weak voice