The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1908-04-23

| ASKED, WHO IS THAT SINGING!
furnished living room of Mrs Watts
house and heard Elise sing.
Mrs. Watts was widow, and Elise
and Clarence were her only children.
A small pension partly supported their
| wants, and Mrs. Watts and Elise took
in plain sewing when they could get it.
but Little Watts earnings from the
sale of his papers were their chief
source of income.
| 1t seemed to me that they might live
| a little more comfortably, but one day
| Little Watts contided Il secret to me.
Were saving for Elise he said.
shes going to be big singer some
| day after she's gone away and studied
| and had d chance. I'm saving up for
| that
This was the reason why Little
Watts wore such shabby clothes. and
this was why their home was so poor
| and bare and their table so scantily
supplied This was why Little Watts
walked the streets III all kinds of
weather, crying his papers at an hour
when other boys slept.
One, two years passed. was still In
the Leader office Little Watts still
came before daylight for his papers
and was called Little Watts still, for
| he was not noticaably larger or strOn-
ger than when | saw him first. He
still lived next door to my own home.
and-Eise was going away.
She had been singing in church
choirs and at concerts, and some ladies'
who had become interested in her, but
who were unable to lend her money
for her study, had given her benefit
concert. which the Leader had widely
advertised without charge on account
of Little Watts.
But most of the money that was to
pay for Elise's two years of study in
the east had been or would be earned
by Little Watts.
But when come, back he shall
work no more" Elise said to me. with
the tears in her eyes Il Shall earn II
then, and he shall go to New York to
study drawing and engraving He's
so eager to learn it. you know. but he
won't say much about it or even think
about it until begin to earn money
Quite little company of us went to
the station to see Elise off. Of course
Little Watts was there. His large eyes
were shining through their tears. and
| his white face was wreathed in smiles
though | knew his heart ached with
sorrow at the thought of two years
without her.
But the boy cried his papers just a.
loudly and chcerily as ever next day
the Leader in the morning, when da!
was breaking. and the Times at night
when the day was gone
| often met him huri'ying around tht
corners of almost deserted streets O
paying a last visit to the hotels, where
he hoped to sell another paper at al
hour when all other newsboys hat
U gone home.
Every paper he sold counted. not TO
% himself but for Elise. He and hi
n mother lived upon the pension and he
sewing.
Is Every month Il draft to the amour
d. IF all of Little Watts earnings went t
New York to Elise. and every week sh
T. wrote encouraging letters of what he
TO teachers said about her vcice ana
ID her hopes for the future
Il knew they'd have to say her yoic
1t wasn't anything common Little Watt
n said proudly TO ne when the hrst-o
ir her letters came Il knew she'd astoi
n 'sh 'em.'
Sc Twire the mountains changed froI
m green to white and from white
in green They We're changing to whit