Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-12-22
Saint Tad's Christmas
WRITTEN FOR THE LEADER
(By Ben Aunter)

There was nothing. first thought
characteristic OF hnm taa,, would dis
| tinguish him from aIiy either news
boy. But when he looked AT me from
pair of sympathetic bhle eyes which
seemed SO large as To pretrudel from
his begrimed face. noticed a marked
difference between him and the ordi-
nary "newsie' one meets. Except for.
the well known cry, Paper. Nnster?''
which all who follow his vocation
shout, he said very little. - test q
became interested In him al once
and inquired into his history. Natural.
tiy. | asked his name first.
saint Tad was tho quiet reply he
made to this inquiry. s4 tsN natlt
could hardly Suppress laugh AT
this, for the very idea OF a dirty
ragged little street Arab being called
saint sounded very ridiculous 10
me at that THE. Dut the sad express.
sion ON his pinched face soon dispeil-
I'd all inclination to laugh from my
mind. a.E-- taeE3 q
fon have some other name besides
Saint Tad haven't YOU? What is
your family name?" Inquired.
fou'se means me las name don't
YEP he asked.
replied that did.
amt got no las name. All NV
EN- call me Tad" he replied.
haven't YOU home or father
or mother" | asked.
"Aw stay at OF Mrs Dousan's
but she made me cheese 1t t'othcr
night cause didn't sell ernorrgh
papers to buy her an her oil drunk
husbon or supper amt got no
irther ncr muther either. now.
did have oncet, but they died when I
wuz les CT leetlc kid, he said as he
~ down at his uttered cloth
mg.
Haven't YOU any friends az an"
! 1 questioned.
Yep, I got one tink, dat's Miss
Mary she learns us bout dc Bible
she's one er dose wot yer call slnm
workers. She told me bout Gawd an
de Bible. an now ter he good. She
sed orient cuss or steal am ort
ter be good ter everybody She sed
Ief did. when ! died, I'd 20 ter heav.
en-. So made mp me min to be good
an 20 ter SUNDAY Skule, the one Miss
Mary teaches. I've went too. every
sunday, 'ceptin las sunday. WIZ
sick den. GAUGE goes ter Sunday
pkule an am good de guys calls me
SAINT But ! don't kecr. Gawdm take
keer Nv mG, b1icve, an Miss Mary
lsed ct | b'Noved 1t he would. Wen
Ieotta be movin'; got ter sell desc
papers" with that he started OF.
Thus ended, cry abruptly 4 ms open
p 'arted story which ne told 80 ;npo.
'~uuy.
!. Evidently he did not thing iabout re
morrow's being Christmas. while talk.
iing with me, for he did not mention
| it once
He tried the whole afternoon in a
ain effort to dispose Of his papers.
But the large crowds that thronged
the streets We're TOO busy with their
shopping TO stop long enough TO even
Duy a paper And so he went on the
whole afternoon through the intense
cold and the fluries of snow. All the
time he was passing shop windows
enthusiastically decorated. while here
and there miniature fairyIand met
his eyes when with longing looks and
yearning heart he gazed into the well
lalranked show windows When the
Etime for the evening meal arrived he
was penniless and was compelled 10
do without food. He dared not 30
back to Mrs. Dougans, for he stood
in awful fear OF the whipping he
was sure he would receive.
re bad not eaten anything since
morning, having to do without dinner
for the same reason he was forced
20 90 without supper
lafstarvcd. and uearly frozen on
account OF his threadbare clothing he
made his way along the street rs best
. younEster or twelve could in the
condition he was in tie was tempted
to steal an apple as he passed p fruit