Year: 1876

-S - ~'N"SSOIe


"Little Bob" was q newsboy who
drifted into the capital of Virginia after
the close of the war. He hobbled about
the city on crutches, but he was ener-
getic and vivacious, and, in spite of his
affiiction, managed to dispose of more
papers in day than any three of his
competitors. What were his antece-
dents, how he lost the use of his limbs,
perhaps no one gave himself the trou-
BILE to inquire. He was born in the first
tumults of war. Father perhaps he
never had known; to q mothers care he
owed little. Misshape1, friendless, ig-
norant, he survived the perils of child
hood, and somehow gathered elements
of character which would beft a much
higher station than that in which Little
Bob lived his few brief years. After
he came to Richmond and had won for
himself a successful place in his humble
sphere, Little Bob looked about for a
friend. And him he found in another
newsboy, yet more helpless than him
self. This was "Delaware, who was
older than Bob, and who had lost both
legs above the knee. These two curious
little folk, the elder not moro than
twelve, might be found at all hours of
the day together, and doubtless shared
the same squalid cot at night.


"Delaware sold but few papers,
while the younger partner each night
had gathered q goodly amount of
nicLels. But delaware never suf-
fered on that account. Bob paid for
his food, and it was from Bob s little
store that the nightly lodging was Sc
cured. Once in while the two had a
dramatic treat from the highest gallery
in the theater, and up the stairs it was
by the aid Of Bob's crutches that both
were able to climb. So the two Jared
for several years, the ties of friendship,
through benefits received and conferred,
growing closer and more firm as the
time passed by. What were the conf
dences exchanged-what the topics of
discussion between this deformed
Damon and crippled Pythias of tender
years and lowly raceS None may say,
for of them and their thoughts the
world has not time to concern itself.
But in it's way the talk of these two
must not have been altogether base and
depraved. For, one day, delaware "
and Bob were bathing in the neighbor-
ing river and Delaware" helpless, got
beyond his depth. No other help was
nigh, and Bob vainly tried to save his
partners life at the risk of his own.
Then he took little store of savings
ana starved himself for week to give
Delaware's" body decent burial out of
the potter's field Bob never got over
the death of his friend. Missing him
at his side in their accustomed employ
ment, Bob gave it up after while and
rented little stand on the thorough
fare-a large deal box set up on end, and
furnished with scanty stock of what
only the newsboy and bootblack might
buy.


But his business did not prosper, and
the town was no longer the same as
when he had friend to share all that
belonged to him-of sorrow and of
limited joy, and of that little sum which
the days labor had brought. So Bob
begun his wanderings again, this time
into that Northern country of which he
but dimly knew and cared. The rest is
told in newspaper item touching q
crippled boy who was drowned the other
day while bathing in the Delaware
whore it runs by Philadelphia. The
paragraph found its way back to Rich
mond, and the body was identified as
that of the crippled boy who went there
by the name of "Little Bob" Thus
these two lowly friends met death after
the same manner, and the river whose
waters closed over the head of the one
bore the same name by which the other
was known. This is all. The two boys
count for but little in the sum of human
life, and their story, perhaps, for less.
But to some it may appeal as bearing a
moral not altogether without its use and
effect in this every day world, made up
in large part of such as these, and in it's
higher circles, here and there of lome
less worthy passing moments thought.
-NeW York World.