Show BILLY PATCHES ak k I 1 A stua for w little bey who pat patches olies the courier journo A mans raad a min man lor for a tbt that once upon a time not so very along ago in ono one of our great cities on one of the busiest thoroughfares might be been seen the little hero who forms the principal P al character in my etory story now reader it if you expect your 5 our baney a to bo be gratified by a picture of 0 rosy cheeks sparkling spar klinc ea eves es and cut caily ly 1 G 1 and I will feel disappointed because he lie does not not answer anser this thieda desa crip caption tion I 1 pray you to lay t the b s etory tory by for it wi will bray 1 I 1 fail fall to interest yott on the bo boy y as its I 1 remembered him was a tiny fiure with every mark that extreme poverty ty could pencil his childish fe features tho the little rough hands wit with h their long ion fingers were firmly clin clinched clied round the handle of a broom with which he lie nas was most y in cleaning clean inc a street crolla ing lut but what mad mado e sh him lin conspicuous c in this his humble calling nas wa s A marvelous rna nelous pair of trousers and a I 1 tile coat that was so obliterated with patches of various dices and color that i it might tru truly ly be called a josephs coat indeed nd e e d there was but little left of the material that once formed a pair of pants and for this reason tho the newsboys news bova aid and street urchins generally I 1 I 1 tar lar and near dubbed him billy lilly lowth patches he ile knew no name e eite altye that of billy to which th the 0 patches clung as having the undisputed right to bo be annexed billy patches hied lived with granny brown in an attic attl wa way d down n a long dingy lane lanea a place where viere only rily gode god s poor would beck seek shelter from th tho 0 wintry blasts or night with shadowy wing call the w cary weary of earth to reel rest how now lets let s peep into the garret where billy his nights or ROCS goes to get a bit of something hing to quell uell the gnawing aw of his stomach wl which ich I 1 douat d abt had ever felt satisfied in his wretched little 0 life ina in a dark corner for there was but one window to tins this place billy called homo honie was abed a bod very cry c poor but very clean on vi which moet most of the time except ichen after a better meal than usual lay the aged form of granny A chair a stool a table and an old olds stove tovo constituted the furniture of this dreary abode but there w was a a nevertheless comet for ling about the place that told oi of better davs in the long age of the lonely 0 old 1 d i woman m who eat sat mending ir I 1 alie le r rags a gs tha that t an stood tood filoi in lieu of clothes clothes it was beautiful to see these there two lonely creatures together the wealth of love loi e they horo bore each other made them forget their condition forget that they were cold half clad and hungry the v dithered fico face of granny bould brighten with a smile when billy pill would come in a after more than a usual good day tor for the little saper and a few low more pennies than was th their e ir wont mont found their wa way into th he belittle little coat pock pocket ct oh granny im made enough today to day to buy buy your 5 our tea and our bread and alce cheese c and put some in in my little box too and the stool would be drawn draw 11 up close to lier her si side io the sowing sewing would drop from the feebly hand as she I 1 would pray gods god s blessing on the little bead head and they would count the coveted cents and he would tell of corne lady in in dainty or some lordly gont gent who he had conde condo se 11 to note the service yen rendered tiered them by keeping the blush slush and mud of ahe from the aristocratic boot i or hoe granny BAW in in this boy th that t which it would woul make a man somo some day da w ith half a chance EO so she had taught him to take caro care of his pen 1 bics for a rainy day might inight como come when they could not work and ho lie heeded her good advice and every night the box was taken from its hiding place and something added to the little stock of pennies saved at last the rainy day da y came phoi billy thought all too soon the winter was uncommonly severe I 1 and granny was w rheumatic theu matu matic and one nial night ht after a day of great pain aho ho c called billy to her aid saying she thought she must bo be dying that without relief she could not st stand and it much longer she was always fo uncomplaining tbt that billy was much alarmed and his grief wag was li ehe she haa had taught him of the god who had bad always cared for him flim how how when ban his mother died and placed laced him a little helpless babe in in F her arms she had promised to care for him liim and well right well he knew a she a had been true to lier ler trust granny I 1 know hero dr benson lives in in that fine hoise ho hola ise on the th corner and I 1 am go going n to a ask him to como and ceo see youa you and b he will ill ani make e you well oh I 1 gratin granny do dont wt die I 1 oh gh dont die granny lic ho hurried out into the cold and darkness trembling with excitement and tu the bitter cold ideran he ran up tho the oklis of dr bensene Ben sone palatial palatial home forgetting all el ehe 1 I save hie Is own great sorrow 11 lie rang ran tho the bell furiously and I 1 in a a f few 1111 moments rdo menis the doctor appeared je ha ll 11 was a humane wan man and the pitiful I 1 w wail ail of a child out in isach a night t touched hie bis heart 1 oh I 1 doctor do como come and teo see m my I 1 ranny eho obo is is eo so bick sick and sho she will will dio die if ou on dont come I 1 I 1 will pay you tou deed I 1 will I 1 will give you my little box with every penny in in it if you ivill iv ill cure her I 1 where does your granny live mv iny little man 11 nil kill show you will ill come the doctor told him towai to wait tand and ente entering the hall eoon soon found his great ecat coat and glove gloves and a d taking the bobbing child by the h hand a nd was soon I 1 mending wending his ills way through ough the th silent to the bedside of granny billy led themay the way up the narrow stairs and into the room where with closed e eye Y es and hands meekly crossed await the le cummons to come up higher lay the poor old woman oman billy is is that you ou honey yes granny Ie hero and here 1 ie 4 the doctor granny oh ohl 1 doctor docto rohe she looks sn eick sick dont let my granny lie 11 1 I will do all I 1 can for her my little man after examining his patient en t the skillful physician soon baw that tha t little 0 more could be done than to make her an as comfortable as possible ss ible he ile put all their stock block of coal I 1 into the old stove promis mg a fres fresh h supply in in the morn morning inz and soon had her warmed up and administered an opiate and waiting to see her quiet went a ent toward the door a as though to toleif leave but billy brood before him with ft ith the I 1 lox 0 x ot of hoarded pennies in ili lus ills little 11 hand a nd here ismy a my nione money Y doctor now lake take 5 our your pay the doctor gazed at ho child in wonder and saw in in the I 1 road brow and el eloquent 0 eye go a faoul 1 sa in the thi 0 boy o keep beep your 5 our pennies and P buy granny an orange in the morning in and jour yourself youra elf self something eom ething billy bi I 1 I 1 I 1 ive teen seen you before Ie fore you are tle 11 little litlie it is boy that sweeps the cr are sire you not cae irland you hao have given invert me rne n more ore tit than n ono one of my pennies a and d I 1 caveda saved am m granny said it was right to avo sasa far lor a raina rainy day oh ohl my poor poor granny agun sobbed he the child the doctor kizim lizim told him to go to bed and keep quiet that it would boon oon bo be better times for granny A few more weary dy days tj ehe the was cAl calletto called leto to reet billy wan was dutiful attentive and lovi 1 q to the last and the doctor who pa paid 1 a I a good many visita visits to the poor w wo mn admired the pint of tho the litt little I 1 0 boy zo much and jobje lion 10 izety Z ly in in willing to ray poy him jilin irom hia bi 5 little more of pao tiles eliat when his only friend his life granny wae was laid in lier her long iaac iren place be he took him jim in n him hi 1 r I 1 1 11 1 1 11 1 I 1 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 bugger to ills home gave him a nico nice luit 1 I clothes and changed his p position 1 I from I 1 that bat of a estreet to office offic boy where he was a so faithful futh ful to bis his duties that utter lifter acim a time e lio lie was sent to school his ills advance was WILS rapid ho he was in his studies as in his ills vork work faithful and ho he grew to be admired by man y who knew him film and upon him ae as a rising man alie doctor ft as clad glad to have him called billy Bi benson enson and later william which name he lie boro bor 0 with will true dignity he choso medicine ae as a profession prof eMion and today to day william in benson alias billy patches rides in hia his buggy and ie is a blessing to all especially the poor |