they know about things going on in the world anyway, if we newsboys
didn't supply 'em with papers? All in favor of having a banquet, hold up
yer hands!"

Up went a score of hands--some dirty, some clean and some speckled, but
Will's hand remained down. "See here, Will, what's the reason you won't
stay by us?"

The boy hesitated a moment and then said: "Boys, it's mighty close times
up at our house; fried chicken and pound cake don't come our way,
turkeys roost too high for us, and, and--well, boys, if you must know
it, about the only good thing we kids have up there is our mother's
love. See these patches! My mother put them on. See these stockings! My
mother has been mending this same pair of stockings for more than a
year, and she washes and irons them after I've gone to bed at night.
Every stitch of mother's needle and thread is a stitch of love, and one
night not long ago, I opened my eyes and saw my mother's tears dropping
on the sleeve of my coat at the same time she was putting the patch on
this elbow. I tell you, boys, the best thing I've got in the world is my
mother, and the best Christmas gift I ever had is my mother's love. If I
had a million dollars, I'd give them all to my mother in return for her
love. No, no, boys; no banquet for me, as long as I know my mother is
starving herself that we children may have more to eat."

"Well," replied one of the boys, "if I had a mother like that, maybe I'd
feel the same way; but all we get at our house is a good licking from a
drunken mother, and I'm going in for a square meal at Christmas, if I
never has another."

The boys, gathered on the sidewalk by one of the parks, were suddenly
startled by a cry "Look out there!" and the next moment a runaway horse
dashed into their midst; little Will was knocked over, and was soon
carried into a neighboring drug store, all unconscious of what had
happened. It was soon discovered that his arm was broken, and his body
bruised in a number of places. The moment he regained consciousness and
found what had occurred, he said:

"Take me to my mother; she will take care of me somehow, though this
isn't exactly the kind of a Christmas gift I meant she should have. Say,
boys, one of you go up to our house, and tell her easy about this; don't
burst in sudden and scare her, but tell her it isn't dangerous,
and--well, just tell her I love her."

The boys wiped their eyes and one of them said, "This busts up our
banquet, fellers; I