A tall boy with gaunt features trudged into the Newsboy's Lodging House. Snow was falling again, and the icy breath of winter bit at his already near frozen body. He dropped his damp piles of papers in a trash can, the ink smearing from melted snow. He dropped two pennies into a glass jar filled with change, paying Mr. Edwards for his use of a bunk for the week. Then he began a painstakingly slow climb to the bunk room above. There, dozens of boy -some nearly adults, ohers not yet out of childhood- were wearily climbing into bed, toward unconcious nirvana.
"Heya Ace," said a muscular redhead with a touch of an Irish accent. The gaunt boy nodded and replied, "Hey Shady."
Ace walked over to his bunk and began peeling off his wet clothes. He pushed a damp lock of hair off his foreherad, and dried himself off with a ragged towel. He redressed himself quickly, and then jumped into bed, shiverly violently. The thin blanket and flat pillow didn't do much for comfort, but he took what he could get. Many of the other newsies were also huddled in their bunks. The bunkroom had only a small stove, and they didn't use it much. The coal to heat it cost money. Money that did not exsist for any of them. Ace watched the orphans and runaways, completely lost in his thoughts.
Were t'ings always dis bad? When I became a newsie, did I have any idea dat I'd end up a street rat whose only goal was ta make enough money ta buy dinnah? Teddy and Jacks over dere in da cornah. They kain't be moah dan ten. What did dey do ta desoive dis kinda life? What did any of us do?
The bunkroom began to quiet down. Teddy and Jacks climbed into bed under the watchful eye of Railroad, whose own little brother Piper had died the winter before from pnemonia. Teddy and Jacks had runaway from an orphange only months after, and Railroad found the pair to be a good replacement for Piper. Teddy and Jacks got a good deal out of it too. It could be very hard for the younger newsies to adjust, and become hard enough to survive.
On Ace's right was an example of a boy turned orphan. Sneeze came from a middle-class family in England. He had been sent school in New Yorl City and his parents were joining him. Or, at lest were supposed to. They contracted cholera on the ship and died. Now he was alone in the world. Except for the newsies, but no one could support a starving newsie and himself. But sympathy and support sometimes worked just as well… Still, the memory of Chase was painfully sharp.
Chase was a newsie from four or five years earlier. Ace didn't know Chase's background; an eleven year old didn't pry into a much older newsie's past. But he did know what happened after. Chase was one of the best hawkers around. One winter he came down wieth pnemovia and nearly died. Once recovered he went back to selling, but he sold fewer papes every day, and ate less and less. One day Chase simply collapsed in the street, and never got back up. Everyone had known what was happening, but Chase refused to let anyone do anything about it.
Shady said Chase lost 'is will ta live. Sometimes it happens. It's like what I loirned at school - an eternity ago. Survival of da fitest. We don' all always make it. Is dat what's happening ta me?
The last poker game was winding down. Candles were slowly being put out. Ace rolled over onto his back.
Da orphange boys like Shady have it best. Dey never really had a family. He drew a shaky breath.
…Pa, I miss ya so much. You 'n' Ma, an' Laura. Sometimes I kain't remembah what any of you'se look like. Oddah times ev'ryt'in's cleah, like it 'appened yestahday.
Once I woke up in da middle of da night, an' I t'ought dat I was back in our 'ouse. When I figgahed t'ing out it was woise den when I foist found out dat all of you'se was gone. It hoit Pa, but at least I didn' know how bad t'ings was gonna get. A lone tear streaked down his cheek, and he angrily wiped it away in the darkness.
How many of da oddah guys heah feels da same? How many of dem ain't reall sleepin'? How many of dem is wishin' fer any life dat's bettah den dis? An' how many of dem would raddah die den admit dat dey's livin' in a nightmare day kain't wake up from? He closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep…anything to forget hunger…cold…pain… Just like every other lonely boy in the room.
"Ace! Ace!" Someone yelled in his ear. Ace opened his eyes to find Shady standing by his bed.
"What?" he asked groggily.
"Time ta git up an' sell," Shady informed him. Ace closed his eyes again.
"I ain't sellin'," he groaned.
"Why?" Shady asked him.
"I kain't do dis no moah," Ace replied. Shady scowled and yanked him out of bed.
"Get up, ua scabbah!" he almost yelled, "Ya jist gonna give up like dat?! Let da woild walk all over youse?!" Ace sighed and got dressed. Shady nodded slowly, and as they walked out said softly, "I know. Believe me, it ain't any easiah fer da rest o' us. Jist hang in dere. Someday we'se all gotta git our break."