The Adventures of a Beggar Boy

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Part of The Young Citizen: The Magazine for Young People

Title: The Adventures of a Beggar Boy
Language: English
Year: 1936
Rights
Fulltext: 118 THE YOUNG CITIZEN Chapter Fourteen VA·~ATION DAYS DURING the Christmas recess, Tonio had a chance to be with Mrs. Dei Valle a great deal of the time. Before the sun was up, she took long walks through country lanes and Tonio was her sole companion. She asked him about his school work, his teachers, and friends. Sh~ showed a keen interest in the boy's past life, in those years when Tonio and his Lolo had to go begging. He related to her his experiences with street boys and how he almost fell into the hands of thieves and shoplifters. "Why did you have to beg?" asked Mrt>. Del Valle once. "What about your par·· ents?" "My parents?" Tonio turned a puzzled look at his companion. ro('ks on thr' L111l.l'f(f. THE ADVENTURES OF A BEGGAR BOY by Julio l..esar i"en11 ·i omo reanzeu tnat ne nad never asKeu h1mseu tnat question. .ttis Lo10 had taKen such good care ot n1m that he did not tnmK or asKmg ror his parents. .tie rememoereu navmg tnought or a mother on1y once amt that was when he dreamed of a kind iad;y who welcomed him to her beautiful home. vv hen he looked at i\1rs. De1 Valle agam, there was a strange light in his eyes. "I remember now," he exclaimed. "I have been trying hard to recall where I first saw you, Mrs. Del Valle." "Where could you have seen me?" she asked. "In my dream," he . answered. Tonio suddenly ,JtJalJ, 19J6 THE YOUNG CITIZEN 119 realized having said something that must have sounded foolish to Mrs. Del Valle. Assuming his ·usual serious look, he answered her first question, "I never knew my parents. I know of no relatives. My Lolo is my all." Mrs. Del Valle's heart went out to the boy in deep pity. She thanked heaven for having found him. Whatever she did for him worked both ways. While her help gave the boy an assured future, it also afforded her an interest which drew her thoughts away from her own sorrow. Twice a week, Mr. and Mrs. Del Valle went to the movies in the City and took Tonio along. Once in a while, they spent the twilight-hour on the big rocks on the Luneta. Tonio was given longer hours for play. With his friends he explored the streams and woods of the locality. While the carabaos took their midday wallow, the boys dug up wild turnips and hunted for half-ripe guavas and green mangoes. To his astonishment, Tonio found that he derived much greater .pleasure from munching unripe fruit than from eating delicious apples at home. Once in a while, the boys took a plunge in the river and raced to the other bank. Then they would roll on the sand or play -=-,, \f The eye specfolist fl1ey commlted decla.i·ed that an operation might /iring line/;: tlir old 11wn's sigl1t. hide-and-seek among the camachili trees that lined the river edge. Noticing how deeply tanned Tonio had become, Mrs. Del Valle suggested to her husband that a bicycle be bought for him to keep him more at home. "Let him have a full share of the joys of a normal boy's life," Mr. Del Valle said .. "There is nothing like the companionshi1' of boys of his age. It will teach him how to get along with people." '.'But he stays at the river when he ought to be resting. He might meet with an accident when the tide is high." "Well, you may warn him, but don't forbid." The following day Mr. Del Valle brought home a bicycle. He answered his wife's questioning look with, "Every boy must learn'to ride a bicycle."· Mr. Del Valle himself taught Tonio how to get on and how to keep his balance. The older man's face lit up with almost boyish pleasure as he performed his demonstrations before a group of gaping boys. "Lolo, you certainly have brought a strange influence over this house," the old cook remarked that evening as he had his · after-supper chat with the blind man. "I?" asked the old man in surprise. "Tonio, your boy, has." "In what manner?" "You know, this house used to be very quiet. Mr. and Mrs. Del Valle kept to their rooms all the time. They mingled with the neighbors only on two occasions, on Christmas day and on a birthday." "Have they ever been in trouble?" "Yes, they suffered a great sorrow." "Poor dears! May God send them a balm for it!" Lolo murmured. "Everybody can see the change in them. The Mistress talks with life and moves about with alacrity. Mr. Del Valle's laughter sometimes rings through the house." The old men's conversation was interrupted by the entrance of a servant who informed the blind man that he was wanterl (Conliu11rd <m pug" 1:::!!1) May, 1936 THE YOUNG CITIZEN STRANGE FACTS 129 A boat painted red will travel foster than a boat painted blue or white. The reason is that-barIn ancient Egypt a brother anJ sister mJrriage Was said to be an ideal one. An elephanc talks through its. nacles fasten themselves to the hull of boats. And boats that have In England. there are many canals and inland waterways. And on these canals and waterways. about 10.000 boats are registered. as dwellings. 40,000 persons live in these boats. The war in Ethiopia has had many strange effects on- trade. All rhinoceros in the London market ;:re now immediately shipped to China. There they are ground into powder. Then they are made into ipagir potions that will assure courage and brav~ry. From China. the powders are sent to Ethiopia and sold to the soldiers of Haile Selassie. In the Civil War of the United States. more Union soldiers died from disease than were act~alh killed in the battle. Camphor balls are not made our of camphor. They are made cf napthalcne. 13.Jt> a .. c noc blind. Most of us believe that they are blind. Bats possess very good eyes which 1r-? hid~~m U!l.dcr the fur on the face. Eskimos were free from disease before visits by white men. and in ord"r before they leave for duty. Baby contests are. held to stimulate interest and encourage better care of babies. There .can be no ~reater pride for a mother than to have her baby acclaimed as the most h<althy. Let us not (orget co pay a. visit ~o any hospical or hospitals on this pa·rricular day. We can be sure of Peing received with hospitality in all hospitals. for there. even sti'angcrs are always welcomed. nose. Ice cream is not cooling. In fact. ic makes you warmer. Ice cream contains starch and sugar. These toods arc classed as fuel foods which produce body heat. . Among the frogs--the he frogs make all the noise-while the she frogs remain mute. . Enrico Caruso, the late opera ·singer, will long be remembered in Italy. In a tiny chapel. there stands a candle sixteen feet high. which iR burned once a year in his memorv. That candle will last eighteen cenruries. Flauberc, noted. Fren(\h noveli<>t. wrote poetry when he was young with a human skull on his desk for inspiration. Georges Clemenceau. the latl' French statesman, often wo~e slippl'rs and gloves when he went to bed. Alexander.Dumas. who has written 298 books . .finished "The Thfcc Musketeers" in the middle of a page. He drew :i line underneath the end of the no\'::I. then he started "The Count of lvfontc Cristo" ·an the same page. AN ANGEL OF GOD (Confinued from page 107) h 1923 the Fontgallands made a pilgrirr:age. co Lourdes. There, his Hca.venly Mamma spoke co Guy: "My dear little Guy, I will •oon CO'.Tie co take you. I will come ro seek you on a Saturday in the ~rms of your mamma and will bear you str:iight to heaven." Again, the boy said. "Yes. yes." All these came to pass. Guy died of diotheria on a Saturday in the year 1925 .. It was only when he was about to die that His mother knew of his secret. His last words plenty of barnacles can not travel easily. Now, barnacles have no love for the color red. So that if J boat is painted red, barnacles will r.ot fasten themselves to it. Henc'!', a boat pain red "red can travel faster. Like hens, turtles dort'c have teeth. They have horny beaks which usually have $harp cutting edges. The tOrtoises have most of their bones on the outside like shell-· fish. Some fish also have beaks instead of teeth. Nowadays we know a good d·.?Jl .1bout bird .migrations. Bird-band. ing and oth:!r methods of identifi-. cation have helped our knowledge Hack in 1703 an English writer seriously suggested that British birdi; flew away for the Winter to the rT1oon! On the roof of the New York "Journal"' building in Manhattan 7 6 carrier pig :ons live. They bring pictures of in·oming celebrities from !hips at Quarantine 14 miles dqwn rhc Bay. Time averages 12 minutes --·-against two hours for the newspapers that wait until the ship docks. An aluminum capsule on the carrier's leg takes .two ounces of film negltivcs oc "copy" to be set. THE ADVENTURES OF (Contin11e.d from page 11.9) by Mr. Del Valle. Thz nzxt day Mr. Del Valle took Tonio and his Lalo to the City. The eye speci1list they consulted declared that an operation might brin~ 0 back the old man's sight. (To Be Continued) were: "Jesus I love You Mamma!" Madame de Fontgalland knew that che last word was not for her but for his Heave11ly Mammo.