In All of Life, You Remain

Though I am poor and needy

My shelter You’ll be

Not by my merit lead me

With a curse a big man with a beer in his hand opened the door and threw the two young girls into the street. “Stay out of my house!” he yelled at them, “I have no room for creatures like you in my family!"” With this he spit on them and kicked them further into the street. Turning, he stormed back into the house and slammed the door shut.

The two girls scrambled to their feet and ran quickly from the street. Together they began to walk aimlessly down the streets of Manhattan. Their tear streaked faces hung in shame and their dirty matted hair fell in their faces as if to hide them from the cruel world around them.

All morning they walked aimlessly around New York and finally ended up sitting on a bench in Central Park. They sat staring at the ground and crying silently, their tears trickling down their face and falling on their bare feet. They did not notice the young newsie staring at them curiously, nor did they notice when the day turned to evening and the sky above them grew dark.

“Uuummm… excuse me, but did you realize that it was growing pretty dark?” A young mans voice interrupted the depressing silence. At the sound of his voice two tear streaked faces looked up at him with glazed eyes. He suddenly felt pity for these to young girls. The young newsie looked at them and knew that these two girls had had an easy life and were suddenly thrown into the streets just recently. He reached out to comfort them, but they shied back in fear, obviously knowing the dangers of the streets and what it did to young people. “Listen you can’t sleep out here. Let me take you to the Newsboys Lodging house. It has beds and blankets and it will put a roof over your head.” The tallest of the girls and obviously the oldest looked fearfully at him. She studied his face trying to search for something she could trust. Finally satisfied she sighed deeply and stood up. Reaching down she helped the other girl up and then proceeded to follow the newsie. As they walked the newsie introduced himself as Snoddy and told them a little about himself. When they reached the Lodging house he started to sign them in when he realized that he did not know their names. Turning to the oldest he said, “I need to know your names so I can sign you in for the night.” The two girls looked at each other and instantaneously came up with names. “I am Mayflower,” said the oldest, “and this is my sister Smudge.” Snoddy looked at them curiously and proceeded to sign them in. As they walked up the stairs he asked them about it. “Those weren’t you’re real names were they.” He said. Mayflower shook her head, but said nothing. Smudge looked up at him and searched his face wondering whether or not she could trust him. Finally she looked away and said, “my name is Lori, but please call me Lori.” Mayflower gasped when she heard her sister reveal her identity. She glared at her angrily and jabbed her in the ribs with her elbow. Lori glared back at her sister and mouthed the word, “what!” Suddenly they stopped at the door to the bunkrooms. Snoddy opened the creaky old door slowly. The three entered into the bunkroom and were greeted by the stares of about twenty newsies who had stopped their activities when the door opened. Snoddy turned to Lori and Mayflower to see their reaction. “This is where you will be sleeping.” He said. Mayflower’s face looked shocked and showed disapproval. Snoddy became defensive and said, “I know its not the greatest, but at least it is not Central Park!” Lori looked at him sympathetically knowing that her sister was being very

“Snoddy, this is great. Thank you very much! Now could you please tell me who everyone is?” Lori said while sweeping her hand across the room to encompass all the newsies.

“Thank you Lori, now to introduce you. This one with the cigar in his mouth is Racetrack, the one in the corner with the patch over his eye is Kid Blink, and the one leaning against the bedpost is Mush. That one is Snipshooter, and there is Specs and Bumlets, and Dutchy, and…” Lori listened intently as Snoddy recited each ones name and finally introduced the leader of them all, Jack Kelly, sometimes called Cowboy.

As Lori looked at each one of the newsies she realized that many of them had gone through what she and her sister were going through right now. Although they looked very happy she saw an occasional glimpse of sadness and fear in their eyes. “Hello everyone!” Lori said after being introduced. “I am Lori, Lori for short, and this is my sister Elizabeth, although she prefers to be called Ellie.” This introduction earned another glare from Mayflower, now to be called Ellie.

The next thing that happened took everyone by surprise including all the newsies. Jack strode up to Lori, doffed his hat to her and bowed slightly saying, “I am pleased to make your acquaintance Miss Lori, may have the pleasure of escorting you to your sleeping quarters?” Lori gave him an amused look and then accepted the arm offered to her.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The next morning Lori woke up before anyone and slipped quietly up to the roof of the Newsie Lodging House. For a long time she sat there staring at the rising sun and remembering the days she’d spent with her mother up on their roof talking about boys and work and what things were like when her mother had been a child. Lori’s tears began to slide down her face as she thought about these things. She didn’t hear when Kid Blink snuck quietly up to sit beside her, and when he touched her arm to let her know that he was there she gasped and drew back. Seeing that it was only one of the newsies she relaxed slightly.

“I thought you would be up here.” Kid Blink stated in a whisper. Lori turned her head sharply to stare back into the sky. “I knew when you came in last night that you were sad and hurt. I thought maybe you would like to tell somebody about it.”

“Thanks for your concern, but I’d rather not talk about it right now, maybe ever, okay?”

“Yeah sure I understand, but I know it will help to tell someone sometime.”

Lori didn’t say anything. She looked around and noticed that Kid Blink had brought a book with him. Staring at it she asked, “What book is that?”

“Oh, this?” Blink said looking at the book, “this is my bible. I read it every morning up here on the roof. Would you like me to read some to you?”

“Okay. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that who so ever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than light; for their deeds were evil.”

“What does it all mean?” Lori asked curiously.

“Well let me start at the very beginning. Many, many years ago, at the beginning of time, God created the heavens and the earth. He created the birds, the fish, and every living thing. Even man and he named the man Adam. Adam soon grew lonely and wished for another human to share life with him. So God gave him woman and Adam named her Eve. God had stuck them in a beautiful garden full of everything they needed, but right in the middle God had planted a tree called the tree of good and evil. God had forbidden Adam and Eve to eat from this tree, but they did anyway and so now there are bad things in this world. Like fathers who kick out their own children, men who murder, and men who steal, and men who lie. Because of this God said that no one could come to heaven, instead everyone must go to hell. Unless that person believes that Jesus, God’s Son, came to earth born from a virgin and grew up and died and rose again. If anyone believes that and confesses their sin to Him then they can be saved. Then they too will be able to live with Jesus and His Father in heaven.”

“Wow, it sounds like you have this all figured out.” Lori said amazed.

“Yes I have been a Christian for a very long time.” Blink replied, “would you like to ask Jesus to save you too?” Lori looked away from him and into the sky. So many question, so many things that she didn’t understand.Shaking her head she said, “no, not right now. I just don’t think that he could really ever love me.”

“Lori if I can love you house easy do you think it is for God to love you. Besides he is the one who created love in the fist place. Just think about okay, and don’t put it off until it is too late.” Blink then stood up and offered to help her up. Together they walked back down to the bunkroom where everyone was already up and getting ready to sell the papes. When they saw Lori and Blink come down from the roof they gave Blink suspicious smiles which he ignored.

“Hey Lori ya gonna sell papes taday?” Racetrack called.

“No, I think I will stay here, keep Kloppman company.” She replied.

That day Lori cleaned the Lodging house from top to bottom, all to the amazement of Kloppman. She scrubbed the floors, washed the windows, made the beds, and even spruced up the place a little with a vase of flowers she had picked, these she set on Kloppman's desk. While she cleaned she thought about the things Blink had told her. She remembered over and over again that he had said that God loved her. Finally as she was picking the floors she sank own on her knees and asked the Lord come and save her from her miserable life that she lived with out him, and asked him to come and take

control of her life.

Later, in return for her cleaning, Kloppman gave her some money to pay for lunch and a little to save for something she might want. From then on Lori stayed and helped Kloppman with the Lodging house while Ellie went with the newsies to sell papes.

One thing that bothered Lori from the moment that Jack had practiced chivalry on her on was that she could never quite get him out of her mind. When he was there she stared at him and blushed when he caught her, and when he was selling papes she thought of him nonstop. “Maybe I am falling in Love,” Lori pondered out loud one day while making the beds. “But does he feel the same way about me?” She could only wonder.

One day when she came down from the roof with Blink she caught Jack looking at her and she blushed. “What Jack?” she asked.

“Uuummm… Lori… I was wondering if you would like to go to dinner with me tonight.” There he had said it. His face was all red and he looked every where but directly at Lori.

“Jack, are you asking me out on a date?” Lori asked with a knowing smile.

Jack nodded his head fearing that if he spoke his voice would crack. “Sure Jack. When should I be ready?”

“How about five? Is that okay?”

“Sure.” Then Jack leaned over and kissed her lightly on her cheek and whispered in her ear, “Youse me goirl now, Lori.” Lori laughed softly. She felt wonderful.

“Well Jack don’t you think that you should go sell papes so you can pay for tonight’s dinner? Besides I need to start cleaning so that I can be ready at five.”

“Yeah youse is right, but I’se goina miss youse, me princess.” Jack kissed her one last time on the cheek then left to go sell.

All through that morning and afternoon Lori floated on thin air and at three when she went to go buy a nicer dress she sang the whole way.

That evening when Jack was ready to go he went and knocked on the washroom door to tell Lori that he was ready. When she came out Jack couldn’t keep his eyes off her. She was dressed in a beautiful soft green dress that matched her eyes and her hair was pulled up in a clip with curls dangling

down. She was the picture of beauty to Jack’s brown eyes.

That night Lori and Jack had a wonderful dinner at an Italian restaurant called Tony’s and afterwards they walked along the water under the moonlight. Lori called that night “the first night that she ever really lived”.

Waste my time on lovers quarrels

Speed my breath and hope to stumble

Out of my disdain and still

Lori and had been together for over a year now and they had spent many wonderful times together, but one day something happened…

“Jack, I’ve been wondering, are you a Christian?” Lori asked one night when they were sitting up on the roof together. Jack turned to her in surprise.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Well do believe in Jesus God’s Son? Are you a Christian?” Lori asked again.

“Lori this really is not the time for this. Ask me later.” Jack replied avoiding her question.

“No Jack I need to know now.” Lori insisted.

“No, Lori, I am not a Christian, now leave it.” Jack said slightly angry.

“No Jack I won’t leave it. What if you were killed or what if God came back? How would you respond? Jesus can save you Jack. You need him.”

“Don’t tell me what I need and don’t need, Lori.” Jack was yelling now. “I don’t need God or Jesus. God let my Step Father kill my Mother, God let my Father die. Lori, God left me when I needed him most! He let me almost starve on the street when I was five. He let my Step Father murder all my brothers and sisters. Dead, Lori! They are all dead! And God is dead to me.” Jack turned to leave, but looked back and spat on the ground in front of Lori, then left. Lori stayed on the roof all night crying out to God and begging Him to soften Jacks heart. In the morning she crept down through the window into the Lodging House-soaking wet. It had rained during the night and so now Lori was soaking wet mess. Ellie was the first to notice this and cried, “Lori! Were you out in the rain all night?” Lori just nodded her head and went into the washroom to change. When she came out she

saw Jack waiting for her and blushed. When Jack saw her he reached out and grabbed her. Pulling her to him he kissed her fiercely then pushed her away and left the room. Lori knew that Jack was telling her that though he was very angry with her right now, she was still his. Lori cried all day during her work and prayed hard that God would work in Jacks heart.

That evening when the newsies came in Lori saw Blink, Mush, Snoddy, and Dutchy carrying an unconscious Jack into the room. They set him on Lori’s bed since it was a lower bunk and was easier to reach than Jack’s top bunk.

When Lori saw the bruises and cuts on his face and chest she ordered all the newsies out of the room except for Kid Blink, Racetrack, and Mush, while she took care of him. For hours the three newsies stood by watching as Lori washed and dressed the cuts, and tried hard to revive him. Finally Jack’s eyes fluttered open. “Lori.” He said in a whisper. “Lori do you know what they did to me?”

“Shhh… Jack. Rest Jack, you’ll be better in the morning.” Lori said soothingly. So Jack closed his eyes and fell asleep to the sound of Lori singing to him.

The next morning he woke up to the sound of Kloppman coming up the stairs and he tried to get up, but his sore muscles made him fall back against the pillow and groan. Lori ran immediately over to him and commanded, “Jack don’t try to get up. You are going to stay in that bed until I say you can get up.”

Jack laughed, but suddenly turned serious. “Lori, I’ve been thinking about what you said the other night. I could’ve died last night.”

“Jack, you don’t need to apologize. I shouldn’t have pressed you so hard.”

“Lori, yes I do need to apologize. I was wrong. I do need God. Lori, will you pray with me?” Lori laughed a laugh of relief, and breathed a silent prayer to God thanking him for working in Jack’s heart.

After they were done praying and talking and praying some more Jack looked at her and asked her, “Lori what happened the day that you came to us?”

“Oh Jack,” she gasped, “Jack… I, I really don’t want to talk about it.” She said quietly, tears streaming down her face.

“Lori,” Jack whispered while wiping the tears from her face, “Oh Lori, it helps to talk it out you know.”

“Jack, I… My mother, she was murdered by my brother, who then killed himself. After she died my Dad started drinking. He would be out for weeks at a time and when he came back he would beat Ellie and I. Ellie would take care of the other children while I worked in a factory. When my Father

heard that I was working he beat me and then locked me in the closet for three days. When he left Ellie let me out and told me that he had taken the younger children and left. When we went to find him he kicked us out of his house claiming that we were unfit to be his children.” The last word was

“Lori, oh my poor Lori! I am so sorry! I should not have asked.” Lori just laid her head on his bed and sobbed into the blanket while Jack tried to comfort her.

“Lori remember Jesus? He was tortured and killed for you. He loves you Lori, even more than I do.” Lori’s sobs quieted with these words and she lifted her face to from the bed.

“Yeah, you’re right. I need to clean the bunkroom now.” Lori wiped the tears from her face and stood up. She cleaned the bunkroom while Jack slept.

My Wall, my Mighty Tower

Be my Shadow, come cover me

Till all my enemies cower

Jack quickly got better resolved his differences with Lori and went back to selling papes. Everything went back to normal. One day as Lori was cleaning the lodging house she decided she needed to get some more flowers for Kloppman’s desk. As she walked towards Central Park to look for some wild flowers she noticed two shadowy figures stalking her. When she walked faster the shadows walked faster. She broke into a run, but didn’t get far when a hand reached out from an alleyway and grabbed her. Lori found herself staring up into the face of Morris Delancey.

“Hey Oscar! Look what we got here! A stray alley cat!” Morris said his tabacco breath making Lori want to puke all over him.

“Morris, ya think she wants ta have some fun?” Oscar asked menacingly.

“Please, let me go.” Lori begged which pleased the bothers all the more.

“Jack! Help! Jack! Jack!”

“Jack ain’t here sweet face.” Oscar laughed at her. “And he ain’t gonna come ‘cause he can’t hear ya.”

“Jesus! Oh God save me!” Lori cried out. “Save me!” Oscar and Morris looked at each other.

“Oh brother, we’ve got a religious fanatic on our hands.” They sighed.

Morris pulled her face close to his and hissed at her, “If ya promise not to tell any one we’ll let ya go, otherwise we’ll kill ya right here and right now.” Oscar pulled a knife out of his jacket and held up to her face. Lori looked at the shining blade and then at the two brothers, “I promise.” She said.

Morris looked her over then shoved her out of the alley. Lori picked herself up and ran all the way back to the lodging house. When she got up to her bunk she lay down and thanked God for saving her.

Though the day be laced with trouble

Be the stone over which I stumble

Straight into the arms and stay

They said to me I would fall by the wayside

A year passed after the Delancey brothers had threatened her and everything stayed as normal. Snoddy asked Ellie to be his girl, and Jack and Lori went out together more and more often now.

Today Lori went about her normal chores in the Lodging House floating in thin air. Tonight Jack was going to take her some special place for the celebration of their two-year anniversary. Where they were going was to be a surprise, which caused her to be even more excited. When Jack came back

from selling his papes he told her to get ready to go quickly.

During dinner Jack pulled out a small box and presented it to her then he stood up and walked over to her. Kneeling down on one knee he said, “Lori, I know we’re young, and I know I don’t have a very good job, but if you marry me I will love with the love I can give.”

Lori smiled and opened the box. What she saw made her gasp. Inside was a small silver ring with a three tiny diamonds on it. Looking at Jack in surprise she asked, “Jack, were did you get the money to buy this?” Jack shrugged and smiled.

“Oh, Jack, I love you! I don’t think I could imagine ever spending my life with anyone else.” Lori then took his hand and they stood up at the same time. Together they left the restaurant and headed back to the Lodging House to tell the others their good news.

When they got there they announced that they had something to tell everyone. “Everyone,” Jack started, “let me introduce you to my Fiancé.”

All the guys let out whoops and catcalls until Racetrack shouted for everyone to stop. They all turned to Race and grumbled. “What’s da mattah wit’ ya Race? We’se only congratilatin’ da couple!” Mush complained.

“Nothin’,” Racetrack said, “I’se… well, me head just hurts.” With that everyone turned back to their activities, Racetrack went and lay on his bead, and Jack and Lori went up to the roof. Race suddenly decided to go up on the roof and talk to Lori so he jumped up and climbed out the window. He came upon a beautiful picture. Jack and Lori were kissing and the moonlight was shining down on them. Race coughed to let them know he was there.

“Race! What are you doing here?” Lori exclaimed. Race shuffled his feet and mumbled something about needing to talk to Lori… alone. Lori glanced at Jack and said to Race, “Okay, but only for five minutes.” After Jack had gone far enough away. Race turned to Lori. “Lori, I’ve got let you know something. I am you’re brother, me name is Anthony Higgins.” Lori gasped, “Anthony! It can’t be! When you ran away three years ago… I thought you were surely dead by now!”

“Yeah, it can be and no I am not dead.” Lori smiled and tears began to run down her cheeks. Impulsively she hugged him tight and hung on to him until Jack pulled her away.

“What is going on here?” Jack asked Race roughly.

“Uuummm… Jack I’d like you to meet me twin, Lori, known as Lori.” Race replied with a huge grin on his face. Jack looked at the two in surprise.

“Are you guys really twins?” Jack asked. Lori and Race smiled, “Yeah.”

They answered together. Lori and Race looked at each other and burst out laughing.

“So you’re last name is Higgins?” Jack asked Lori.

“No, my Mother married twice my last name is Linder.” Lori replied.

The fatherless we may be weary

Be our peace and do not tarry

Wait we will for your joy

Be my portion promised me, O’ Lord

Lori and Jack were walking down the streets together just talking when Lori mentioned and idea that she had been thinking a lot about lately. “Jack, I want to go visit my father again. See how things are going, ya know with my younger siblings and such.” Jack glanced at her in surprise, “Are you sure

you really want to do that?”

“No, but I feel I have to. I mean they are my siblings.”

“Well okay… when do you want to go?”

“Right now, we aren’t that far from the house so we can walk there in less then five minutes.”

Ten minutes later Lori came out of the house sobbing on Jacks shoulder.

How could her father have done such a thing? Lori had entered the house only to find secret police cleaning up the place. They told her that her father had, in a drunken state, murdered her siblings and then killed himself. Lori had been shocked at first, but now all she could think about was her sisters Elisa and Beth, and her two year old brother Jacob.

“Jack, I want to be alone for a while, okay?” Lori said looking at Jack with pleading eyes.

“Well, okay, but be sure to be back at the Lodging house by ten o’clock.”

Lori nodded her head and then turned in the direction of Brooklyn. Lori walked, and walked and walked. By three she reached the Brooklyn Bridge.

She continued walking on the bridge while forming a plan in her head. When she reached the middle of the bridge she looked down over the edge. She walked a little further and looked down again. She didn’t notice the young newsie watching her as she climbed the rail of the Bridge. He watched her as she stood up and then with one look back jumped off the bridge. The newsie didn’t wait to see when she hit the water. He ran across the bridge to dry land and then down to the water. He waded into the water up to his chest and then began to swim towards the girl floating in the water,

unconscious. When he reached her he tied a rope around her middle and pulled her to shore. The newsie then carried her to the Brooklyn Lodging House.

Hours later Lori opened her eyes to find herself in a room that she had never seen before with a newsie she did not know kneeling beside her. Glancing around in fear she quickly tried to sit up, but the room started to spin so she lay back down. “Who are you?” Lori asked the boy.

“I’se Spot Conlon, the leader of the Brooklyn Newsies.”

“Where’s Jack?” Lori asked between coughs. Spot beckoned to man in the shadows of the room. “Jack!”

“I’m here Lori, do you mind telling me what happened?” Jack said rather angrily.

“Jack, I’m sorry, I don’t know why I jumped, but Jack if I don’t live remember that I love you.” With these last words Lori closed her eyes and fell asleep, perhaps never to awake again.

“Lori, I love you with all me heart.” Jack whispered. Leaning down he brushed her lips with his and then lay down beside her, sobbing quietly.