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Literary
February 16, 1905
Phillipsburg Herald
Phillipsburg, Phillips County, Kansas
What is this article about?
A young city newsboy named Jip buys a cheap valentine featuring a lady in blue, excited to send it, but becomes heartbroken upon learning the satirical poem beneath mocks her pride and class superiority, leading him to tear it up.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
THE LADY IN BLUE
A City Newsboy's Valentine.
"Poipers! Ev'ning poipers! Loidy!
Yer ev'ning poipers! Poipers! Sun?
'Ere y'are! Thank ye, mum!"
Jip got out of the crowd with a rush, his last paper sold, and darted up the street. He ran and dashed and darted across the streets for several blocks, such a little, grinning, bright-eyed youngster that people made way for him at once with a smile.
On a side street from the row he halted, panting, and pressed his nose against the glass of a little store window. The window was full of coarsely colored pictures, the stereotyped comic valentines.
Jip's pointed finger jabbed at the window glass promptly, and located the valentine he desired. He breathed a great sigh of joy and relief and danced for a happy moment.
"She's dere!" he cried, and whisked into the store.
"Wot d'yer want, little boy?" the haughty maiden demanded. "Git off me counter."
"Gib me her!" yelled Jip triumphantly. "I have 2 cents an' it's me own, and youse can't keep her no more, youse can't."
"D'yer mean the valentine of the blue lady in der winder?" said the girl contemptuously.
"Yah-yip-yah-gib me her!" Jip gasped.
The girl stepped to the window and quickly drew from it a vividly blue picture, which Jip grasped and then gave up his 2 cents.
He darted and dashed once more along the row, until in a retired corner, sitting upon some steps, he found himself among some older newsboys.
"I'se got a valentine!" he shouted as he squeezed himself in between two big boys.
Jip had no objection to showing his valentine to the others, and it transpired that they, also, had become possessors of pictures which they each designed to send away that night.
Up to that time Jip, whose knowledge of letters was beautifully blank, had remained satisfied with the loveliness of his picture alone. But one of the newsboys recited with pride some verses of poetry written beneath one of the others.
Jip's heart sank.
"Is poetry got to be on 'em, Ned?" he asked.
"Sure."
"Wot does it say on my pictur, Ned! You read it," said Jip timidly.
Ned took the lovely portrait of the 2-cent lady in blue and read the doggerel beneath it:
You think because your dress is fine,
Because your jewels gaily shine.
You are above the common folk.
Who groan beneath your heavy yoke!
Ah! Haughty lady! Pride is tall
The harder then shall be your fall.
"Oh!" screamed the boys, "Jip's girl has t'rowed 'im over! Jip's got to get even!"
But Jip seized the lady in blue and gazed upon it in consternation, until his eyes filled with tears, and he buried his face against the stone of the alley.
Newspapers demanded the bigger boys' attention, and they ran away laughing, but the little fellow remained behind very miserable. The picture was sweet, but such words! He could never send his lady them.
Slowly he prepared to tear up his 2-cent treasure.
A City Newsboy's Valentine.
"Poipers! Ev'ning poipers! Loidy!
Yer ev'ning poipers! Poipers! Sun?
'Ere y'are! Thank ye, mum!"
Jip got out of the crowd with a rush, his last paper sold, and darted up the street. He ran and dashed and darted across the streets for several blocks, such a little, grinning, bright-eyed youngster that people made way for him at once with a smile.
On a side street from the row he halted, panting, and pressed his nose against the glass of a little store window. The window was full of coarsely colored pictures, the stereotyped comic valentines.
Jip's pointed finger jabbed at the window glass promptly, and located the valentine he desired. He breathed a great sigh of joy and relief and danced for a happy moment.
"She's dere!" he cried, and whisked into the store.
"Wot d'yer want, little boy?" the haughty maiden demanded. "Git off me counter."
"Gib me her!" yelled Jip triumphantly. "I have 2 cents an' it's me own, and youse can't keep her no more, youse can't."
"D'yer mean the valentine of the blue lady in der winder?" said the girl contemptuously.
"Yah-yip-yah-gib me her!" Jip gasped.
The girl stepped to the window and quickly drew from it a vividly blue picture, which Jip grasped and then gave up his 2 cents.
He darted and dashed once more along the row, until in a retired corner, sitting upon some steps, he found himself among some older newsboys.
"I'se got a valentine!" he shouted as he squeezed himself in between two big boys.
Jip had no objection to showing his valentine to the others, and it transpired that they, also, had become possessors of pictures which they each designed to send away that night.
Up to that time Jip, whose knowledge of letters was beautifully blank, had remained satisfied with the loveliness of his picture alone. But one of the newsboys recited with pride some verses of poetry written beneath one of the others.
Jip's heart sank.
"Is poetry got to be on 'em, Ned?" he asked.
"Sure."
"Wot does it say on my pictur, Ned! You read it," said Jip timidly.
Ned took the lovely portrait of the 2-cent lady in blue and read the doggerel beneath it:
You think because your dress is fine,
Because your jewels gaily shine.
You are above the common folk.
Who groan beneath your heavy yoke!
Ah! Haughty lady! Pride is tall
The harder then shall be your fall.
"Oh!" screamed the boys, "Jip's girl has t'rowed 'im over! Jip's got to get even!"
But Jip seized the lady in blue and gazed upon it in consternation, until his eyes filled with tears, and he buried his face against the stone of the alley.
Newspapers demanded the bigger boys' attention, and they ran away laughing, but the little fellow remained behind very miserable. The picture was sweet, but such words! He could never send his lady them.
Slowly he prepared to tear up his 2-cent treasure.
What sub-type of article is it?
Prose Fiction
What themes does it cover?
Love Romance
Social Manners
What keywords are associated?
Newsboy
Valentine
Lady In Blue
Satirical Poem
Childhood Innocence
Class Difference
Disappointment
Literary Details
Title
The Lady In Blue
Subject
A City Newsboy's Valentine.
Key Lines
"Poipers! Ev'ning Poipers! Loidy!
Yer Ev'ning Poipers! Poipers! Sun?
'Ere Y'are! Thank Ye, Mum!"
"She's Dere!" He Cried, And Whisked Into The Store.
You Think Because Your Dress Is Fine,
Because Your Jewels Gaily Shine.
You Are Above The Common Folk.
Who Groan Beneath Your Heavy Yoke!
Ah! Haughty Lady! Pride Is Tall
The Harder Then Shall Be Your Fall.
"Oh!" Screamed The Boys, "Jip's Girl Has T'rowed 'Im Over! Jip's Got To Get Even!"
Slowly He Prepared To Tear Up His 2 Cent Treasure.