Twas the night before Newsies, when all through the stage
Not a creature was stirring, regardless of age;
The costumes were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that their strike leader soon would be there;
The actors were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of the front page danced in their heads;
And Medda in her night dress, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long two weeks' nap,
When out on the roof there arose such a noise,
I sprang from my bed to see if it was the boys.
Away to the window I flew like a Steele,
Tore open the drapes and threw it 'side with zeal.
The moon on the breast of the old dying grass,
Gave a lustre of hope as if shone through a glass,
When what sight did I see that brought me great joys,
But a miniature cart and eight tiny newboys ,
With a small young driver who was a little smelly,
I knew in a moment he must be Jack Kelly.
Faster than Delancies his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now, Henry! now, Albert! now Racer and Sniper!
On, Specs! on, Mush! on, Buttons and Elmer!
To the top of the page! to above the fold!
Now dance away! dance away! dance away bold!"
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop with tappers they flew
With the bag full of papes, and their strike leader too—
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The shuffles and tapping of each little foot.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
The newsboy leader of strikes came with a bound.
He was dressed in flannel, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of papes he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His small sassy mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the stubble on his chin was dirty like the snow;
The stump of a brush he held tight in his teeth,
And the smell of wet paint encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face that seemed to scream "Jack Kelly"
It shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was fit and average height, quite unlike an elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the headlines; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, to his penthouse he rose;
He sprang to his gang, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all danced like the down of a thistle.
I heard him exclaim, for the sake of everyone—
"Newsies forever second to none!"
