Hot corn: Life Scenes in New York Illustrated — John Shaqi
Hot corn: Life Scenes in New York IllustratedRobinson, Solon
General
Hot corn: Life Scenes in New York Illustrated
Robinson, Solon
New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Temperance -- Fiction
"Where's father? Mother sick? What's the matter?"
Her mother draws the clothes over her face. She would not have her
daughter see her weep.
"Tom, my boy, tell me; come, Tom, that is a good boy--the truth, nothing
but the truth--I must know it."
Good boy, again, and his heart overflowed. He could stand kicks, and
cuffs, and curses, without a tear, but he could not hold out against,
"good boy."
"Maggie, I will not lie to _you_, I could not; but I can't tell you the
truth."
"Why?"
"I am 'fraid you won't call me good boy again."
"Yes, I will. I don't believe you are a bad one."
"And you won't hate me?"
"No, no; she cannot hate you, for you have been good to her mother,
to-day."
"Mother! Oh! I know all about it. You need not tell me. Only, where is
he? I will go and bring him home."
"Did Heaven ever give a mother such another child?"
Yes, many such. Many a flower would send its blossomed sweets to many a
heart, but for blighting frosts in its young years.
"What sent you home, Maggie?"
"I don't know, mother; I felt as though I was wanted. Something told me
so. I dreamed so for three nights, and so I came."
She was soon told everything. Tom made a full confession; and still she
did not hate him. She told him how he could help her. He should go with
her; she was going to bring her father home. She gave him a little
bundle of clothes to carry; and away they went. She stopped on her way
down, at the police office, made her complaint, and took an officer
along with her, who arrested Cale Jones and the two women; the rest of
the gang were prowling for prey somewhere else. The women were sent to
the Island, next day, for they had no friends. The plotter of villainy
had. The Alderman of the Sixth Ward, was his friend; political friend;
him he sent for; and after being an hour in custody, he was discharged;
and this was the end of his punishment.
Reagan, since his wife's visit in the morning, had steadily refused to
drink any more, and had become in a measure sober. It was a sad meeting
with his daughter. At first, he refused to see or speak to her. He was
ashamed. Nature overcame him at last, and he got up and pulled off the
dirty suit his robbers had put on him, preparatory to kicking him into
the street, and put on the clean ones, which Maggie and Tom had brought
him; and then they took him, each by an arm, and went home. It was a sad
home; it never will be a happy one again. Then she went to work and got
him some supper, spending of her own little store to buy some tea, and
such things as he could eat.
"Now," says she, "I have got another thing to do to-night, for I must go
back again in the morning. Tom, I am going to provide you with a home.
You must go to the House of Industry, reform, and make a man of
yourself."
Reader, do not forget. This ministering angel, is Wild Maggie.
Most willingly he went with her, and was most kindly received by the
Superintendent. There we will leave him awhile. We shall see him again
perhaps.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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