The Dangerous Classes of New York, and Twenty Years' Work Among ThemBrace, Charles Loring
History
The Dangerous Classes of New York, and Twenty Years' Work Among Them
Brace, Charles Loring
Child welfare -- New York (State) -- New York; New York (N.Y.) -- Social conditions; Poor -- New York (State) -- New York
"Presently Paddy came forward, and stood upon a stool. He is a
youngster, not more than twelve, with a little round eye, a short nose,
a lithe form, and chuck-full of fun.
[Illustration: THE NEWSBOY. (From a photograph.)]
"'Bummers,' said he, 'snoozers, and citizens, I've come down here among
ye to talk to yer a little! Me and my friend Brace have come to see how
ye'r gittin' along, and to advise yer. You fellers what stands at the
shops with yer noses over the railin', smellin' ov the roast beef and
the hash--you fellers who's got no home--think of it how we are to
encourage ye. [Derisive laughter, "Ha-ha's," and various ironical kinds
of applause.] I say, bummers--for you're _all_ bummers (in a tone of
kind patronage)--_I was a bummer once_ [great laughter]--I hate to see
you spendin' your money on penny ice-creams and bad cigars. Why don't
you save your money? You feller without no boots, how would you like a
new pair, eh? [Laughter from all the boys but the one addressed.] Well,
I hope you may get 'em, but I rayther think you won't. I have hopes for
you all. I want you to grow up to be rich men--citizens, Government men,
lawyers, generals, and influence men. Well, boys, I'll tell you a story.
My dad was a hard 'un. One beautiful day he went on a spree, and he came
home and told me where's yer mother? and I axed him I didn't know, and
he clipt me over the head with an iron pot, and knocked me down, and me
mither drapped in on him, and at it they went. [Hi-hi's, and
demonstrative applause.] Ah! at it they went, and at it they kept--ye
should have seen 'em--and whilst they were fightin', I slipped, meself
out the back door, and away I went like a scart dog. [Oh, dry up! Bag
your head! Simmer down!] Well, boys, I wint on till I kim to the 'Home'
[great laughter among the boys], and they took me in [renewed laughter],
and did for me, without a cap to me head or shoes to me feet, and thin I
ran away, and here I am. Now boys [with mock solemnity], be good, mind
yer manners, copy me, and see what you'll become.'
"At this point the boys raised such a storm of hifalutin applause, and
indulged in such characteristic demonstrations of delight, that it was
deemed best to stop the youthful Demosthenes, who jumped from his stool
with a bound that would have done credit to a monkey.
"At this juncture huge pans of apples were brought in, and the boys were
soon engaged in munching the delightful fruit, after which the Matron
gave out a hymn, and all joined in singing it, during which we took our
leave."
A NEWSBOY'S SPEECH. (FROM OUR JOURNAL.)
"Some of these boys, in all their misfortunes, have a humorous eye for
their situation--as witness the following speech, delivered by one of
them at the Newsboys' Lodging-house, before the departure of a company
to the West. The report is a faithful one, made on the spot. The little
fellow mounted a chair, and thus held forth:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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