The Strength of Gideon and Other StoriesDunbar, Paul Laurence
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The Strength of Gideon and Other Stories
Dunbar, Paul Laurence
African Americans -- Fiction
The big blue-coat looked a little bit ashamed as he marched him down
the street, followed at a distance by a few hooting boys. Some of the
holiday shoppers turned to look at them as they passed and murmured,
"Poor little chap; I wonder what he's been up to now." Others said
sarcastically, "It seems strange that 'copper' didn't call for help."
A few of his brother officers grinned at him as he passed, and he
blushed, but the dignity of the law must be upheld and the crime of
gambling among the newsboys was a growing evil.
Yes, the dignity of the law must be upheld, and though Jimmy was only
a small boy, it would be well to make an example of him. So his name
and age were put down on the blotter, and over against them the
offence with which he was charged. Then he was locked up to await
trial the next morning.
"It's shameful," the bearded sergeant said, "how the kids are carryin'
on these days. People are feelin' pretty generous, an' they'll toss
'em a nickel er a dime fur their paper an' tell 'em to keep the change
fur Christmas, an' foist thing you know the little beggars are
shootin' craps er pitchin' pennies. We've got to make an example of
some of 'em."
'Liza Ann Lewis was tearing through her work that day to get home and
do her Christmas shopping, and she was singing as she worked some such
old song as she used to sing in the good old days back home. She
reached her room late and tired, but happy. Visions of a "wakening up"
time for her and Jimmy were in her mind. But Jimmy wasn't there.
"I wunner whah that little scamp is," she said, smiling; "I tol' him
to hu'y home, but I reckon he's stayin' out latah wid de evenin'
papahs so's to bring home mo' money."
Hour after hour passed and he did not come; then she grew alarmed. At
two o'clock in the morning she could stand it no longer and she went
over and awakened Blinky Scott, much to that young gentleman's
disgust, who couldn't see why any woman need make such a fuss about a
kid. He told her laconically that "Chimmie was pinched fur t'rowin' de
bones."
She heard with a sinking heart and went home to her own room to walk
the floor all night and sob.
In the morning, with all her Christmas savings tied up in a
handkerchief, she hurried down to Jefferson Market court room. There
was a full blotter that morning, and the Judge was rushing through
with it. He wanted to get home to his Christmas dinner. But he paused
long enough when he got to Jimmy's case to deliver a brief but stern
lecture upon the evil of child-gambling in New York. He said that as
it was Christmas Day he would like to release the prisoner with a
reprimand, but he thought that this had been done too often and that
it was high time to make an example of one of the offenders.
Well, it was fine or imprisonment. 'Liza Ann struggled up through the
crowd of spectators and her Christmas treasure added to what Jimmy
had, paid his fine and they went out of the court room together.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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