Sunday dispatch. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1845-1854, 1852-03-14

Something for the special consideration of
those aoho pay tlDO hundred gear pel0
rent, and take the sacrament from veSsels
of siivey and gold: Bi2ljiggS, his life and
death a0ololds, and balm for the some.
At this time, have only confused and
occasionally distinct recollection or my for
tunes previous to the morning at the milk
mans.
You have doubtless, supposing you to have
lived in or ever visited New York, seen there
many little vagabond, in dirty tatters and
shirtless. They generally wander along in
mems boots, picked up somewhere, whose
dieproportionatc size makes it necessary for
them to keep their feet sliding along, without
lifting from the ground The shutting move
ment thus acquired sometimes sticks to them
through life.
Nobody either cares, or appears to care,
for these juvenile loafers. Some are the
children of shame, and are cast out because
they would be perpetual memento of dis
grace to their generators Some are orphans
of the poorest classes Others run away
from parental brutality; which is pretty
plentiful, after all, among both high and low
Others again take to the streets for very sus-
tenance; those who should naturally be their
protectors living lives of drunkenness and
improvidence.
The revelations of the Reports of the Chief
of the Police, about this extensive element
in what is termed the rising generation, are
terrible and romantic in their naked facts,
far beyond any romance Of the novelist
What I remember of my life previous to
my introduction in the second chapter, was
mostly located among this class. We were
indeed wanderers upon the face of the earth; {;
although our travels did not extend beyond
the limits of the city, and the places within
few miles distance The only principle
that controlled us Was the instinct to live,
animally; to eat, Gf We could get it, when
we we're hungry, and to lie down and sleep
wherever weariness overlook us.
have very clear recollection Of most
intimate crony, with whom | shared luck and
adventures; and who did the same with me.
He was little older than myself His name,
he always said was William, or Bill, Jiggs;
but we all used to call him Billjiggs, for con-
venience.
Billjiggs was quite a magnificent fellow.
When elated or very good humored, indeed,
he was wont to announce himself as one of the
bows you read of in the Scriptures; though
which of those numerous worthless he meant,
be never specifed He had red hair r,-very
red. 1t was never combed; but it was cut
every few days, by the friend WHO happened
to be handiest sometimes with q scissors
sometimes with a jacknife, sharpeDed for the
work; and once, remember with broad
axe. / had the honor Of handling the imple-
ment myself on that occasion. Some carpen-
iers, at work on new houee, had gone to
dinner near by, and left their tools lying
loose around Poor BilJiiggs ! came very
uaar 1aviup his head omen
My friend would never allow me to be i'm
posed upon by superior force or cunning and
though / was too little to add much to his
weight in his own quarrels, still 1 sometimes
managed to cast the balance in his favor, in
cases where the odds were pretty nearly even.
For Billjiggs was pugnacious; he entered
into quarrels and fights on the smallest pre-
tence, aud sometimes received horrible drub
bings
One day, remember, he pitched into a
boy considerably bigger than himself, for
some curt rejoinder to a critical remark Of
Billjiggs, about certain spotted cap which
the aforesaid boy chose to wear on his head
He of the spotted cap got considerably the
worst Of the battle, which waxed hot; when
he was fain to seize good sized, paving
stone that happened to be loose in the street,
and dealt Biljiggs such blow on the side
of his head that he fell fat and senseless on
the ground, and the blood poured forth free
ly the victor taking to his heels like good
fellow.
mention this incident because it was the
means of my first seeing an individual who
years afterward, Gas the reader will find IN
the course of the story,) played prominent
part in the affairs Of my life.
Billjggs was carried in tho nearest base
ment, and restoratives applied to him.
An old Quaker lady, and little girl OF