The Empire County argus. [volume] (Coloma, El Dorado County, Cal.) 1853-1857, 1853-12-17
NUMBER 5.

Poor BoY,--We said this on Sunday evening rs
we came down Broadway. We have said it twenty
times since that, aloud, and five times twenty men
tally, we have repeated those two words "Poor
boy" They are little words, common words only
seven letters, easily spoken, often Spoken vet they
have a great deal of meaning painful meaning
sometimes They had on Sunday night They Of
ten tell whole story They did in the present case.
This IS it.
Our ear was first attracted by a little hum of
voices voices OF boys, singing march it was the
ROgues March. What could it be forl Wolooknd
and listened Half dozen boys with sticks, ;mi-
tating those children who carry guns-one had tied
his handkerchief upon his stick to initiate flag
were singing and marching behind another how
lie was about twelve years old and carried bnndlc
IN his hand, tied IN q common cotton handkerchief
such as we carried when about the samesage His
dfeSo sald, just as PLAIN as his language 6 am Just
from the country" His tormentors, for such thcy
were, were in high gleo. Their glee made US sad,
and we said, g Poor boy" and walked away. We
could not go on and so went back The Door
boy had stopped to demonstrate with his prosecutors
What do you want to follow me a singing that
ar for wish you would let me alone | hant
done nothing to you"
Amt that rich boys Hurrah for creeneva
We cried poor boy again, and then we told the
boys they should not torment the poor bow and
asked 8 what did they do it for - cause he's
got no spunk. Why don't he show fight !n He's
greency.' Yes he was green. That was enough
for city boys, well dressed boys, the parents of
whom no one would dare to say were not "respec-
table" Could they say themselves, that it was re-
spectacle to let their boys run in the streets on the
Sabbath, singing and marching like wild young
savagcs, after a poor boy from the country whose
only fault was that he had not learned to be as
bad as themselves he was green. he would not frht
He did not look like a fighting boy his face was a
mud, pleasant one, rather pensivc, and he had a
soft blue eye But he was green. He had been
green enough to sit down on door step to rest his
tired limbs, and that was enough to draw crowd
OF idle boys around him with their bes and their
jeers and insulting and provoking remarks on his
appearance, his homespun coat and unfaShionably
cut garments and when he replied and told them
to so away and let him alone, they set up a shout
Of derision at his countrifed language Then he
got up and thought he would walk away, and so
get clear Of them but he could not shake them off
Poor boy he had left his country home among the
mountains of Northern New York to seek his for
tune in the city and this the first fortune he
had met with 1t was unkndly welcome. We
drew him aside and questioned him why he came
to the city. = | came because | had read so much
in the newspapers about the prosperity of the city,
and how every body gets great wages and the mon
cy right down every week: and | thought that it
was the place for me- as was poor and my mother
was poor and wanted to try to do something to
get Il home for her and me too. Now have cot
here | don't know what to do, or where to go to
stay all night have been walking all through
town until am dreadful tired, and hav'nt seen a
single tavern sign. Can you tell me where to find
one " We told him where to 60 to find plain
lodging place, and advised him to turn his face
northward in the morning. Go back to the coun-
try poor boy he is green in the city and not dis
posed to fight his way through life, so he must 90
back to the country. lie always will be poor boy
here--N. Y. IrjJm1e.