Grass Valley telegraph., 1853-10-06
HOT CORN;
CHAPTER TIE FIRST INTERVIEW WITH LITE kArr.
OR, LIFE IN THE CITY.

n From the New York Daily Tribune of Au,.5.
HoT CORN! Here's your nice Ho5Corn,
smoking hot, smoking hot, just fri the
pot" Hour after hour, last evening as we
sat.oVer the desk, this cry came up id soft,
ipialntlve voice under cur window, which told
1ls OF one OF the ways of the poor to exc cut
tne means of subsistence in this oVerburden-
ed, led and worse-1odged home of misery
--0f so many without means, who are con-
I stantfy crowding into the diTtiest purlieus of
TINS VIGOROUSLY dirty City, where they are
exposed to the daily chance of death from
some sudden outbreaking epidemic like that
now desolating the same kind of streets in N.
Orleans and swallowing up its thousands of
victims from the same class of poverty-sfriclx-
en-, uncomfortably provided for human beinos
who know not how, or have not the power to
flee to the healthy hilis and green feldsof the
euntry. Here they 1ive-barely liye--in
: 5les almost as hot as the hot coin. the CRY
Il winch rung in our ears from dark until
midnight. '-
Hot corn, hot corn here's yorr nice hot
corn, rose up in faint chiId-Iike voice
which seemed to have been aronsed nv fine
sound of our step as we were about onfar;noi
the Park, while the City Hall clodk told fheI
hour when ghosts go forth upon their mid
night rambles We started, as Though snir
Y had given us a rap, for the sound seemed
20 come out of one of the iron POSTS which
and as sentinels over the main entrance
5rbldding all vehicles to enter. unless thl
drlFer takes the trouble to pull up and tumi
ole out OF the way one of the aforesaid posts.
winch Is not often done, because one of then.
OFTEN, IT not always is out of its place. civ
ing free ingress to the courtyard, or liver
Stable grounds of the City Hall, which ia
& of the growth of few miseraI
1nASi dusty brown trees and doubtful coforea
hg SIS patches, we call " the Park
Looking over the post we discovered tho
owner of the hot corn cry, in the person of
an emaciated little girl about twelve vea,. 7.
old, whose dirty ffock was nearly the color 20
the rusty iron, and whose faee, hands ond -
feet, naturally white and delicate, were GRIN
med with dirt until nearly of ihe same coloTl
There were two white streaks running down
from the soft blue eyes, that told of the ho.
scalding tears that were coursing their waS
over that naturally beautiful face
Some corn, Sir" lisped the little suffer-
naFaiE Caring to speak to one who 6 did mi
address her in rough tones of command snth
as give me some corn, you little VOLTS
SWneip,~ or name still more opprobious both
% herself and mother. Seeing we had NO
look OF contempt for her, she said. piteously.
please buy some corn, sir"
:" NO my dear, we do not wish any: tits
not very healthy in such warm weather aa
this, and especially SO late at night.
NOh dear, then, what shall | doYn
af why, go home. 1t is past midnight, aid
such little girls as you ought not to be in tie
streets of this bad City at this time of night. }
can't go home--and am SO tired ta1ld
sleepy. Oh dear.''
"Cannot go home. Why not?v
-tsOh, Sir, my mother will wbip me if I 90
nome without selling all mya.corn. Oh. sir.
90 buy one ear, and then JgshaIl have only
TWO left, and amsure she5night let little SIS
ana me eat them, forI have nothad anvtbin .
20 eat since morning. only one appIe The IN, ma
gave me, and one part OFF one he threw aTav 1-e,-
could have stole a tulrnip at the croce-r ,o"ay
Hnen 'n went to get-tof get sometime in MI ~
pitcher for mother, bat dare not Ta;a - sne
o steal but Mr.. ease says it is Ob4,1 TIt use
teal, and dopat want to be naupbtv rsy ;njoa9 70
don't and don't want to be- 'f, : had lIosed e;eS