New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-11
Neppork Daily @ibm,te
NEW PUBLICATIONS

OF Original power. Inc writer OF The present
story has had this disadvantage to contend with,
and has overcome difficulties which would have
proved fatal TO ordinary talent Although no
name appears upon the titlepage, it is easy TO
detect practiced hand, keen observation Of
1ife and an uncommon force Of dramatic express
sion, in the composition of the volume. Con-
nectcd with the biography of a metropolitan
newsboy, is bright thread Of romance, which
does not interfere with the main purpose of the
writer, while it gives occasion for several impss-
stoned and effective delinestions Of character.
The hero Of the story is taken from the streets,
but, upon intimate acquaintance, turns out to be
one Of the noblemen Of nature, cherishng high
thoughts under rude exterior, -practicing the
best virtues of chivalry in plain way, -uncon-
scious of anything remarkable in his conduct
and showing that goodness of purpose can often
do more for the character than the training of the
schools. Of course, the portraiture OF the News
boy must be highly idealized but it exhibits moth
ing strained or impossible unless IL is taken for
granted that the destiny of the individual is ire
versibly shaped by outward circumstances. Heiss
type of sincere, generous, and kindly nature, ex-
posed TO the grosser forms of interpolation, without
staip-learniDg certain homely wisdOmbythe dis
cipline OF his calling-easy excited to sympstbyby
the spectacle of suierng-and without any spice of
the Pharsee or precisian, always doing the right
thing at the right time, from an inevitable inward
impulse. The writer has abstsined from color
ing bis excelences too highly. Bob, the news
boy, is one Of the finest of fellows, TO be sure,
but he is not paraded as a model Of the super6ne.
He does not love to drink, or to smoke, and uses
words as plain as Quaker's, but he is New
York Dewsboy, after allan amateur fpea-nuts
and the drama, and cries his "mornn papers ".
and "extras" with as rich an JUNCTION as the
NEST vOciferous Of his compatriOts. The au-
fhor's own admiration Of Bob, we will admit, is
sometimes expressed in a sort of "halelujah
metre" which will only furnish food for scofers,
but which is not called for by anything in the
honest, downright worth of the newsboy himself.
For instance, the following paragraph is decid-
edIy too Sublime for the occasion, and will win
less sympathy than it repels. 81 learned to
await the coming of the Newsboy with solemn
expectancy, and the shutting Of his weary feet
grew to have majesty about them; his ragged
habiliments were right royal robes over his great
heart and the brmless hat became him like
regal crown; for Bob had that innate dignity of
soul which neither crown nsr scepter could aug
ment." But we must pardon good deal to the
spirit of favoritsm, especially toward ones own
intellectual offspring; and no reader, however
coldly critical, can deny that Bob exercises a
strange magnetic power which may easily
prompt an enthusiastic nature to extravagant
language.
We are let into the mysteries of our news
boys's antecedenss, in vigorously written chap
ter. "Bob never knew be was hero. He had
come up he hardly knew how, amid creatures as
forlor as himself. lie had known hunger, and
cold, and misery in every shape. He had been
the companion of the Outcsst from the fret dawn
ing of his existence. One guardian after another
OF the forlOrn boy had died or grown weary OF the
charge SO that only an indstinct memory OF hun
ger and cold, and achings of the limbs, and pans
of the head remained to him. A creeping child
he had been kicked over the threshold, not in ab
tolute cruelty, but because he was in the way aud
the inmates lacked bread and elbOw-room, for
when did ever hunger make the heart loving, or
cold make il warm, or Dakedness make 1t tender
and proteetiyei" "But Bob was a sturdy
child. and knew better than to creep long. Wnile
he padded about upon all fOurs he presented a
broad mark for the idle foot, tempting mark for
the careless or cruel foot, 60 with lusty sinews
the boy sculled away to one side when footsteps
approached; and seOn by dnt of aid from walls
and broken chairs his little head was up aud his
feet planted--yes, planted, for there was that
about Bob, that once fixed with his head upper
most in the world, you might kill him outright
but you could never make him bite the dust
scaip." THUS mad Bob come up-he
never knew how. His first memories were OF
thrift. He had sought tor old pins aud rusty nails
and bits of cloth in the gutter. when he could
hardly walk; next he had picked up chips which
he carried in a basket upon his head. Then there
vas al interreglum; he did no. know what nap
pened he might have been sick. Many who had
looked after him were gone, he could MT tell no"
nor WHY. He had an indistlnct memory OF long
white boxes--vtry many of them-cOmlnS ana
poinc. He had rides upon a cart sometimes;
and. altogether ne did MT seem to have done
ANYTHING, and yet had slept and ea@n The
cholera had deemated the miserable locality.
AT length be found himself IN the street.-the
didn't know where to 50. he was but little
fellow, and he stood looking at the people as
they went along andwonderlng where taey came
from aud whittier they were gong. lie began 10
feel hungry. and terrible fear came upon hum.
EVERYBODY seemed to have some other body VINO
cared for them, who exchanged word sm'ie'