The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-08-01
Foutt'a department.
The .NeWS-Boys.
From the Schoolfellow.

DclInonicOs on Broadway, to get my dinher
and saw a news-boy standing at the door
with bundle ofpapers.
Have YOU the Ercutiny Posi- 2" said l.
NO, sir" said the boy, ''al gone.
Then give me an Express"
Yes, sir" said he, and pulled out ono of
the papers, and handed it to me. took two
cents out Of my poke. and gave them to
him.
Three cents. sir" said the boy.
no, MY boy, the price is two cents
"7hree cents" said the boy gruflv.
MY boy" answered l l buy the evening
r.pers every day. and know what the reg'l-
lar price is"
But he still insisted "three cents
We'll" said |, Il can't be cheated with nv
ewes open, so you must give me back my two
cents. apd here is your paper"
The boy seemed little ashamed but he
HANDED, mo the money, and went into tho
house.
think tho boy made a. mistake about me.
I live in the country. although come to New
York every day and the ncws-boy proba-
bly, thought that looked like a stranger. and
vas the more convinced of it because was
toinx to dine at Demonico's, where strangers
often dine when they are in town. So he
reasoned that either did not know the price
q the paper, or would be in hurry and no,
think tho cent worth Winding.
Now l would rather have given the news
COY dollar than that no should try to cheat
me out of cent.
For i. was kind Of cheating YOU know
1t is trne, that he had right to ask what he
pleased for his goods, and l might judge
whether Was willing to pay the price. But
when there is regular price fixed for a paper
and it is perfectly understood that no more
il to De raid, then if boy tries to get more
because he thinks you don't know that price,
o- Because you are in a hurry. isn't it kind
o. cheat;ng' Is it the kind of thing boy
would DO to his sister if he loved her?
No; cs l say, would rather have given
tn. ncws-boy dollar than that he should
try to cheat me out Of a cent.
So as l sat eating my dinner. found that
was not angry with the boy, but only sorry
for him. l said to myself. If this boy
expects to make people pay three cents for
The Express, he either doesn't mean to sell
man! papers, or he supposc' that he is going
= meet great many ignorant people,"
Then remembered that the ncws-boys
we're ALWAYS very shrewd. and stole look
At myself in the glass near me, to see if
were particularly sof, in the face. and if
looked a. if boys could always make good
bargain out Of me.
Still, as went on eating my dinner,
thought of the ncws-boy and said to my
.,lf again. as if | were somebody else:
1T is very easy for YOU, of course. who
have ALWAYS been sure of a good dinner and
warm ted, to think a ncws-hov is dishonest
because he wanted to make little money !:
but if you had been born in cellar. and
kicked, and cuffcd, and starved by drunken
father and scodins mother, until your
legs We're strong enough to carry YOU away
from them, are YOU so very sure that you
might not have told lie sometimes, or cheat
ed a little, if YOU found you could get larger
piece of bread to eat by doing so? DO you
wonder that this poor boy. for whom nobody
seems to care. should believe that nobody
did care for him should feel as if he were
fighting tho world, and, therefore, wished to
hit as hard blows as he could If YOU and
other people, who have plenty to eat and
wear, and who have no pressing temptation
to do wrong, should show these ne@-boys
that you have hearts and want to help them
help themselves, don't YOU think it would be
agood thing
was % struck by this question which
asked myself, that put down my knife and
fork and opened the window to call the boy
Who bad tried 10 make me Iav three cents
for the Express; but he had gone away, and
have not seen him since.
Fortunately, there are great many kind
people in the world Sometimes i; seems as
il almost everybody were very selfish, but
often you find such charity and thoughtful
uess that YOU are ashamed of yourself for
ever doubling that there are great many
more good than bad people in the world.
About four years ago. some gentlemen in
New York who had seen the ncws-boys
everywhere in the city, sometimes swearing
fighting. gambling. cheating, and lying, said
to themselves, ut is not strange these boys
do SO, because the: have bees taught no bet
ter but il is grsat shamc, and they shall
have chance to become something else
than jail-birds.
So they formed a society, and wen; into
The worst parts of the city, and made them
selves acquainted with all the sorrows and
SINS that hide away in darkness and dirt
They spoke gently and tendcrly to the poor
parents and the wretched children; sometimes
they gave them clothes, and food. and fire
1aey made them feel that they we're not for
g:ten and deserted, but that good men and
i men remembered them and were willing
10 work for Than. They established schools