Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1859-11-12

THE E,LIrTLE sTREET-sWEEPER.
From @Loss and Pound" BY B. Halliday, Missionary
- .;L ofNew York Home for the Friendless.

THE LIrTLE sTREET-sWEEPER.
From .Loss and Pound, ," by B. Halliday, Missionary
|, Fl ,ofNsw York Home for the Friendless. s.
| Brother Pease, of the "Fiye Point House o
Industry" said to me one day when l was in
his room, "There is little girl here on the
Points-she lives in the next house to the
corner there she is about nine years old, and
ought to he taken away,from the people who
have her. She is on the streets all the time,
and they have no right at all to her. Her faith
er and mother are both dead, and the little
thing is not treated properly" 7.-r.L =:
| In answer to my enquiry she said, She
! was always to be found about the corner OF
Beelman street and Park Row, when the
streets were muddy, sweeping the crossings. y
Hardly anv of my readers have failed of an
introduction to this class of children, as they
have passed through the city throughfares +;
and many of your pockets have been relieved,
| as little hand from some dirty -garbed solic-
itor, has been raised before you with a cry,
"Please give me penny, sir )" Please give
me penny, man. .,...-.... ...- .. -...,...
After hearing the facts about this little girl,
| started in company with an employee of the
House of Industry, familiarity known by the
name of "Father Burk," who knew the little
girl, and was to point her out to me if she
could be found. Half an hours search failed
to discover the child, and we gave up the hope
of finding her at that time. Subsequently
alike effort proved useless, and Father Burke
returned to the institution, after giving me a
| description of the child, and her name.
Having some business in the vicinity of the
post-office on my return toward the Park l
was looking for some one to answer the des-
cription given to me Of little Mary, and had
reached as far as Times buildings, when look
ing back discovered just by the most south
erly gate Of the Park three girls, one of which
hoped was the one for whom my search so
far had been fruitless.
Almost Immediately on my discovering them
they disappeared through the gate into the
Park, and when hid from my view by an ap.
pie stand located at that point
With all possible haste l was in the Park,
back of the apple stand but only two child
rem were to be seen Hurriedly l asked
Was there not another girl with you just
now? ~ .... q
eyes, sir.' .." .'....
Where is she ?'' -..'
Don't know she ran from us as soon as
she got in the Park" -
What is her name ~ =
Mary Mullen"
Now we were sure we had seen the child
we were in search of, for Mary Mullen was
the name Brother Pease had given us.
Searching earnestly for a few moments, our
eye rested again on the busy little thing,
sweeping the lower crosswalk in the Park,
and coming directly towards us as hard at
work as if matters of moment were depending
on the manner in which she moved-as |
| have no doubt severe flogging was.
Approaching her, asked, "What is your
name ~
MARY Mullen, SIR"
Where do you live 2"
Con Pearl Street"
"Who do you live with?"
"My father and mother"
| When desired her to 60 with me, she re-
fused, and began to cry, and my assurance
that should not allow her to be injured did
not quiet her fears, and she continued to cry
| until we reached the Mayors Office.
His Honor was considerably amused by our
appearance before him with our little street
sweeper, for there she was, broom in hand, her
old ragged dress fastened up about the waist,
after the fashion of the " Emerald Isle:" short
petticoat, legs, feet face, and arms spattered
with mud an aid hood, from which her mot
tied face only peepcd out; her broom with the
upper half of the handle gone, completed the
inventory of Mary's effects as she was pre-.
sented by us before the Mayor for municipal
inspection.
Our story was soon told, and Mary was by
his Honor placed in charge of our society.
Mary was now about nine years old. When
she was six years of age her mother died
leaving her in the hands of the people in the
house where she died. These people hat
some two or three children of their own, anG
in order to make the most they could out o
Mary, broom with the handle made short
was put in her hands, and she was stationed
in Beeknan street, in the immediate vicinity
of the spot occupied by the old brick church
to sweep the crossings and beg.
Passing from the Mayors Office toward tn
photographers, we were yet inside the Park
when looking anxiously in my face, she sale
in whisper, have got eleven cents in m.
pocket" --
well what do you want to do with them
Mary ?"
"She will lick me if don't give them t
her."
"Never mind her, Mary. You may hav
those eleven cents for yourself You nee'
not be afraid of her. She wont see you again.
1t was now about half past ten or clever
) o'clock, and asked, Is that eleven cents a
you have got this morningy"
"Oh, no, sir; 1 have been home once, an
3 carried six shillings."
"How much do you get in day by yea
sweeping, Nary"
Too dollars is the most l ever got; some
|, times ten shillings, sometimes six, and some
times not but two shillings."
"What do you do Mary, when you dom
60 to sweep the streets? ~
81 beg cold victuals, sir" ...
"Do you get much, Mary ?"
"Oh yes sir, big basket full every day.
did you have good living, Mary:'
Not very, SIR"
What did you have to eat?
"Hard bread and buttermilk,"
' odd you have good bed and good plac
to sleep, Mary ?"
No, SIR
"What kind of bed had you?''
" 1t was made of rags and shavings."
I The house IN which Mary Mullen lived
the second from the corner of Worth stree
as you go down to the Points from Cent,
street and from here, for three years, tn
poor little orphan had gone forth daily
: sweep and beg, returning at night to sleep o
. her bed of rags and shavings, filled wit
vermin.
t She had probably made more money an
v begged more food for that family than was n
:. cessary to support them. She had undoub
> ely been instructed by these people to sta,
a L ~ l,,-:,>