The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-10
I" Young Ravens, {"
AN AwFuLLY JOLLY JUVENILE DINNER.


Yesterday we enjoyed the remarkable expe.
rience of dining with the "Young Ravens" The
scene was slarge, low room in Great Queen street,
Lincoln's Inn Fields the time mid day, "for small
and early" was the word as regards the guests of
this amazing dinner party and the hour. Pune
tual to the stroke of one, flights from the London
ravenries might be seen directing their course to
the feast provided for them. Five hundred of the
raggedest and hungrest boys and girls in st.
Giles and Bloomsbury had been hidden by the
refuge society to the weekly banquet which is
given during the winter by this excellent associa.
ton. They came from all quarters out of the va
rious gathering places in long strings-just as
ravens might. No need to ask what was in the
wnd-beef and potatoes and white bread were In
the wind. as any one could tell by their ravenous
eyes and open beaks. There were he-ravens and
she.ravens, all Of tender years, but most tremen-
dous appetites-appetites which would not allow
them to walk 20 the glorious rendezvous. As
they neared the spot they kept breaking into quick
trots not to be repressed by those in charge and
mingling with the fight the observing eye was
borne forward into the premises of the refuge
society.
Passing, with the sharp-set swarm, through
workshops and schoorooms, the said observing
eye came upon the large low room where boards
were spread with five hundred tin plates and
eartbenware mugs; and down upon these in
cawIng cloud these London birds settled-the
boys on one side Of the room, the girls on the
other. Up and down the middle were block.tin
pans and dishes, trenchers of colossal sizs piled
Going into the large room was kitchen, where
monstrous masses of roast beef, mountains of
mealy potatoes, and bakers shops full of loaves
awsitef redistribution. On the arrival of the birds
the cooks and assistants went to work with carv.
ing knives, aud very soon reduced the roast beef
to thousands of slices, the mealy potatoes were
shot out into the block-tin pans by hundreds, the
dripping was poured over them, the loaves were
cut into four, and the tables up and down the
room we're charged with the smoking provisions.
THIS done, dozen swift attendants whisked the
plates up to the dishes, and carried them back with
q rousing good help Of beef, five or six potatoes
ready upon all the boards, and water poured into
the mugs. Five hundred little ones were there
who never see beef except in this way-dressed
in anything, indeed, but festive garments, yet
with such eyes, such watering mouths, such ready
stomachs You begin to understand what hun.
ger" means when there is all the year to practice
appetite upon chance crusts.
While the beef and potatoes were upon the cen.
trail tables, every eye was fixed upon these de.
licious foci, and when the distribution was made,
every eye was fixed upon the plate pertaining to
it, The rule is to wait till all are helped aud grace
is sung. The rule is very proper, but awfully hard
to keep. The girls, as ia natural, were most re-
strained they shifted the smoking viands de-
murely, and coq1etted with their bread little.
The boys clattered and cawed in their stomachic
anxiety, and surreptitous licks of the fingers were
freely INDUCED in. One ragged lad, with lean
face and bright, furnishing eyes, made a false
start, but was " brought up to the post again" by
his immediate neighbors. Another keeping " on
the windy side o. the law, might be seen sailing
his slices delicately, and turning them over and
over in rapt animal ecstacy Of doubt as to which
ought to be eaten flrst Others buried their happy
noses in the private fumes of their own tin plate
and Others again gazed, with knife and fork erect,
at the good secretary, waiting desperately for
that grace before meat" which had to come be-
fore anything could be done. Like pupils at
private academy, each guest was bound to pro.
vide his or her knife and fork. Such collection
of Heterogeneous cutlery was never seen. Lots OF
the forks had no handles but the tang, and some
of them only one prong the knives were occa.
sonally shoemakers drawing tools, and here and
there old claspknives, or even penknives. One
tiny henraven had forgotten her plate" and was
accommodated with carving knife and fork.
little white teeth; and, as everything comes to
those who know how to wait" by-snd-by grace
was given out and sung in chorus, sharp and
clear, with chronic Punishment.
They then began-shade of Ugolino! how they
I'D begin Five hundred sets Of the keen little
white teeth went at II and no mistake. The lad
with the lean face and tiger eyes pounced upon
his prey; the meditative boy forgot which slice he
shorter work of ii. So did the little one with the
carving knife and fork; and all the talking was
now changed into rafting Of plates and utensils.
Boys with rosy cheeks, TO whom beef was not
such q novelty, went up and down the rows OF
pale faces with fresh armsful Of those Titanic cuts
of white bread; while here and there raven for
gotten in the distribution cawed demonstratvely
till his crop was provided for. Some Of them-to
take the good cheer at better advantage and to
get to the end of their knives and forks stood up
to 1t. A tiny, pallid, pretty lad, with bis head
bound up where, he said, donkey had kicked it.,
was "going sharesn In one knife with his broth
ers. Others had also had limited liability "
interests in forks; but somehow or other the \
viands disappeared with the NEST marvellous ra-
pidity. II ever the finger Of Providencen was
visible in anything, 1t was in that repast. Dozens
sf the young ravens ought, by every rule of deg.
Tuition, by every anatomical law Of the larynx,
to have been choked. But in the worst cases
little convusive bolt seemed to settle everything
comfortably. ."Their manners had not that
repose," Of course, which stamps the caste OF
Verde de Verde" Knife. blades did duty for
spoons to an alarming extent, and nobody passes
anything to anybody. The Waterways were
joint stock property, like some of the cutlery, and
it was strange to see how the life Of poverty
sharpens the sense Of No. - in such small
hearts. The pallid, pretty boy got hold of the
mug, and chung placidly but doggedly to 1t,
though half dozen grubby little 6sts grasped 1t,
as III he were in the Black Hole Of Calcutta, or
upou the vreck.Fsft Of the Medusa. When they
had spilled enough into his minute mouth he went
to his beef again with his baby gravity.
why don't you drink your water,' We asked
Of one lad with sparticularly sggrieved expression
" Please, sir, Jacks been an chucked later
into it,n was the reply.
"wel, sir, please, sir, he 'eaved 1t ct me nrst,"
the offending guest pleaded.
When II came TO chucking tstsrs, hoveye! sur,
reptitiousIy, the rage Of eating and drinking"
and, in truth, the supphes were % liberal that
aven vaven afomacha could not hia them ell away.