The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-09-02
True Story of Maggie Murphy

Maggie Murphy was little girl FIVE
old, who lived in the dirtiest quarter OF
New York City, in squalid tenement
house not far from Five Points. Her faith.
er and mother were not nice people; but
they were all the father and mother Mag
gle ever had for her own, and she did
the best she could to get along
Dan Murphy was day laborer; and
he was rather fond of whisky, 1t seemed
for he spent almost all his money enwhis-
1 ky, and little on his child Her mother
too, was fond of whisky, and she was
dirty and ragged; and besides Maggie
she had i've other children, who were all
as dirty and ragged as possible. Mrs.
Murphy seldom occupied herself IN the
welfare of her children during the day.
She turned them into the streets as soon
as they got out of their dirty bed in the
morning, each with crust in her hand
and never thought of such thing as
combing their hair or washing their faces.
AS for dressing themA they wore the rags
they chancedito have on the night before,
when they went to bed on the floor; and
and as they slept in them all night and
wore them all day, they were not in nice
condition Pc = a4
Maggie was the littlest, and the only
things about her that could be called
pretty were her eyes, Bright black eyes
she had, which all the dirt in Five Points
couldn't rob of their charm for God has
arranged washing machine in every
little girls head, that washes her eyes it.
self; and SC, Maggie's eyes were always
washed.
Maggie was pretty we'll acquitted with
the Immediate neighboIhood of her mis-
cradle home; and though she was out all
day every day, she never failed to get
back to father and mother when night
came, in hopes of piece of bread but
she didn't always get it. @
One Fourth of July when Maggie was
turned out as usual, she got SC excited
over the noise and tumult, the fire-crack-
ers and torpedoes, and the procession that
came down Broadway, with great blare
of bass drums and brass instruments, that
] she wandered away and when night came,
found out she didn't know the way home
Then she began to cry, and the washing
machine in her head washed her eyes so
hard that the water overfowed and ran
down her cheeks !; and if Maggie had had
clean towel she might have wiped her
face clean perhaps But she had nothing
but her dirty little fists, and so, the more
she rubbed the dirtier she grew.
A big policeman, with blue coat and
brass buttons, and silver shield on his
breast came and asked Maggie where she
lived but Maggie didn't know, and SO
the policeman took her in his arms, and
carried her off to place where they car
ry all the lost children in New York. 1t
was a grand place indeed compared with
Maggie's Wretced home in Five Points,
asgreat marble building in the fourth
story of which Maggie found resting
place
Don't cry any more" the woman said
when she came in, "your mother will
come for you, l dare say"
So Maggie stopped crying and the
woman took her and began performance
so mysterious, that Maggie cried again fol-
she did not know what to make of it.
This mysterious performance wasnothing
more than the washing Of Maggio's face
and the combing her tousled hair and
you may imagine what the little girl suf-
fered. Such thing had never happened
to her before in her life, that she could
remem ber When the performance was
over, it was enough to make one laugh to
see what handsome little girl Maggie
was. Her face was almost white, and her
checks were brilliant red, and her black
hair curled in the lovliest manner posi-
BILE.
Maggie felt so comfortable when she
was clean and a great slice of bread and
oh rrixy I, 70 hot eli, r.,
hope her mother wouldn't miss her, nor
come after her at all. And by and by she
went to bed and fell asleep along with
more than hundred other little children,
who had been picked up like herself in
the streets that day.
When Dan Murphy came home that
night after his supper, he was not so
drunk but that he missed his little girl
and asked his wife where Maggie was.
"Faix I don't know, Dan" said she,
liant she been home? ,"
mo, Dan, hant seen her the day"
$50 and find her. them" swore Dan
an nice mother you are to lose your
chilther in the street."
So Mrs Murphy went of to find her,
aud Dan went over to the liquor shop on
the corner.
Mrs. Murphy asked the first policeman
she met, if. he haG seen Maggie, and the
] policeman told her to go to the Central
office, .and no doubt her little girl would
be there.
The children were asleep when Mrs.
Murphy got there and told her story
and they let her into the room where
Maggie was curled up with her head on
her arm and her ewes shut
Mrs. Murphy looked among the chill
dren carefully; and then turned away in
great distress saying that Maggie was not
there. -