The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-05-14
selected story.
PAT THE NEWs-BOY.

and no dear mother 10 NV Ii, mana a,
hans, a mother who is "oi'e ''''
all? ..,, e,tbar and mother lint
n,era very dirty and very Ignorant, and
worse still, they were generally stupid with
LIQUOR. so that they were rot as good to Their
ragged boy as the wild beasts are 10 their
young ones. For the mother lion or the
mother TIGER takes care OF her cubs in the
jupgles, makes them nice beds of leaves, and
watches jealousy over them. But rats
mother let him run in the streets from
the time when he could fiist tod
die. AS soon as he was able to walk she sent
him begging, and every penny he got she
spent tor wh'skey. And then she often Deal
him badly when she was out of temper. %
he had from the outset rather nara ilie Vi IT,
He grew up IN this way till he was nearly
ten, bright, sharp little fellow, though be
could not read a word, and did not even
knnw his letters. He went begging every day
up and down Broadway, and in and out the
side streets. When be saw anybody com ing
he whined out, in dole!ul tone:
"Ptedse give me penny"
And, whether he GOT the penny or not, as
soon as the person had passed on, he was as
ready to laugh as TO whine, and would per
haps tun somersault, or stop to pitch cop
pers on some quiet sideW ak. Not that he
was deceltlul in his whining his miseries
"~'> 1870 hSuNCA hifOWS. HC NHiuc
was natural, but so was the laugh and caper,
because God has put into all children, how
ever foflorn, little OF the sunshine of child
hood, and it breaks out even. in the raggedest
hH"%9r boy, and sometimes ripples over into a
laugh.
>ne day, Pat went up Fifth avenue, where
he had never been before, to try his luck at
coaXing pennies from people. 1t was Just six
O'Clock III the afternoon, tie fashionable din
ner hour, and there were but few persons to
be met on the sidewalk. Suddenly Pat saw
that the door OF one OF the beautiful brown
stone houses was open very little. IL was
good chance TO step in. Not that lie want
ed to steal anything. In all his Indebtedness
somt thing had kept him from crime. He on
ly thought that If he once got inside the
house nobody could refuse him something TO
eat: ana he had had nothing all day hut a
half eaten orange, which he picked up when a
gentleman threw it away, and a bit Of dry
crn,t he found on heap of refuse.
Up the steep steps Pat marched boldly,
pushed open the door little wider, and en-
tered the hall. There were no servants in
sight. At the end of the hall was door
which be could see led into the dining room
Pat crept very softly up and peeped through
this door, which also stood ajar. What a
wonderful sight ii was 70 Pat, who had never
seen ali elegant dinner before! There was the
JUICY beef, plump brown chickens, dishes OF
vegetables, white, mealy potatoes, crimson
beels, and crisp, crumbing celery, with its
green leaves, as if it were growing from the
tall vase.
There were glitterng silver, sparkling
china, and bright wines in crystal glasses
and on side-board stood capped up dishe:
OF nuts and raisins, golden oranges, and pur
pie crap S. Then there were beautiful ladie
fa1Nl IL IL
es, with many colored ribons, and with shin
ing jewels on their wrists and fingers, ant
dropping from their delicate ears. All tbi
seemed to Pat exactly like peep into Para
disc. He forgot to ask for food and stood
staring in open-mouthed wonder.
Finally lie summoned courage, and annie
the cla'ter of knives and forks his shril little
voice piped out:
80 hungry! Please give me something
to eat"
Every bofy looked up. There stood the
ragged little figure, gaunt and hollow-eyed, in
the midst of Their luxury and plenty. The
contrast struck every one, and while some
cried. "Where did you come trom?" How
did you get IN ?" nobody thought of turning
him out einpty-handed. One gentleman
spread him huge sandwich of roast beef be.
tween thick slices OF bread and butter, and a
lady's delicate white fingers wrapped up in a
generous piece OF brown paper food enough
fcran immense breakfast next morning. So
he was sent on bis way rejoicing.
A few nights after this little Pat was seated
on the lower step OF one OF the splendid mar
bic palaces on Broadway which we know as
woods stores 1t was nearly II o'clock,
and Pats hand clutched tightly nine pennies
which were the reward of his afternoons
begging He was thinking of the one good
dinner, and wondering if ever in his life he
should have such luck again as TO find the
front door open in an elegant house. Just
then gentleman passed, and Pat called out
in his usual tone:
PLEASE Sir penny"
The gentleman looked down, and, as the
oflght light from the street lamp flared In
both their faces, Pat saw that it was the very
one who had given him the sandwich of roas,
beef
$50 it's you, is it, Little Pat? What are
you doing here at this time of night?"
Please sir, an I'm watin' to get me shil-
lin" answered Pat showing the nine cents il
his little palm.
"And what is the shilling for?" asked the
gentleman.
ITO nav for the lodging sir, for me father
and mother and me-"
10 understand what little Pat meant by
"the lodging" you should be told that in the
vilest, tithiest streets of New York City there
are miserable rooms under ground, dripping
with dampness, reeking with tOulness, on
whose stone floors are spread bags OF straw
which serve for beds to many poor ere atures
who come there nightly to sleep. For these
bags OF straw in these loathesome cellars,
crowded with. men, women and children,
they ask one shilling night.
All this the little boy explained to Mr..
Holmes, who had stopped to talk with him.
and who asked:
DO you always get the shilling, Pat %
"Pretty much, sir. Sometimes the keeper
trusts me mother and father, and lets 'em.in
be'ole l come. Sometimes it bees very late
before L get there. and il me mother has to
wait outside isn't she mad at me thought"
How should you like to have something to do
to cam money instead Of begging it, and have a
clean place to sleep in, and wholesome food p
And could bring me father and mother?"
asked Pat, blightening up at the picture these
words set before him
After all their ill-usage Pat cared for his
drunken parents. They were all he had in
the world TO cling to. Poor little wretch as he
was he dint like 10 think OF a C can bed and
food t''r himself unless they could share it.
Alter little more talk Mr.. Holmes gave
him pennies enough to make up the shilling
and get some breakfast besides; and told Pat
where to find him next day. He promised
then to SET Pat up in business as a newsboy,
II he would make himself tidy, and be honest
and spend prudently the money he should
earn.
The next morning. in turning down one of
IN streets which led to his Office, Mr.. Holmes
discovered Pat sitting on the curb-stone, his
lace st lned with muddy tears.
whats the matter now % asked the bepey-
client gentleman
II was coming to You lust as straight as 7
couu, when just as turned down here the
man III that store came out and said1 was on
his steps. Then he called me little beooar.
and hit me clip over the eye with his fist"
Mr.. Holmes saw that the building TO which
Pat pointed was one of the liquor stores which
are found on SO many of the street corners in
the great city. AT the moment two children,
boy and girl, richly dressed, came out OF
the side door,
1T was their father that did it," exclaimed
Pat Indignantly.
MI. Holmes looked at the fluttering ribbons
OF tne llllle girl, and the nice Jacket and pol
lshed boots OF the boy, and remembered how
i MANY ooilars from poor miserable creatures
Iihe 1 at 5 iather and mother had gone to make
plosperous the owners OF these liquor Shops,
anu ne, 100, felt throb of Indignation.
ne LOOK Fat to newspaper office, and. in
strucllnS nm as well as he could in the buy
ing ana selling of papers, he furnished him
wiIh MS iirst stock in trade, and SO set him I'D
That day Pat sold twenty-four nanors
They cost him three cents apiece, and he @ot
five Tor them-a handsome profit for his first
day. | do not doubt that he was a proudar
merchant than the very rich man who has
two fve-story marble warehouses on Broad