Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-07
a Glrnpse of streer Life in London.

One of the Commissioners" as that paper
prefers to call its reporters, of the London Tee
graph, thus describes an interview with black
ing boy:
"a poor, shoeess, shutting little wretch,
VIII lse entire suit consisted of pair of manly
trousers, ingenously secured by single brace
over dilapidated shirt of the Guernsey order,
and whose stock in trade was 1--WE or six cakes
OF boot backing, contained in box slung
round his neck
The boy speaks:
81 am nine and half" said he, "and lives
in Playhouse yard, in Whitecross street. 1t
amt house, at least it amt house what you
goes in doors to, with tables and chairs and
that and a fire" "Ah ahF' from Ginger; "no
there amt much room for furniture in Billy
Tags house, but it's VERY comfortable, and,
wot's more, it's regler It's barrer"-"a ba-
kcrs barrer," poor little Taggs FASTENED to eX-
plaun-"One of them with a lid. He lets me
sleep there, and | watches out for the cats"
"For the cats ?" "Ips down a yard with gates
to it where the bar er is, and the baker he keeps
breeding duc6S and pigeons there, and the cats
come and nail 'em O'ni9hts, and when | hears
'em gives the lid of the barrier histe, and
down it comes with whack, and they are off
like a shot. | amt got no mother, I've got
father; [ sees him sometimes. He
don't live up my way, he goes TO fairs and
that. | amt got no brothers. Eve got sister,
she's in the hospital. She used 10 work up Mile
end way, at the lucifer factory, till she got the
canker making of EN-. She's been in the hos
pital this ever so long. That's why don't sell
lights l can't bear the sight of 'em. Pm on
my own hands quite. | earns all | gets. I've
been adoin' it ever since she was took TO the
hospital. | haint been i'll long time, not since
the middle O. summer, when had the measles.
No, didn't sleep in the bakers barrel then. l
didn't know him. l knowed a pipemaker, and
he let me lay in his shed, and his misSus was
very kind to me. l do very well. | hardly
ever goes without grub. Idon't know what you
mean by 'regler' grub. most times saves three
hafpence for my breakfast, and this cold wealth
er gets ha'pOrth of bread and penn'orth OF
pea-soup; there's lots of shops wOts sells penn
orthS OF soup in WhitecroSs street, ha'porths
too. sell out somehow every night. | gets a
dozen cakes of backing for tuppence ha'penny,
and in general clears about iivepence. Dinner
time | gets a baked tator, or sometimes ha'-
perth of fried fish All l cot left, 'cept three
hahpence for breakfast and stock money, we
spend at supper time. We goes together,
four or five of us, sometimes to
the soup shop, sometimes to the baked
tator and fish shop. It's all right mostly.
Course there is hard times. Once policeman
took away my box, backing and all, COS
checked him. 1t was more'n a week before |
could make another start. | washes myself
sometimes, not often. | amt got no towel and
soap. ] don't recollect when the last time was.
1t wer afOre the frost, though, cos | know it was
aSwrench at the pump had. Yes, sometimes
wear boots. ] amt had none since the last boat
race day Cambridge and Oxford-and lost
one ON 'em turnin catrin wheels behind a car
rage. l never was locked up-ceItainly not.
Don't think should be better off in the work
us? No. don'twant TO be shut up anywheres
am all right. | don want nobody to be look
ing arter me like that, thanky all the same, mis-
ter No, cant read, nor write neither; never
was in a school; never was in church. don't
like to be shut up anywhere. I'd a jolly sight
rather go on as Pm goln'.'
And so he retres to collect his backing out
OF the fender with a dismal forcboding, as l can
see, that he may, after all, in consequence of
his sturdy determination to embark in no bust
ness that may involve his shutting up"
though for never so short a period, miss my
''job7 and the promised shilling after all.