Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-02-07
VOL. XLvI. NEW SERIES, vol. XIX.
mo, no, 90 home, p" replied the old lad

| Dut lnt usil ulu NOT jump NJ tne Dali, anu
we passed on, the old lady bidding us good
night as we turned away
damn the old woman an her stale
corned beef" CALCULATED Mag, as soon as we
were ont of hearing, why couldn't she give
us a nickel?"
The bread and meat were at once con
signed to limbo in the capacious pockets of
my old overcoat, borrowed for the occasion
| of a car-driver
On we wandered, up one street and down
another, varying our repertoire with The
Harp that Once Through Tara's (the girls
pronounced it tearer's) Halls" ''Dermott
Asthore," and other ballads. taking every
now and then cent or two from the passerS
| by, who, however, were like angels visits
few and far between" and an occasional
fye-cent piece from some charitable house
holder, all of whom seemed to feel great
sympathy with the children, and to be filed
with feelings of unutterable scorn and indg-
nation for me
| We, however, met with little in the shape
Of incident till we reached Thirty-ffth street,
where we had stationed ourselves in front of
Il brilliantly lighted house. We had gone
through two Of our most stirring and touch
ing songs, and had just begun Tara : Halls
again, when an old gentleman. withouta hat
on, appeared at the top Of the steps. The
! girls at once threw themselves into the situa-
ton, and sang as loudly and As plaintiyely as
they could, following suit The old
gentleman was small terrier-like looking
man, with scrubby, gray side-whiskers and
grizzled hair, brushed after the fashion which
history a>cribeS to Brutus His pockets
were most capacious, therefore probably well
lined for, when he diyed both hands into
them. his arms disappeared as far as the
elbow There be stood, watching Us with
out moving muscle Of his face, raising HIM
self up and down on his toes, and, As fond
ly thought, beating time with his heels on
the stone steps to our music. The girls sur
! passed themselves, and gave the last verse
with an emphasis which should have
brought down the house" But, to our
horror, he answered Mag's whining appeal
for money in the style of the Friend Of HUI
manity to the Needy knife-Grinder in the
Anti-.lacobin Il give thee Sixpence will
see thee hanged first -
what do you mean by coming and kick
ing up such n row As this, and disturbing the
whole neighborhood ?" he angrily demanded
to know, looking at me a. though he would
eat me alive. muifier and all. You know
it, against the law, and its great outrage
to keep those children in the streets at night
without any shoes and stockings on, in order
that YOU may get money to buy rum ard get
drunk. If | could see an officer Id have you
| arrested
Mag gave tremendous tug Iat the skirt
of my oyercoat (both girls held a corner Of
the coat when We We're singing or begglng)
and we hurried off in search of a more gena
Venue for our operations, leaving the iratt
old gentleman 10 continue his explosion by
himself
Once more on Broadway, and in the oper
space at its junction with Sixth avenue,
suggested that we should try 10 collect s
small crowd around us in that thronged 10
cality.
YES, an get took in by the cops, SAID
Mag. in Sorrowing tone You're a tn'
boss, YOU are" she added why can't vel
leave it all to me? -
Once more recognizing the fact that va;
in the company Of a first-class artistic, | told
Mag to do Just what she thought best
that left everything to her superior judg
ment.
That's right. old 'un. -he reioined in
patronizing tone now well Just WORK
down to the Jacksin Club. That's aller
worth somethin' Give EN- Irish songs
an they'll put up directly. They're al
Irish there, an there's allers some on 'en
standin' On the steps
So we made for the Andrew Jackson Club
the great resort Of the members Of th'
o 'Brien party, and, rs was TO be expected
those electiOneering times, four or tye mel
stood talking on the steps We gave Tara :
Halls" and "W caring Of the Green" viii
what the musical critics call fire and pre-
cision" Two Of the men gave Mag ten
cent stamp each, and third gave her III
penny-pieces-a perfect mine Of wealth. w
were Just on the point of beginning thir'
song when an officer, attracted by the sing
ing, came round the corner OF Thirtietl
street Cheese it, whispered Mag a
once. and weslunk away, the officer following
Us and saving
You Il better quit that, or I'll lock yo
all up" We did not reply, nor did We wal
to be locked up and after following u- 70
half n block the officer turned on his he5
and retraced his steps-
On reaching the Union League Club
several gentlemen were standing outside tn
door. Being very quiet locality, Mag, de
termined 10 20 for them, and, after strikin
our very best mendieant attitude, Nag plain
tivaly chanted The Baby was Sleeping, tn
Mother was Weeping"
Can't YOU sing anything more lively tina
that ," asked Young scion ofthe aristocracy
.Sing .AIoet and Chandon, or Down in
Coal Mime
But Mags watchful eyes had caught sigh
of A venerable-looking individual in the back
ground, whose kindly eyes were beamin
charity and beneyoenee at her.
We only knows religious ones, sir, sal
Mag, with well assumed humility and innC
cence. replying ostensibly to the young mar
but looking piteously and talking at tn
benevolent looking old gentleman benin
him.
'-Whv. You sang Down in a Coal Mine
Just now. =" | thoughtlessly said in an IN III
dertone.
Cheese it, old an, or You'll spile all,
she whispered.
What Judge Of human nature was tha
child
The old gentleman came forward with h
right hand in his pocket, and asked me wh
| kept the children out so late.
Before could reply, Mag put in, 'B'
cause we amt got money enough to pay tt
a nights lodgin =: at the same time timidl
holding out her littl- grimy hand in a sul
gestive way.
The old gentleman was taken by storm
lie drew his hand from his pocket an
r handed me quarter of dollar, on ii
promise, freely given in the huskiest ,
voices, that | would at once take the childre
to some lodging house
s'Get them out of the streets, for God
+ sake, on such a night aS this ~ he adde'
speaking very earnestly.
The Young man for whom Mag would NJ
sing Down in Coal Mine" supplements
the quarter with ten-cent stamp. and "
went on our way rejoicing.
As it was then getting late, and ! W;
ALREADY in half-irozen state, in spite Of Il
= extra-wam clothing | had put on, and as
i | had had, too, as much experience IN curl
stone singing as | wanted, gave the childre
the seventv-iive cents still owing TO the
; mother, and all the mOney-ninety-eigi
cents-we had collected during our wande
! ings, and lade them hurry home. They bot
said Good night, old 'un," with the 81
premest Indifference, evidently treating ii
whole thing as matter of business and Il
next moment they were lost in the darknes
As sat warming myself over my fire an
: slipping some hot brandy and water, on III
return home, could not help laughing ov'
3 Mag's injunction, Cheese at, old 'un,
you'll spile all, - when she was 50 diplomat
{, cally playing on the benevolence of the O
gentleman at the Union League Club.
reminded me forcibly of the following lin
Il from Cruiksllank's Omnibus written q
Charles Young as Rollo:
4 That child would Rolla bear to COra's lap,
u Snatehing the creature by her tiny gown
l. lie plants her on his shoulder. All, all clap
While all with praise the Infant Wonder crow
She lisps in his esar-L0ok out, old chap,
Or else Pm hlOsFed you don't have me down
Z, STRANGE FANArIcIsN.-Amongt the vast a
!. semblags of people who attended the NOR
ing services at St. JOseph's Cathedral.