The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-21
AMONG THE STREET ARABS.

STRUGGLES OF THE VERY DEsTITUTE-EPI-
soDEs IN THE DAILY LIFE OF GUILD
PHYsIcAN-cHARITY OF THE MISERABLE.
Daily the volunteer visitors OF the Guild in
varick street open up obscure byways aud shed
hgnt upon strange lives. None OF them make
such startling discoveries as the physicians, who.
from the very nature OF their visits, receive the
more confidential and complete narratives OF the
poor in whose homes they enter. The story or
TWO wretched families. 1t is told in the following
words OF DR.. Brush, would find many parallels
were the tenements OF she city to give up even
1.-THE OF their secrets. Beneath these simple re-
citas there Is a world OF woe which has been en-.
dured and Is being endured by the little street
Arabs who have homes IN the dingy human hives
OF the lower wards and in the narrow streets,
courts and alley ways Contiguous to our business
centres.
LITTLE SKY PARLoR
in Thames street is the home or q number Of these
waits. An old woman has lived there for o long
time, gong hungry and cold to bed oftentimes,
but able to exc out the small sum demanded Tor
rent by the sale OF apples in the streets She mas
bed and q scanty supply OF bedcothng, ana
she IS growing very infrm. One day there came
TO The corner OF the she sells her fruit
woman with three children. They were hungry
like herself and as poorly clad. They were even
more Unfortunate. for they had no place to shelter
their heads. Their landlord had turned them out
for non.payment Of rent. This happened in No
vember last, on day when the winds whistled
Mostly, announcing the approach OF WINTER The
crone sitting in the shelter by ner apple stand
pulled the dress Of the homeless woman. She
questioned her, all the time cycling her keenly.
TIE WANDERING MOTHER
was sore distressed and night was coming on. The
children stood at the street corner with red hands
their fingers to warm them. The crone called to
them and gave them each an apple. Then she
turned to the mother and said, "Come with me-"
and she took them all home. The sky parlOr was
ten feet square and she gave them each o space
TO lie on. They slept on the bare boards and
the old woman retired to her bed OF
rags In the morning the crone taught them how
to live The mother, who had long been an in
valid, suffering from disease from which her
husband had died three years before was lett ITO
mind the house." Mary, a girl OF fourteen, was
sent to pick cinders from the ash barrels and to
search for bits OF wood in the cutters. There had
been light iall or snow followed by cold, drlz-
zlng rain. and Jennie, who Is ten, was
SENT TO SWEEP THE CROSSINGS.
Then the old apple woman counted out to the
boy, who was thirteen, lew pennies, with which
he was to begin the business sa OF ~ me ~ selling
Brush and the writer, "Sure ye don't know how
nice we gifts along now; Wid Tommy at the
ire, and Little Jennie bringln' in o fine lot
Of pennies every stormy DAY from the strate
took them home wit me. ! whit to bed cold aud
wet as well as hungry; out now, glory be to God.
have me Sh'kin as dnry as an oven before 20 TO
shape. AM WAC minds the hunger now and then
when they're IN comfortable place ike thisy'
packed literally full by its seven occupants, and
look OF perfect content spread over her wrinked
features. But there are
CLOUDS TO EVEN SUCH HAPPINESS,
as the writer learned in the course OF long con-
versation with the doctor. some two weeks ago
for begging in the street. Since then Mary spends
half her time watching on neighborfng corner
and when the police oficer appears she cries to
The earnings OF these children Iall below an
average OF twenty-fve cents day. Bridget, the
in health and sne has asked lor work to DO. She
says she Will 90 anything in the way of labor, no
matter little the wages that are offered her.
When the old crOne received her first relief ticket
from ST. Jonn's Guild she cried ont to the Doctor,
ssGod bless you. sir have lived fOrty.One years
In America, and that Is the first aid ever got"
AN ENoCH ARDEN WHO FAILED TO COME BACK.
In Morris street there lives woman whose huS-
band, sailor, was drowned IN storm at sea.
She had Jour children and after some years she
married again: After rev DAYS OF conna6la oiiss
seven, out into the street. II was night and the
terrified creature wandered abont the streets cry
ing until she was picked up by poor woman
living IN u wretched room in Carlisle street.
In lam'ly poorer even than that from
whose fire she had been turned, she found
q refuge and for these people who were Kind to
her the little thing was wiling to be u slave. All
the fuel used by them during the winter has been
gathered from the streets ny this baby OF seven
years growth.
In time the gentleman who succeeded the sailor
in the affections OF the blooming wiGow Of Morris
street turned her second born into the street.
THIS was young adventurer who found himself
on the sidewalk Without home, shoes, coat or
q hat at the age OF five years. He nad hardly
time to become Dewlldered by his novel situation,
however, before a number OF street Arabs to use
their own expression, "scooped him in"
FIRST THEY INTERVIEWED HIM
on the situation, and, having 'found out all
about H." they cried unanimously, LETS give the
their shoulders to their home. In little attic III
Thames street this louudng OF the street gdnlihs
lives the pride OF an extended family circle,
where he Is listened TO with Difference and ex.
a1nlned at intervals with many expressions OF
wonder and satisia ton by curious guests. HE'S
our'n,n they cry, and 'goily, amt he great
kid ~