The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-11-26

078. 81.
THE NEwsBors' LODGING HoU e
With the buzz and click and roar and
bewildering activity Of the midnight
newspaper Offices in my mind, / started
up town Now said, '.slet us strike
out from Broadway to the right, and see
what chance there is for New York
twenty years from now. The vast ma
jority Of the present drunkards win die
drunkards, the vast majority Of the
thieves die thieves. and OF paupers will
die paupers, and OF the destitute will die
destitute What then Give it up, and
consider our cities lostf NOT Wei
never felt so little like giving them up,
nor so full Of high and exhilerant hope.
We said to the driver, $50 dovn Cham
bers street to Duane Reaching the
spot. we saw the sign over the door,
wsboy's Lodging House. =" Now, il
there's anything l like, it's boys. ] don't
mean those wta, BY the registers Of
homes heated OF furnace, and the smah4]
ipulatious of over indulgent aunts, have
had their hair curled till they become
girls, hut boys with the extra romp and
hilarity which God puts into lad that
he may have something of mirth left
even after the world has pounded him.
/ mean genuine boys-boys that can't
sit still three minutes at time; boys
that can wrestle and run and swim and
fly kites, and defend sickly playmates
from imposition, and leap fences, and
get hungry q hslf-hour after they have
dined, aud keep everything stirred up
and lively; Matthew Arnold's boys
There they we're in the Newsboys Lodg
ing House They knew me and / knew
them--that is, we met each other with
an instinct of friendliness, Their coats
off, for though the air was chilled out.
side, Christian charity had flooded the
inside with glorious summer. Sign over
the door saying, "No boys with homes
admitted here" sIs it possible that these
hundreds of smiling and happy boys
have been swept in from the streets p
They are first plunged in the bath, and
then put under the manipulation Of q
barber, and then taken to a wardrobe,
and in the name Of Him who said, 81
was naked, and ye clothed me-" they
walked forth 10 appropriate attire, pay
ing what they can so far as possible to
keep them from feeling Of pauperism,
some penny for the privilege OF a
bountiful table, and the most extrava-
CANT paying but six cents; gymnasium
to straighten out and invigorate their
pinched bodies books for the mind, and
religion for the soul. "Can they sing P"
l asked, and they answered by making
the halls resound With "Ring the bells
of heaven, for there is joy to-day
"What is this r. / said, bending over
long, wide box, with numbers nailed be.
side as many small openings. at is a
savings bank" they answered. Each
boy has his number and blank book,
and at the beginning Of the month has
permission to take his money. Mean
while, whatever may be his urgency for
a new top, or attractive confectionery,
or any one of those indeinable things
with which lads pockets are crowded,
he can't get his money out, but must
wait till the beginning of the month ;
and so economy and thrift are develop
led. Statistics are dry ordinarily, but
there is nothing more spirited in Thack
cray, or more sublime in John Milton
than the fact that this lodging house
since its opening has sheltered about
143, 900 boys, returned over $4,000 TO
their friends, and that 1900 have de-
posted over al, 600 in this big box,
and that tue institution has turned many
of them into good citizens, merchants,
lawyers, judges of courts, doctors, cler
gymen, and prepared multitudes for
heaven, where many OF them have al
ready gone personally, confronting Him
in whose compassion the institution was
established. The work of Immigration
to the West goes on perpetually. There
is absolutely no chance for reformation
in the dens OF New York What must
be the sensation when lad from Water
street wakes up on ansIowa prairie with
a hundred miles of room on each side
of him7 One Of these ragamufflns trans.
ported through the 'benefaction Of this
society, wrote from the West :s1 am on
probation in the Methodist Church.. l
now teach Sunday school class Of elev-
en- boys get along frst.rate with it,
This is q splendid country to make a
living in II the boys running round
the streets with blackening box on their
shoulder or bundle of papers on their
arms, only knew what high old times we
boys have out here they would not hesi-
tate about coming West, but come the
first chance they got" .s y
THE coop ANGEL AND THE BAD ANGEL.
As we turned homeward, from, our
carriage window we saw tragedy on
the corner OF Broadway and Houston
streets. A young MN was hating in
doubt as to which way be had better go.
Lift his hat high enough and you see an
intelligent forehead. Look at his eye,
clear and mild, as he stands there. l
see be has stalw chest and robust de,
velopment, splendid young man. i Why
does he stand there when 90 many are
going up and down. The fact is that
every man has a good angel and bad
angel pear him, and these two are this
moment under the gaslight, corner OF
Broadway and Houston streets, trying to
get supremacy over the young man.
"Come with me-" says the good angel;
i will take yon home. | will spread my
wing over your path way. l will 10y
ingly escort you all through life, under
supernatural protection. I will bless
every cup from which you drink, every
couch on which you rest, every doorway
you enter. I will consecrate your tears
when you weep, the sweat Of your brow
when you toll, and deliver your grave
into the hands OF the bright angel OF o
Christian resurrection; in answer TO
your fathers petition and your mothers
prayer, the L,rd sent me out from heaven
to guard your soul. Come with me"
"a II tho rood n oal with voica Of ,,near.