The Osceola times., 1882-11-11
THE GAMINS OF NAPLES.
How They Usually Manage 20 Get
Breakfast.
Correspondence Hartford Times,

Breakfast.
Correspondence Hartford Times,
The Neapolitan urchin rises in the
morning either from the pavement or
the straw bed of some of the fondaci,
those horrible dens of penury and vices,
from the miserable couch which he
shares with halfa dozen brothers and
sisters and his sickly parents. He does
not need to change his attire, for he
sleeps in the same strange compound of
tatters that cover his nakedness day by
day. On awakening he murmurs pray
er TO the Madonna, and finds at once
some friends with whom he expresses
his Joy at the beautiful, sunny day, by Il
succession Of the liveliest antics.
But now the ever insatiate hyena oi
hunger makes his demands and bids
him begin the struggle for existence. A
breakfast-"that is the question" The
ways of procuring this desirable necessi-
ty are manifold, but the favorite one is
to establish a temporary tobacco trade to
satisfy the requirements of those gentle
man, who in the social scale rank very
little above Joe and Gavroche, yet who
are able to invest few centimes in the
indulgence of their passion.
Gavroche has only yesterday, in wise
appreciation of the circumstances, antici-
pated this emergency, and now produces
his treasure, which consists of dirty
paper package. He sits down, after first
choosing with the eye of an experienced
tradesman a place which affords the
most chances for the sale of his article,
takes the package from between his legs
| opens il and surveys with joyful smile
the fruits of four hours hunt for cigar
stumps. The times are hard, he thinks,
for most persons smoke their cigars to
the very tip, and the competition in col
lecting is too great. Yesterday, however,
was a prosperous day. Whenever Cav
roche sees a smoker whose stump is 60
ing out he plants himselfin his way, casts
him pleading glance, and points to the
cigar. Yesterday he found many compass
sionate people who threw him their
stumps.
He now spreads out his treasure, and
| the first question is to arrange his wares
temptingly and tastefully, and then the
stock" is assorted. The great prize is
an almost whole cigar which stranger
| left in the coflce-house after barely try
| ing it, and which Gavroche, in happy
moment, appropriated This article he
carefully lays aside, and then follow in
twos and threes the longest stumps, the
shortest in groups of four and five. The
| fine part which can no longer be used as
cigars, is picked to pieces and arranged
in an enticing heap of smoking tobacco.
| Now is the time to attract customers.
| With thousand grimaces and piercing
cries Gavroche invites those passing to
inspect his stock, which presents an ap-
petizing and imposing appearance be-
tween his half-naked legs, encased in his
great-grandfather's trousers. Old sailors
with throats of cast-steel buy the stumps
and stick them without further ceremony
into their mouths. and antiquated beg
gars fill their morning pipes with Cav
roche's preparation. But while our hero
is about to conclude wholesale bargain
with a seaman, and disposes of dozen
stumps at once, little naked manikin
steals up, and after glancing shyly around
stretches out his criminal hand toward
the long, thick, half-burnt cigar. Cav
roche interrupts for a moment his we'll
advanced negotiation at wholesale, seizes
the thief by his thick, black, curly pate
draws it close to him and belabors the
head, shoulders and back of the little
culprit for five minutes with his right
fist, for which attention the unfortunate
returns his acknowledgements by a terri
bic bowling. Thus is the law of trade
administered in Gavroche's tobacco busi-
ness At last the whole supply is sold
and the juvenile seller possesses three
sous and four centimcs. He is rich for
his condition, and before his eyes ex-
tends unendingly the range of possibili-
ties as regards breakfast.