The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-11
BEGGAR CHILDREN.
Sad Stories Of the Little Ones-Cheerless
Homes and Hungry Families.

things ia other similar localities is the same
From the usual breakfast hour in the morning
until after the usual supper hour, children OF
both sexes visit the of the streets to which
/ refer, and politely, for the most part, make
known their mission These children range
from five years old to twelve. The girls are
often neatly clad and attractive. Many OF
them, l have observed, are more than
ordinarily pretty l have noticed some with
eyes of great beauty, with lovely complications
and with hair that many fine lady rolling in
wealth would give a large part of her income to
possess. Some of these girls are peculiarly
pleasing They have graceful movements and
winning smiles, and soft, pleasant voices. In
some cases have remarked that their tone and
manner OF speaking showed them to have been
accustomed to the society of grown persons who
spoke correctly. AS to their dress it varies
Here and there you may find a girl dressed IN
little better than rags with dirty hands and
face and tangled hair, But this is decidedly the
exception For the most part they are dressed
in tidy habits Their clothes may be shabby
and worn and patched, and too big or too
small for them, but they are clean and
put on with some degree of taste. A little
hat is set jauntily on the head, ornamented with
a frayed artificial flower or two, or limp and
detected feather or faded ribbon. The hair Is
gathered up with some care, or neatly combed
down the back, and the face and hands are pass
ably clean. In the great majority of cases the
girls are well-behaved and intent in their bust
ness.
They wear fragmentary garments Sometimes
pair of mans pantafoons, shortened IN the legs
and wrapped almost twice around the waist and
supported with solitary string by way of a sus-
pender is the chief garment Under this is a
remnant of a shirt, often in variegated ribbons
At times boy will wear cast off suit which
once had some preteusions of genthty. 1t may
be velvet even, or fine CLOTH with remnants OF
braid upon it here and there The boys faces and
haads are generally of the earth, earthly, and
hal. kof,- &c Tod nd
aggressive. The voices Of these small boys are
often rough and deep and out of keeping with
the size of their owners They are not choiee-in
the of words, and care little for the presence
of any citizen, unless he wears uniform and
carries aelub. With respect to these children,
boys and girls alike, all through these summer
months thing has been observable-no stock
ings or shoes ineumbered their feet The legs
thus displayed were generally such as
higher-to toned children need not be ashamed of /
have again and again noticed small boys with
sturdy, substantial, welldeveloped calves, and
little girls with delicate ankles and shapely legs
above them that-were almost models for an ar
list As to the feet, admit that, as a rule, they
were larger than they ought to be- but of
course, that is to be attributed to their being I'M
impressed by the Shoemakers art
Another thing which these children, male and
female possessed in common, must be men
toned. It is a feature-it is the feature of the
tribe-a basket. 1t was generally good sized
basket, often basket almost big enough for the
bearer to retire into; a basket which is generally
in albetter condition than anything else in CON
nection with it, with a lid, and it may be- a
towel as an. inside cover. This basket is
the trade mark, so to speak, of the young
paraders-a sort of sign which indicates their
calling They know how to handle it. They
set it down. takeit up, flip it over their arms,
suspend it move off with it with q certain ease
and grace which show long practice. 1t may be
that they take pride in this and are as much
concerned to make creditable showing with
their baskets as newly enlisted soldiers with
their weapons. They are never at a loss to
carry their baskets, full empty. The most
empty one is slung on the arm with a jaunty
grace and the most heavily laden is held up and
rested upon the hip with sense ofresponsibility
and an evident capacity bear it.
These children, [ need not say by this time,
are engaged in gathering broken vctuals from
the mistress and cooks of the places which they
visit They slip into the areas, give a ring with
a businesslike air, and say frankly what they
desire. am glad to say may be wrong and
/ may be undeceived by persons of correct feel
ings and organized charitable bodies-neverthe-
less, am really glad to say that they are very
seldom, in nv experience never turned away
Thank God they are ever welcome, and some
times waited for. And the plates OF scraps, and
sometimes tidbits, specially laid on one side for
them, are handed to them with pleasant words
l have known over a dozen of these children
come to one house in day. am told that in
some cases twenty fine have rung one area bell
ana asked Tor IOOO W1Gf1ln the Twelve hours.
Now, am going to tell some things these
children have told me, and some things that
have seen. One teA-year-old boy, as handsome
as picture fbarring the rags and dirt and pic
turesque at that, said to me: my father is
away we don't know where. don't remember
him My mother has three of US. She takes in
washing l am the oldest and the youngest is
six. have never had new suit of clothes or
new pair of boots. l never tasted a piece of
meat, except what got in my basket L know
ybaf ah, ,rrIa,,
day with good clothes and shiny shoes. l was
never inside one. | go around every morning
with my basket and gather food. / always get
it flied. Mother sometimes cooks it over and
we eat it. She pays dollar week for our
room, and sometimes doesn't earn more than
that by her work. She has lame sister who
sews and she gets part of what gather"
An attractive girl of about eleven, said: 81
don't like to go round with the basket but 1
can't help it. There are seven of us and father
l am the Oldest but one This is Charley, and
he is learning trade and gets only ST. so week.
That pays our rent. l have two new dresses
that young lady on - street gave me.
when he gets work he can buy me a pair of
shoes; may wear them and go to church. Oh
yes, have been to church, to Mr.. Tighes, in
High street. When l get a large basket of
yictuals give some away. Mother knows of it.
l give them to small girl with a dance
(she explained this by walking a step or two like
a paralytic), who has only father, and he's
angry if she doesn't fetch him home a few nice
things. What do mean by nice thjngsY A
piece Of cold beat steak, a leg of mutton with
short meat on it, or roll with butter inside
Yes, am very healthy and should be happy,
think, if could wear good dress, and shoes and
go to school"
spoke with quiet pale faced girl of about
nine. She wore a thin, faded muslin DRESS and
the bones almost protruded through it, Il live
down on Hicks street. with my father and sister
Father is laborer and is in the hospital. Sis
ter is married, with two children, and her hus-
band gets drunk l find food for all of them.
Sister is very kind to me- No, / am not sick.
but can't carry the basket-so well as some girls
can have gone around every day except Sun
day since April last, when father was taken sick
did it once before in the winter, but then had
shoes and sack"
Over score of these small wayfarers spoke
with, and all told stories somewhat similar
sicknesS nnYertY ntter dastitIitinn hut