Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-12-19
A STOLEN THANKSGIVING DIN.
NER.
The Story of a New York vagrant-How
He Found a Happy Home.

- O.-s W. OllVs
NER.
The Story of q New York Vagrant-How
He Found a Happy Home.
A dinner-that is a regular dinner-a
''ggood square meal'-was a rarity to
Tony, a luxury in which he seldom in
dulged, poor little ''street Arab that
he was, and yet he managed to get
considerable enjoyment out Of life in his
W queer fashion. Very independent
he a not at all tied to hours or re-
stricted by rules, for the very good rea-
son that he had neither home, parents
o guardians. 1t is true that this in
dependent condition had its disadvan-
tages. For instance, there were times
when a warm bed in a coy home would
have been more desirable than a nest in
a barrel, or packing box, or some corner
of the wharves along West street, for
Tony was that very common character,
a New. York vagrant. Probably he had
parents once, but it was so long ago that
he could remember nothing about them.
His earliest recollections were of being.
kicked or cuffed out Of a dark cellar,
the only home he had ever known.
How did he live? Well, he could not
have told you himself, for two reasons.
In the first place it was a queer, shift
ing, shiftless sort of life, hard to de-
scribe; and in the second place, in adj
dition to his other misfortunes, Tony
was born dumb, and so lived a more
lonely life than the other little vaga-
bonds who could at least talk and swear
and quarrel with n another.
Perhaps Tony was rather inclined to
be lazy. At any rate he never seemed
to think OF such a thing as working for
his living; but neither did he beg, unless
it could be called begging to stand
around Washington Market and peer
hungrily at the meat and fish, the but
ter and cheese and poultry there dis
played; or to creep halfway down the
steps Of some underground restaurant
and sniff the odors of clam chowder or
beefsteak. I dare not say that he
would not have snatched a sandwich or
a sausage had the opportunity offered,
but he vas so little and puny that he
never dared venture. Now and then
some good-natured soul would throw
him a stale tart OF moldy crust, or a
bone that had at least a smell of chicken
about it, and so he managed to keep
life in his little skeleton of a body.
But Thanksgiving time was the hard
est of all to Tony, for, really, the smell
of turkey and chicken is not particularly
filling" however appetizing it may be;
to see others feeding, or preparing to
feed on the fat Of the land, always made
Tony hungry than ever On this
particular Thanksgiving Day he felt
feeling well, he had slept through most
of the previous day in a sunny spot on
top of a big woodpile near the wharf,
and, of course, had eaten nothing; and
not having DR.. Tanner strength Of will,
he thought that he was in a starving
condition. He hung around the mar
ket until it closed about noon, but all
the dealers were too busy to notice him;
and as for the buyers-well l suppose
shat they had spent all their spare cash
for the contents of the basket they
carried, so Tony Jared badly indeed.
After the market closed he loitered
about the street stands and restaurants
for awhile, but no one noticed the pit
iful little face with its hungry eyes,
except a brutal policeman who gave
him a rap with his stick when he crept
suspiciously near a corner pie-stand. So
Tony wandered On up Vesey to Green
witch street, and strollea along, sinking
into doorways when the elevated rail
road cars Numbered by, for he could
never get over the idea that the huge,
Gathering train was going to tumble
into the street. By and by he turned
into a cross-street where there were nc
shops, and strolled aloug. peeping into
basement windows. Oh what delicious
odors came from those kitchens. Il
them, and at last he made up his mind
to beg for something to eat. But a
one place the cook was scolding, at an.
other the kitchen maid looked SO for.
bidding, and at the next two spoiled
children began to boot at him, so h
hurried by as fast as he could.
At last he came to a neat-lo6kine
block, and the first door in it stood
open, for the grocer's boy had just car
ried in a big basket. Tony summoned
up all his courage-there wasn't mucl
of it at most-and ventured in. H,
found himself in a pretty little dining
room with q table in the middle, al
ready for dinner, too; for at ono end he
saw a big turkey, and at the other
pair of deliciously-browned chickens
Not Il soul was in the room; the cool
was chatting with the grocer's "youns
man" in the back kitchen. Alas! fol
poor Tony's principles, if he had any
The temptation was too strong to b
resisted. Without leave or license HI
snatched one of the chickens from thu
platter and rushed out of the house a
full speed. He dared not be see,
on the street with his booty, but in
stinctively scuttled down the first base
ment steps he came to; and there I an
sorry to say, without the slightest twing
of conscience, he feas.ed on his stolel
goods. No words can do justice to hi
l