The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-12-25

or twice children were found who actu-
ally did not know whether they had ever
had fathers and mothers. Some had no
homes God only knows how they kept
alive, for they slept in holes and corners,
and fed like vagrant cats and dogs on
whatever they could beg, find or steal.
Impossible? Certainly it is, but it is
true, nevertheless.
Among the widest and shyest of all
who came in was a boy who was the
originator of at least one famous joke,
though without intention. The teacher
asked him his name and he said it was
George. Being asked what his last name
was he said that was his last name.
"But you must have another name,"
urged the teacher. as it George Smith,
or George johnson, or George What?p
"Nopc,' he said, shortly. "Taint
George What, nor George Nothin', it's
George. | hain't got no oder NAME"
But the joke came when the teacher,
wishing to know whether he had learned
anything at all, asked him, "Do you
know who made your
AT the same instant boy behind him
stuck a, pin into -Ganrao, Such. tricks
We're very common among the little saw
ages, but IL did not hurt any the less be-
cause twas not unusual. George jumped
from his seat and shouted at the top OF
his voice "Goddemitey."
"Well, that's right" said the teacher,
who had not noticed the trick. "But
don't shout So" The story was told
afterwards, with engagements, until it
became chestnut many years ago.
1t was a long time--some months-be-
fore the teachers could learn much about
the boy, for he was distrustful to the
last degree. He kicked tho Rev. Mr..
Van Meter on the shins very violently,
and twisted himself away like an eel
when that gentleman, according to his
habit, laid his hand affectionately on the
boys shoulder. George thought he was
going to be beaten, and took his usual
precaution of eluding the preliminary
hold. He had, it seemed, never known
what it was to have anybody take hold
of him in kindness, and was no more to
be handled than young bird or squir-
rel. There was hardly anything, in fact,
that he did know, MS the good mission
people reckoned knowledge. He knew
how to swear huently, as his acct
dentally correct answer as to his
Maker indicated, but he did not
know, and 1t was long time be-
fore he could be made to understand,
that swearing was wrong. In fact, he
did not know what wrong was. So far
as his experience Of life went, every
body did precisely what seemed at the
moment desirable to do, unless pre-
vented by superior physical force, or by
bodily fear. Stealing was to him per-
fectly legitimate mode of acquiring any
thing that he might happen to want,
and the only reason why 1t should be
done secretly was that too much osten-
tation about the act was apt to provoke
interference on the part of the owner,
who might and probably would want
the article himself. Lying was simply
the easiest way Of concealing anything
that he did not care to reveal, and the
only inkling he had Of the objectionable
character of the act was that anybody
to whom he told lie would beat him
savagely if he did not lie cleverly
enough to escape detection. AS to the
Sabbath, the first knowledge he had Of
the difference between one day and an
other came from his noticing that once
in while these people who had whole
clothes on and who spoke gently came
into the neighborhood and opened the
little mission room and tried to get the
children to go into it.
George was among those who were
coaxed in with much difficulty, but after
going once he went regularly. The room
was clean and pleasant, and as the au-
tumn days came ON there was stove
put in and fire made 1t warm. That
was novelty to him--being allowed to
sit undisturbed in a warm room. The
story the good teacher obtained from
him after winning lfis confidence was
appalling by its very absence of detail;