Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-11-28
BRATTLEBORO, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER %, 1890

and induced partly by ambition to get on
in the world, aud partly by the persuasions
Of three or four older boys, he had come to
Chicago to seek his fortune. As soon as
they landed in the city the other boys left
him. and for a week he had been looking
for work, but without success. He was wet
and cold and tired and discouraged. hut il
needed only glance at his frank, open
face to see that he was as unlike the hard
ened little gamins that frequent the streets
about the mission as possible He was given
supper, lodging and breakfast, and in the
morning a situation was found for him in a
large manufacturing house.
But the difficulty does not end here.
Necessarily the wages are small, and he
must board where he can do 80 cheaply-
probably 6ndinga bed in a Dor ) cent lodg
ing house, and getting his meals at cheap
restaurant. In these lodging houses the in
mates all occupy the same room, with the
exception of those who are considerably up-
der the influence Of liquor and they are all
accommodated in another room. As mat
ter Of course, the patrons are from the vic
ious and criminal classes, and is it any won
der that the country boy, forced by circum
stances into such company, almost inevita-
bly, becomes like the rest in longer or
shorter time, according to his previous
training and natural tendencies Oh. for
place where they could get plain, whole
some food clean bed, and be surrounded
by Christian influences What a crop of
pickpockets, burglars and drunkards il
would save. When think of the amount
OF money spent on senseless luxuries. and
how little, comparatively speaking, would
need TO be invested in some such way as
this to save the hundreds of country bows
(some of them runaways, perhaps,) who
yearly come TO this great wicked CITY. it
seems such pity that somebody is not NOV
ed to do something in this direction. We
always try to find out if a boy has run away
from good home, and if so, notify his
friends as quickly as possible but there is
many home that is sad today because of a
boy lost in this or some other large city.
One who has not been led TO investigate the
matter can have no idea what subtle tempta-
tions await poor boy in search of work
asked the lad above referred to if he ever
went into saloon. He replied 81 hare
been in, but not to drink. had no money.
and got so hungry that | finally had to 20
in and get some pop" 1t seems that this
is a sort of hot slaw, highly seasoned. which
the big hearted O. saloon keeper gireS dicau
knowing that it will tempt the hungry to
come in, and in nine cases out of ten will
create such thirst that they will 20 out
and work, or beg, or steal money to buy
drink, whereupon Mr. Saloon Keeper reaps
the reward for his philanthropy. you
wonder that the boys learn TO like the sa
loon, and by degrees the liquor that is sold
there
One boy Of Is was taken i'll with malaria
soon after reaching the city, and. instead
OF being taken to the county hospital was
carried to the poor-house, where, it is said
the treatment Of inmates is ANYTHING but
decent Finally, he managed to send a
letter to one of our young ladies' who had
given him testament containing her ad
dress IN one of the meetings held on the
pni sc Ale sdlu ue WIS anxious TO get away
and get to work, but could not get the
medicines ordered by the physician. Some
one was sent to look after him. medicine
was provided, and he is now convalescent
aud trying to help those of his fellow in
mates who seem to be even worse off than
he Is. Soon he will be ready for a stua-
ton, and one can be secured for him but
can he be provided with a home where
drinking, gambling theatre going and card
playing on Sunday will not be an ever-pres
ent temptation to boy who like all others,
likes TO have a good time We can only
hope for the best Speaking of theatres.
reminds me of what | see every Sunday
afternoon on my way home from Sunday
hundreds of boys and
young men coming out the Criterion, one
of the vilest of the l0-cent theatres which
disgrace the city.
The school has already sent out several
foreign missionaries, one young man going
to Africa, two others and a young lady (the
latter from Rutland, Vt, , to China, two
ladies to India and one to Turkey. One
young lady is in the far West, working
among the Indians ETC.