The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-04-24
A STORY WITHOUT A MORAL
Patsy TObin, Who Lived By His Wits from the
Cradle-Dramatic Critic Of No Mean
Ability-His Intentions for the Future.

he was not q Chinaman. nor q HIndoO,
nor a Turk. He was perhaps more OF o
heather than any of these. but he was q
native of this free and enlightened Chris
tian country. He guessed he was born in
Boston; mebbe in New Y~ork-didn't know.
Had lived in both cities. and in Cincinnati.
" Orleans, Chicago, st. Louis. Denver,
and a lot O. places. Hadn't ever been to
Frisco, but was going some day. Liked
Ind'nap'lis purity we'll fer n little town.
had had a father he s'pqDd, but hadn't
ever saw HIM. His mother had died in
New York long o. rinkin' too much
whisky. He had taken care of himself
bout ever since he could remember.
Guessed be was twelve years old. Name
was Patsy TobiD.
These facts and others relating TO his
career were drawn out In the course of oc-
c~asional business interviews. Patsy's pro-
fession was that of boot black, varied by
selling papers, holding horses and other
odd jobs. He never volunteered informa-
ton concerning himself. and when ques-
toned answered freely, but with little ap-
pearanee OF interest in the subject. He
was a bright boy and had q conglomerate
stock of information far removed in char
acter from that acquired By boys reared
after conventional and well-regulated fam
lily methods. He had never been far from the
shadow of churches. where the duty of con-
verting the heather was preached earnest
~; churches where missionary societies
met and where enthusiastic workers
portrayed the lost condition of the
far-off barbarians. and the deeds of
the savages on our own from
tiers. It might have been supposed
that Patsy would have gained a knowledge
of what Christianity meant from his near
ness TO it's s~tronghOlds. but his views and
his Indifference to the consequences of sin
would have distressed orthodox and de-
God made the world. He lived up in the
sky somewhere. The devil lived there, too,
in the sun OF some other hot place. The
devil was most as big o man as God and
was always stakin' OIL some o. Gods claims.
Patsy had perhaps. picked up this last
bit of theology during a brief stay in Lead
vile.
OF q way to be saved from the devil he
had but a vague idea. and. like SOM who
are supposed to know all about the plan of
salvation. he cared less. If he didn't be-
have himself the devil would ketch him
ne s'posed, but he'd have lots o. company.
Some o. these tony fellers Ill be there. You
bet.
Just what Patsy considered good be-
havior 1t would be hard to tell. HIS Ian
guaRe. on ordinary OCCASIONS. was so in
terspersed with slang and Objectionable
words as to DE quite shocking to sensitive
ears. When excitement or anger stirred
him. the 1ueDcy and vIgor of his profanity
appalled, even hardened sinners. That he
had some dim notion of its improperly
was evlnced by his occasional cutting of a
companions ears. and a Cheese il, Jim;
don't shoot off yer mouth so where ladies
can year" And. alas. Patsy had no regard
Tor the truth. He could and did lie with
put hesitation whenever 1t suited his con-
venience TO do so. He did not look like a
boy who would lie. His eyes were blue
and bright. and they Gazed honestly and
openly into the face of the person adj
dressed, even while bis lips narrated a
most complicated n artistic falsehood.
Patsy. too. was known TO steal. His
~~of&di5 ~1sdUm taught him when lt was
safe to appropriate small bits OF property,
and whose belongings it was safe to take.
There were were some people careless about
such things, he had learned, and others too
~good-natured TO report him to the police.
These guardians of the public welfare were
suspicious of Patsy. Perhaps they were not
entirely nawsre Of his ofienses against
honesty. but were wilifully oblivlous. for
even policemen have human sympathies,
and do not invariably rejoice In the oppor-
tunity to take small boys TO jail. AT all
events. Indianapolis policemen never
ave him the benefit of their doubts by
freedom from arrest. only occasional
ly showing their authority By or
dering him to move on. Having no
local habitatlon, this order sometimes
put him &c Inconvenience. In warm weather
be Jared we'll enough. He could sleep in a
shed or on q bench in the park. or in many
an odd corner. but in the winter il was less
easy TO obtain comfortable quarters. No
sooner would he bestow himself IN a coy