The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-02-13
THE GAMINS OF ROME
THEY ARE A SOURCE OF DELIGHT
AND TORMENT TO TRAVELLERS.

THEY ARE A SOURCE OF DELIGHT
AND TORMENT TO TRAVELLERS.
Clever Little Urohins Who Grow Up From
Early Childhood Homeless and without
Restraint - They Have Many Ways OF
Earning n Living.
Street gamins in Rome" the reader may
think, ARE probably not very different
from street gamins Neutrality-suspicious., i'm
pudent and a nuisance generally"
They certainly are endowed with those
qualities most generously, nor are they all
as handsome and interesting as the familiar
"Roman Boy" with large, dreamy eyes,
long, black locks, and the stereotyped high
pointed hat. which may be seen in oil, aqua
relle OF copper In the windows of almost
every art dealer.
Early in the morning these little fellows
begin their days work. The first thing to
be done Is usually to secure breakfast In
some way from one of tho numerous herds
men who daily bring their goats to the city
and milk them in the street, one by ono, as
they find customers on their ronte. When
the herdsmAn for few moments leaves his
flock to deliver milk and solicit new orders,
the watchful, half naked boys will dart
out from corner or alley, squat down and
suck the fresh, warm milk from the full
udders. When the indignant rustic appears
with his long staff to punish the Juvenile
marauders, they are Off and vanish as quick
ly as they appeared.
Strengthened by their primitive meal
they now begin the more legitimate part OF
their days work. The newspapers are
brought ont and sold under deafening yell
ing. Other youthful street hawkers mp
pear with variety of wares, such as pins
toothpicks, pictures of saints, busts of Vic
tor Emmanuel and Umberto, lottery tick
cts, etc. Some of the most enterprisina
make rhymes on the list of their wares
and sing the same Justify to some popular
opera melody.
With an experienced eye they spot every
foreigner who comes within sight, and
know to perfection how 10 take advantage
of his peculiaritics, When one day dur
ing my stay in Rome got into a dispute
with n cabman because he, in addition &c
the regular fare, demanded buona mansia
III tip-a little fellow ak or seven years
old came up and said in paternal, assur
ing tone;
Sixty centime is enough. sir. The rascal
is very impudent; don't you give him any
more"
In the same breath he asked me for d
soldo for the service rendered. / handed
him coin, laughing ut his grand airs, and
he received it with II coudescending gesture
as he patroni2ingly said:
"Grazie, siguorl rovider." q will see
you later, as we would say.) Then he has
lilly made his departure, for the driver
reached for his whip and was going to pay
him for his untimely meddling. had
walked only short distance when another
boy WAS mt my side.
Isl, signor, you are quite right; this i,
the road to St. Pctro and the EGtican-pivt
me n soldor'
What II logical argument / drove him
off of course, But few minutes later {
third one bounded forward.
Your boots, sir! your boots!'
am not so cNtravagant as some of tht
native Romans, who have their boots pol
ished several times in day, and tried t.
ignore him. Then he appealed to my sell
respect.
But, my lord, such bootsi'' he exclaimed
reprovingly, as he trotted along by my
side. ooh, Dio Mol what nasty bootsi Oh
Santo Madre di Diol what bootsi really
pity you, sir. Indeed such bootsl In fato
am sorry for your
All this was uttered in tone of the most
profound moral conviction, the most disin
teptsted fellow feeling of regret and sym
pathy, as If | were friend whom he had
met on forbidden way. But when alse
this appeal failed he dropped behind few
steps and changed his tactics to very noisy
persecution:
"Just look at that Americani One cal
always tell an American by his dirty boots.
That was too much for mo. / concluded
to let the little imp shine my boots rathel
than see the entire American people ex
PEELED from the family Of well polished ma
tons.
These children, bold and full of vulga
bombast as they are, must not besjudget
too harshly. II must be remembered tina
most of them are orphans. They have t.
make their own living, and therefore Otter
spend their childhood in the streets, wher,
they make their way as best they may
Then. too, IA little friendly encouragement
changes them into the most amiable ant
obliging little beings. A couple of soldi o
Ii eigarette makes them the most pains
taking guides and trusty messengers.
Where do MI these homeless boys sleep
There IRE plenty of quarters for the nigh
in Rome. Among the pillars surrounding
the ancient buildings, the church portals
the recesses about the chapels, the niche
of the numberless saints-all these are ex
cellent lodging places. Only the Coliseum
with its eighty portals makes an exception
for one of them is the guardhouse of til,
police, and in Rome, rs elsewhere, ma
tural instinct forbids the street arabs t,
mingle too freely with even the humbles
of city officials. After the days battl
some of these homeless boys will lie dow
and sleep in the doorway of the neares
| house, and it is not an uncommon thing
| when one comes home late, to stumble owe
pair of small brown legs, whose owne
mechanically reaches out with his littl
hand and in slce"y soice says, "Un soido
| signorif
Thus passes day after day for the stree
boys in the Eternal City. They grow II
| in u constant fight for existence. The stree
| is their home and their school. They &
through life with an iinperturbable sam
froid that is simply enviable. They know
of no other burden than the care for tn
necessities of the moment, and anon
them II cigar or u cigarette is the most Sc
| rious. Then they become young men wei
equipped with practical knowledge Of tn
world and with health. They are qualifle
| with almost everything except to sit still
and be idle Excellent servants, good sol
diers and hard working men generally gro,
out of these street boys. As matter c
course, also dead beats and criminals
New York Tribune.
| Tho Foam on Soda Water.
Foam is a natural product, being cause
/ by the escape of mir or gas from a yisc
| liquid. In the case of soda water it is tn