New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-15
THE GAMINS OF ROME.
TRICKS WHICH MAKE THEM THE DELIGHT
AND THE TORMENT OF TRAVELLERS

Neutrality-suspicious.. impudent and. nuisance gener.
ally"
They certainly are endowed with those qualities
most generously; nor are they all as handsome ana
Interesting as the familiar Roman Boy" with large.
dreamy eyes long, black locks. and the stereotyped
high pointed hat. which may be seen I'm OIL aquaree
copper In the windows Of almost every art dealer
But Notwithstanding the general characteristics which
they may have In common with others OF their class
there are certain traits. peculiar to them, which at
once attract the strangers attention and usually make
those audaclous little torment0rs his favontes True
the historical atmosphere makes the visitor very
susceptible to new impressions the classical back.
ground lends color and light to objects which In them
selves insignificant. But. everything considered,
the street gamin In Rome and enjoys his repua.
ton chiefly his personal merits Like most south.
ernors Of low parenage, he Is made up OF mixture
OF pleasing grandezza ana restless vvaclty Of gen.
tlity and vulgar greed Of dreamy, earnest and gay
abandon.
Early In the morning these little fellows begin their
days w0ra TIE first thing to be done Is usually to
secure br,akfas, In from OF the numer.
Gus herdsmcn who daily bring their goats to the city
and milk them In the street, one by one. as they
lind customers on their route When the herdsman for
few mOmrpts leaves lis flock to deliver milk or
solicit new orders. watchfu. half boys will
dart ont from corner alley. squat down and suck
the fresh, wsrm milk from the full udders When
the Indignant rustic appears with his long STAFF to
punish the Juvenile marauders, they are of. and
vanish rs quickly they appeared. Strengthened
by their primitive meal they now begin the more
legitimate part Of their days work. The newspapers
are brought and sold under deafeniDg yelling.
Other youthful street hawkers appear with variety
Of ware, such pins toOhpicks, pictures Of saints.
blsts Of Victor Emmanuel and Tmberto, lottery
tickets, etc. some Of the most enterprsng make
RI, mes on the list OF their and sing the same
Justify to soma popular opera melody.
With an experienced eye they spot every for.
cisner who comes within sight. and know 10 per.
lection how 10 take advantage Of his pecullares.
When one day during my stay in Rome got into
dispute with "A cabman because he. In addition to
the regular fare, demanded buona mansia-a tp-s
little fellow slA seven years old came up and said
In a pltcrnI. assuring tone:
sixty centnlc Is enough sir. The rascal Is very
lmpudcnt: don't ron give him any more
In the same breath be asked me for a soldo for the
service rendered. | handed him coin laughing al
his grand airs. and he received 1t with condo
sccnilng gesturr he patroazlngly said
"Grizic, slgnor. revider." Will see you later.
as we would saw Then he hastily made his de-
parturc, the driver REACHED for his whip and was
going to pay him for his unmey meddllng. had
walked only short distance when another boy was
nj nv side.
III. sgnor. you quite right: til, is the road to
Il. Prtro and The Vaican-gIvc solfo."
What logical argument drove him of. Of
course. But a few minutes later Il third bounded
forward.
My lord my lord you are going to lose your
handkerchief
That WAS another soliO
succeeded In Diminishing this fellow also. but only
10 go from the frying pan into the fire; for boot
black scarcely tan five years. was already
making for ME. swinging his brushes AS he began:
Your boots sir. your boots.'
am not 81 pX'ravagant aS Of the native
Romans. who their boots polished several times
IN a day. and tried to ignore him. Then he appealed
10 my selfrespect
But. my lord such boois' te exclaimed re-
provngly. rs he trOtted along by my side. 20.
bio mic! what nasty boots O. santO Madre dl Dol
what boots really pity you. sir. Indeed such
boots! In fato! am sorry for you!'
All this uttered in n tone OF the most pro-
found moral conviction, the most dsntercsted fellow
feeling Of regret and sympathy. II friend
whom lie had met on forbidden way. But when
$50 this appeal failed he dropped behind few steps
and changed Ills tactics to very noisy persecution.
Just look at that American! one can always
tell American by his dirty boots"
That too much for / concluded to let
tie little imp shine my boots rather than see tho
entire American people expelled from the family Of
well polished nations.
These children, bold and fun OF vulgar bombast
they are. must not BE- judged too harshy. 1t must
be- remembered that most Of them are orphans They
have to make their own living, and therefore often
spend their childhood in the streets. where they
make their way best they may. Then, too. a
little friendly encouragement changes them into tie
most amlablc and obliging little beings. \ couple OF
soldi q cigarette makes them the most painstaing
guides and trllSty messengers.
Their manner Of settling disputes is characteristic.
When our boys disagree they simply fight. But the
Italian, and especially the Roman street arab has
always an eye TO business. He figures up TIE gain
and loss in everything he undertakes and IN accord
ance with This instinct he first destroys his rivals
stock OF goods then he delivers the moral and legal
argument In the In form Of conscientious
thraSlng.
AS soon AS someone ventures out With a sketchbook
or portfolio the street gamns appear and offer their
services as models. / one day a flock OF those
vampires descend upon an elderly painter, evidently
foreigner. The foremost went straight at him:
"wen sir, here l am The astonished painter
looked at the swarthy imp. lie did not remember
ever having seen him. But, nothing daunted the
little fellow continued: Why. certainly. sir assure
you that you wanted TO paint me. How do you want
mel This way, or perhaps that wayl' And he
struck various picturesque attitudes, copied from the
statues IN the art dealers windows But as these
tricks failed, he dropped down 10 an every day tone
and pleaded he trOtted along: "iou might paint
me- anyway But 1t was all I'm vain. lie finally
gave up, and said repr0achfully Then give me ~
least u soldo cigar"
Al the close of each day quite new kind OF HE
begins IN the streets OF Rome. Chairs moved out
side, and IN endless the Romans sit and enjoy
the cool breeze OF the evening with their coffee or
SorbettO and the inevitable cigarette or cigar. lhey
often gather In little knots, aud the rapid talking,
gesticuIatng and laughing mngle into something
altogether unintellglbe 10 foreigner. While every
Is giving himself up TO listening or talking lpar
tcuary 10 talkngl, the street gamins move ABOUT
serpenike, without sound, from group TO group.
picking up Cast-away cigars. No sooner mas the
remnant OF a cigar reached the pavement than Two
three brown arms, quick as arrows. dart out ior
The precious moSel. There Is a brief disputes
passionate wa via, away there) a "maledettos! y
td-nl and the victor rises with q grand air. WITH
exceedingly grnte,l indOlence-llke verltable
gent lcnan Of lcislr,-he leans against the nearest
wall tree and. with the soiled stump In the corner
Of his mouth his gaze wanders the heads OF Inc
less fortunate mortals about him with supreme IN
difference. ,.
Where do all these homeless boys sleepl There
II AMONG