Middletown transcript., 1895-08-31

| tWO w DAoOO uP Ous OO ONNCA hA6i
they wuz a lot of them over
Sweeny's and they rushed the growlt
all the evenin'', and bimety there. WI
a scrap, and the cop came along an
TUX me mudder in. One of them 'st
Citations has got the other kids, an
Pm fendin for meself, sellin' paper'
runnin' errands, and carryin' bundle
from the ferry to the elevated. Lemm
carry your bag for your"
All this from a very bright-eyed
towsly-headed, freckled boy at the exi
Of one of the Jersey ferries, one Sprin
morning few yearsago. Glancing a
the loquacious little urchin who thu
regaled me with a bit of his famil
history, was about to pass along un
needing the opportunity, but m.
satchel was heavy and l hesitated
That moments hesitation caused nj
to be surrounded with lot of boys al
making grabs at my bag. But my bo!
claimed right of eminent domain; il
language by no means Chesterieldiar
he defended his claim, after some push
ing and showing as vigorous as hil
speech he emerged triumphant from
the fray and master of the bag ani
the situation led the way towards the
elevated station.
This was the beginning of an as.
quaintance which developed into friend.
ship. The lad 1 learned was Tim
Reilly, and also ascertained that the
facts of his case were true. 1 was
young in years then, full of enthusiasm,
possessed of many philanthropic ideas,
most of them Of the wholesale order.
System and organization seemed to me
matters of vital Importance; the poor
were differently constituted order of
beings; schemes for their relief and
improvement were to be concocted
much after the order of patent medi-
cines and were to be administered on
the principle that five bot les would
effect cure. OF course, l never for
mulated these views, but through ig-
norance and inexperience they were
the underlying sentiment in my chari-
table work. Well, became interested
in Tim; he was always at the ferry
waiting to do me little services and
learned to look for the frpckled face
with its turned up, interrogation point
of nose.
Then l began to try to improve that
boy, suggested frequent use of the
free baths, l gave him an outfit of
clothing, and having attended to the
outer man, tried to do something for
his mental and spiritual development.
Tim clung pertinaciously to the streets
of the great city, I could not lure him
to my suburban home; be was firm in
refusal to travel Jersey-ward, and in
duiged in some remarks concerning
"hayseeds," kindly excluding me from
the category, b however. Finding was
working at disadvantage and being
obliged to leave home for some months,
1 induced Tim to go to an institution
for orphan boys. for Mrs. Reilly had
found by this time resting place in
Potter's Field.
How fine the boy looked in his neat
uniform when l called to say goodbye
and how I congratulated myself that
the lad would now be under regular
discipline and would be trained in
habits of systematic living.
But I just learned lesson from that
boy, one Of many by the way; I learned
that child life does not differ materially
in prince and pauper; that there is a
right which philanthropists and soci-
olgists unwittingly ignore in their
plans for the betterment of the race,
and that is human right. And this is
how Tim taught me. I was away
longer than I had planned, and a year
elapsed before 1 met my little friend
again. I found him improved in
physical condition, his speech had lost
much of the slang of the slums. he had
made good progress in his studies, but
was missing in his manner.
even bis snub nose had a downward
Troop. my little street Arab was de-
veloping into a human machine. At
ast, in reply to an inquiry, Tim broke
forth: "Say, lady, this is a mighty
nice place, the grub is good and yer
gets all yer wants; the steam pipes and |
ixins keeps yer warm; yer don't have
to dodge cop to git bath, and we
wears real swell clothes. They'ss |
awful good to US, see, but we's such a |
lot that the good don't alluz 60 round.
And I'D ruther be out of this and not |
have SO much grub and things eff ! |
could just be with Dick and some of |
she fellers that cares for yer." And
ny hero lifted up his voice and walled,
wept-hungry little heart-for the |
)riyation and dirt of his tenement |
nome. for there was what stood to |
him for love and human interest. Dry
ing his tears on regulation handker. |
chief, he added as a clinching argu-
nent, cpd iuther be Jersey hayseed |
han 'sylnm boy"
That opened my eyes to the one |
hing an institution cannot provide
The subtle human touch, the home |
feeling that comes from Z home with q |
little "h." Tim did not remain ~ |
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