The morning times., 1895-09-22
Snip. and !.

fats = - - ~ ~ . - 80 : -
met "sBip" wiieh1 first came to Ne "
York. He was an evening newsboy who
| haunted Park Row. and he had such queer
| voice and was SO queer in his loo ks that he
| One evening took him over into City Hall
| Park and asked: st-t-rr
"snip, how old are you?"
"Going on ten, sir"
"Do you live at homer"
"No, sir; I have NO home Father and
mother are both dead, and l have No
brothers or sisters.'
"where do you put up?''
"with Aunt Mary. down on Pearl street "
"Can you read or writer
mo, sir: but can tell money and change
dollar
We took n liking To each other from the
start ] wanted him to go to school, but he
was born :.smin. offered to buy him a
suit O clothes, but he preferred to pick up q
garment here and there which had seen its
best days He did accept and wear an
overcoat, but l don't think he ever felt
exactly comfortable in tat least not un :
I'll 1t became dirty and greasy and the boys
could no longer taunt him with being an
aristocrat Sometimes I had Snip wash
his face and comb his hair and go tolunct tr
with me, but IL hurt his feelings and he
went under compuision. He preferred to
have me go down on Fran kfort street with
him, where we sat on n bench at a rude
table and got two ancient sand witches and
glass of watered milk for nickel.
Knives and forks and napkins put him out
and made him feel tired 49, ---'
When Saip got dead broke he knew where
to find me. When he got licked by big
ger boy Ehe came to me for consolat ation.
On several occasions when 1.-The Gang"
tried to drive him, off the street because
he was ..a-gettin' to be a Vanderbilt" ="
/ went down and got the police TO see
him through; and twice when he was ar
rested with others for disturbing the
peace 1 went to the Tombs and begged
him OFF.
W got to be 'pards"-Snip and !.
liked him for a dozen reasons, but prin-
cipaliy because he was 4 genuine type OF
the New York waif who was fighting his
way. His self-reliance aud energy were
something any man might envy. Nothing
could down him, and 1t was rarely that
lie gave way to encouragement. Early
in the battle / went down and gave
Aunt Mary the tip not to turn him out
when he failed to square up, but the boy
didn't know of this. At long intervals
he would come to me for a stake" but
he had pride in trying to take care of
himself. l wanted Snip TO grow mp some
thing better than a a.gamin, and that was
the only point We differed on. He had it
in his blood and couldn't make a change.
He wasn't vicious but he was a street
Arab in the fulles. sense. He knew New
York from the Battery to Harlem, and
nothing pleased him SO well as n night
out. We walked tue Bowery at midnight
together we descended into the dives and
rum holes and daeee houses. Once or
twice during the first year Of our ac-
quainta nee | got Snip into a barber shop
and had his hair cut, but he felt so bad
about it that oeased to experiment after
awhile. He managedl to look reasonably
clean on Sundays. but my attempt to
slick him up on weekria was n failure.
A month ago l .sew, that Snip was fall
ing in health. He had always been as
hard as nails. but the rough life was be-
ginning TO tell on him He made light
of his ailment. but the day came when
had TO go down aud have a talk with
Aunt Mary about him She advised the
hospital, and after much coaxing I got
him to 60 there He said it was too
stylish for him. and that sleeping on a regu-
lar bed and eating chicken soup would
make BOBBY of him, but at length
l got him to go. The doctors said that
it was a case of quick consumption, and
that he could hot hold out long, and after
a bit the boy suspected the true state OF
affairs. He went to his death ike u man.
however. Not once did he whimper or
complain On the contrary, he hoped
against hope He would say to me as I
sat beside his cot: ,~--.---
I'm bound to git up, pard-bound 10 do
it. Men you has got lots of things TO
do this summer, and dun.t want you TO
go pards with any other boy. I'm square,
you are square, an we Jest want tU keep
cn bein' pards.'' -
One mig ht, when no one believed that his
end was so near, Snip realized that the
hand of death was upon him. He knew
they could not send for me ut that hour,
and so he said to the nurse:
''Git pencil and paper and write sun
thin fur me. I've got knife, a pair of
5iappers, harmonican, and 'leven cents
in money. Writeit down that Ileaveevery-
thing to my ole pard, and that thought of
bin last of aIll' ... ..-.-.
And next day whea 1 called to see him
found that penciied message and rim lying
dead. They had him in pauper's coffin,
ready for burial in a pauper's grave. ]
would not have it 81. He sleeps in q grave
In another field, and hope it is well with
bis immortal spirit. Other boys have come
10 me and would call me partner" but
can't do it. Snip was my earliest and last.
While he lay dying and yet hoping, he
asked me to be loyal to our -:ieIt.ship.
and though he sleeps his last sleep i WIN
wait.-Detroit Free Press.