Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-06-24

Abh~ sOui INST appearance On utfh-
II baye not been sick. sir, though
this is the first time | have ventured
mp on deck. For the truth is, sir, that
am n steerage passenger. and have
no right 10 be here at all: but | was so
stiied for want OF fresh air. and |
thought there would be no one up here
10 TAX offense at my presence"
"A Storage passenger exclaimed
the gentleman, ~recoiiing. You are
very crowded down there. lave you
any cases of fever?"
Not a ease of sickness of any sort.
sir. thanks to the frosty weather"
You are one of the band Of emil
grants sent out by the company TO set
tie n tract of country in Nebraska
NO, sir: l am connected with none
of them. | am quite alone"
What! a boy of twelve years of
age, and you cannot be more. going out
TO America quite alone! What could
your parents or guardians be thinking
Off exclaimed the gentleman. in sur
prise.
Il ieyer had either. sir"
Never had parents or guardians.
Why. where did you spring from
From Westminster, London
40 ~ al DlINt Us ol. NrlltS ItNtiis
for I'LL It's magnificent abbey! But had
you nc friends In Westminster, that
you must come 10 seek your fortune
in American" inquired the gentleman.
becoming rather interested in the for
loru condition of the poor boy.
None who We're either able or Will
Ing to prevent me-" replied the lad.
who seemed 70 feel ii a great privilege
-, tnlI NJ IstkIA nsA... - -. -. =.
any sympathizing listener.
II have never before heard Of such Il
case. Pray, who brought you up"
Again, nobody, sir. Who brings up
the los: puppies and stray kittens: As
far back a | eau remember anything
about myself, l was a stray child,
sometimes in the arms Of one haggar-
woman and sometimes in the hands of
another. Whoever might get hold of
me first in the morning to take me out
with her to beg, was my mother for
that day.
Il thought begging was not allowed
III London?"
NO more il isn't, sir: that is. down
right. barefaced begging isn't: but you
know, sir there are more ways of kill
ing a dog besides choking him with
plum-pudding: and my mothers knew
all the lodges. one of them had a
dodge OF holding me out in her arms
and looking pitcousIy in the faces of
the ladies'; and another used TO lead
M by the hand. end carry "A little bas-
ket OF wild violets. and pray the ladies
to buy a bunch for a penny, for the
poor child's sake"
And how old were you them
Il don't know, sir; but | must have
been rs much as three years old, since
l remember it so we'll"
Boy"
'Sir?"
You talk uncommonly well for one
raised as you pretend TO have been,
How Is thatg"
II went to the ragged school when 1t
was first opened in our neigbborhood,
when | was five years old. | attended
it regularly up to the time of my leav-
ing ELgland-and that was for seven
years"
MY lad, ii seems a little queer to
me that your long and regular attend
c at that school, and your very evil
dent intelligence, had not won so
much appreciation from the teachers
and directors as 70 induce some of
them to put you to some business"
1T did. sir; and they made up a lit
tie sum and apprenticed me to a fish
monger in Billingsgate. who kept me
all night cleaning fish, and all day
long crying them through the streets.
l did lot mind the hard work. heaven
knows, but he would not allow me
time to read the books old Moses use,l
TO lend me from his secondhand book
stall; and oh. sir. / tell you what. hun
ger for books Is just as bad as hunger
for bread. So one day / Just run
away. and tramped down to Liverpool
and got aboard this ship; and I am
working my passage over
1T was a bad beginning. my boy, to
run away from your master"
"Ies. sir; l know 1t was: but I did II
to seek my own fortune-to seek some
employment that would give me food
and clothing, and leave me time to
read. also"
IF your master would not allow you
this. you should have complained to
the kind friends that paid your APP
prentice fee and placed you with him"
All, sir. IL my master had starved
my body. and I had made complaint, 1
should have had redress; but as he
only starved my mind. my complaint
would have been dismissed as inperti-
nent; for you see 1t was thought that l
had got all my dues of learning at the
ragged school,"
But ii seems that the ;:ttIe kn0wl-
edge you acquired there only created
in you an appetite for more"
lust so, sir. and not a morsel was
given me to satisfy my hunger"
You thought there was nothing for
IT but TO run away them
Yes. sir; some. you see. are tempted
by money. and some by one thing. and
some by another. Now. IL ever | should
be led to commit a sin, ii would be %
get knowledge
"Ihe first temptation that ruined
mankind. The original sin that brought
death into the world. Take care. my
boy: you began by committing a fault.
mind that YOU do not end by perpetrat-
ing a crime"
Il shall take care. sir"
What do YOU expect to do in New
York: you are a friendless boy. cast
penniless upon a foreign shore:"