The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-01-07
GUTTERBL0ODS' NEW YEAR,

"Auld years NIGHT" the Friendship
night of the Scot, when bygones become
bygones for that night anyway. "Auld
years NIGHT" twenty years ago, and the
dimly-lit streets and pavements of the
Modern Athens" huns with the NOV
ing, seeking mass of humanity.
From the castle that looms like gi-
gantic beacon over the city, with meas
ured, firm, well-drilled step, and jaunty
air, comes the fortunate soldier who has
received pass for the night or Il fur
Tough that gives him time to visit his
fathers house, or renew the bond be-
tWlXt him and his Jean.
IN Iarl'ament square larger crowd
than usual has gathered to listen to
the merry words of Il street preacher,
who, seemingly inspired to greater
thoughts by the unusual crowd, or
the ending OF the year, thumps, to
uanger OF destruction, his portable
pulpit. and drowning the shrill broken
notes of Il couple of street singers. who
are alming-but with little success to
induce the passers-by into buying their
doggerel ballads.
AZ ferEuson's sweetie shop are a
group or lads and lassies bargaining"
about their new years. Slouchins thro'
tne tnrong you can see drunken l;lan,
or thlnly clad woman robbed by want
and abuse of the likeness of gentler wom-
anhood., sneaking her way with a bundle
uhder her arm, containing maybe her
wedding, shawl, or her last blanket. to
tnat exchange of the terrible poor" the
sign OF the three balls, for two or three
pennies to keep New Years. So flows the
human tide. Some with happy smiling
face; eyes agleam with the joy that They
feei IN carrying pleasures to others, even
tho 1t be but for day; others M,Wning
or popping to use the High street ex-
preston, what is their best article, to
borrow streak of sunshine for their hog
money: But enough of the dark si.lc.
I'd Lelth street rolls figure, whose
very roll even if he had been in the garb
Of his calling, would tell one at a glance
that ne was more at home on ships
deck than on citys pavement.
Two days ashore he was saying to
himself. two days ashore in this beastly
city, but Jack must enjoy himself, and
in some other way, than some of my jo-
vial shipmates.' And he gave his we'll
lined pockets a shake that made wan
looking object, standing on the corner
start towards him. ''Some derelict," NUT
tered Jack. as he threw him form
well: poor devil, l hope he'll make good
use of what gave him.
AS we neared Princess street he was
brought to Il standstill by the conversa-
ton of two little waits that stood SILVER
ing, barefootel and ragged, at 'I4ittle-
johns Window the paradise twenty
years ago, to the city Arabs-or, to use
an Edinboro name for them, ''gutter-
hloods'-1 suppose through their sphere
| ern Athens. They were, or looked to be,
| abou. 20 to II years old. and as they
stood nhaling into their little shivering
bodies the fragrant, hungering perfumes
| OF the bakeshop, the keen, contrary winds
Edinburgh winds-swirled round them,
the taller of the two was saying as Jack
drew near:
Man, Jamie. wadnae it be grand if
was king of the fairies, an you the son.
we wad harness up DOR winged steeds
shod wi golden shoon, an yoke them
intill COR charrit O. swan feathers an
crystal wheels, an then we wad order
DOR %Rroonie ceaehman Wi q wave O. ma
to drive us to Edinbro' an when we got
| here, wi a whirl o ma golden wand, l
wad turn the Queens park intill big
| hall covered a owre, an warm. Then
you wad gle yours a whirl, an tables
filled wi a kinds O guild things wad APP
pear. Then you wad gle it anither whirl,
an every puir body an every puir ragged
| driven doom in fine coaches, wi tlunkeys
| behind an set doom in cushioned seats at
the tables. Man, Jamie! Wadnae it be
graund to see them eat!''
'Jist glorious." exclaimed Jamie. "And
we wad haze a kinds o music; bagpipes,
an fddles, an kettle drums an harps
| Man, Tammy, wish we We're jist fairies
for day"
| "Fairies!!' exclaimed Tammy, as he
frightened his wee bit coat around him,
and took another "snifter" from the bake
house grating, fairies are no sac silly as
l. to live in the city. They live amoong the
tic?oers, except sweetie wins, an then their
wings are jist paper
| Hello, young uns," interrupted Jack
at that moment, as he laid a kindly tar
stained hand on each of their shoulders,
why don't We git home; shivering and
chattering in the cold?''
| I'VE dinna hae ony hame," said the
one that was called Tammy.
That's an old tale to me-" laughed
| the sailor. Father and mother dead;
| sleeps at nj ht behind the big pillars at
| the gas works, or in barrel down at the
! type foundry. Now, tell me the truth"
And good-humored smile broadened the
bronzel honest face, that looked down
with kindly eyes on the wee dirt streaked
| features Of the gutterbloods.
LAS shalr as daith," spake up the wee
spokesman. Am telling We the truth.
But hoo haze We ken we sleep doom at the
gas works? But ma fathers nae dead.
He ran away and left ma mither an
| she went away to find him when l was a
wee mite, so Betty, the apple woman,
| told me. But Jamie's father and mither
are bath dead. Amt they, ,Jamie?"
And Jamie nodded while his wee cen
! filled with tears.
Then you're not brOthers?'
'Na," said Tammy, but we're chums."
| And he threw his arm around Jamie's
! neck.
''Then,' and Jack grasped hold of lit
! tie dirty hand in each of his own, Take
| if we don't have rafting, jolly good
| time this New Years. Let me think. We
must all get rugged alike. So first let us
| go where we can get sailor suit apiece
| for you lads"
Up the North bridge the threesome
went. the two little waits, too sur
prised to say anything, up till they
came to "B. Hyams, the great ready
made shop, picking out nice little
shirts, shoes. stockings. even to cap,
with "Dauntless' on its band, the
same name as shone in silver let
| ters on his own, with bowie knife
and rope Getting the shopkeeper to
| tie each suit up separately, he gave
each boy his own, and away they
went over to the Royal baths.
in the direction of the "Heave AVA
Lads tavern, nobody would have
taken them for the two gutterbloods
that stood shivering and chattering
with the cold over an hour before at
| Littlejohn's window.
Jack said, as they entered the tav-
ern, ale was hungry enough to eat n
| walrus." But his hunger seemed in
| the enjoyment he felt in watching the
| two little limitations of himself: poor
little fellows, they never saw such Il
meal before. or so many good things,
unless thro' plate glass, and Jack
ordered supper as only big-hearted
sailor can, and they ate as-gut-
| terbloods, or to use Jacks expression,
Like a couple of shipwrecked sail
| ors."
After supper, as it was getting
late, and jovial groups turned their
steps iowa rds the Iron kirk, to await
the chap o twelve, when they would
klink bottles, then dispense to first
foot some either freend,' Jack
| hunted up a lodging house. where
in nice. clean beds, the threesome
s1art t;11 n,orD;,,r Ar1oo.,