New-York tribune., 1901-05-26
ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES
THE STORY OF AN EAST SIDE SHOE
STRING SELLER.

Il
eyed child and pretty. but that does not serve
to identify children even in the Isowery. where
the type of the Juvenile merchant is compare
lively common. 1t her clothes which gave
her the greatest distinction. Her dress had
once been ambitious, for remnants of close
clipped rufll"S rcepcd out of the seams but the
Iay of its respectabty was long past She
was n very very ragged little girl, and little
girls so ragged are uncommon, even in lower
NewYor. Five six great rents in the dress
dehed earning, would have dcfied it had any
attempt been made to gather together the
gaping wounds. The dirt of the street was in
cIuSted over the original brown of the cloth
and made 4 combination which would have
been as attractive to the artist as alarming to
the sanitarian Under the skirt of this garment
appeared two long thin legs. cncased in stock
inss many sizes too large for them. These ter
minated in a pair of boots unsuitable in size
snd otherwise for they were evidently the cast
off property of an able bodied boy, many years
her senior. Tho little girl did not seem troubled
10y feminine vanity. The serious business Of
life demanded her attention and necessity urged
her forward regardless of slipping feet to dis
pose of her wares before night
'ShoeStrinGs. SIR The face she turned was
bright enough. the skin clear olive and the
hair n rich brown: but il was nothing short of
startling for all that. Mature enough for TWEEN
ty, yet, like n hunted animal. it suggested
tragedy An inquiry To her age accompanied
the purchase of shoestrings
Ten years old. sir" the answer
And you go to school of course This to
make her talk while longer before starting,
of again on her rounds.
NO sir. | used to go till two months ago
but the teacher says my dress is too ragged"
The child seemed frightened by the question
ana mindful OF >the foreigners fear of truant
officers and the Gerry society. il occurred to tn
seeker after information to lead the child into
a restaurant where he was known and his re-
liability could be vouched for. This done 10y
the genial proprietor. " no seemed To- know. tn.
child well, the questioning resumed
You have father and mother, haven't
you?'
My fathers dead. He died two months ago"
Food, the familiar room. the kindly face of
her friend the proprietor and the evident sym
l.&thy of her qucstIoncr began TO loosen the
chiid's tongue. She volunteered 4 few details
Il came home from pcddng one day ard h-
was lying the bed, and when spoA.. e. him
he couldn't answer So they tool. him tho
hospital and he died And they never told VS.
when he buried l never knew She in
sisted, when they buried my father" a sense
OF wrong seemed to fill her young soul. hut sh,
made effort to be just. My mother. she
was sick. They must have thought il would
frghten her. She sick long time my
mother
The scared blue eyes bright with intclli-
Gencc and the mouth curved into smiles readily
enough when the dread Of an agent in
disguise Was removed ana she became convinced
that her listener WAS friendly and syupathcti,
She felt her wrongs but she did not whine
about them Having to leave school struck her
the worst Of the suffering she had all an
immigrants ambition to rise in the world by
means of education. IF don't go TO school
I'll forget all | know. and in the second
primary, too. she explained One wondered at
the teacher who had chosen to send the child
away rather than take the small trouble OF
asking among her friends for "A decent dress:
but there no doubt that the child's present
condition little much for even the
democratic atmosphere of public school Il
amt got no other dress, and how could / help
it?" she not unnaturally complained. As to
baths, they cost 10 cents; and 10 cents meant
more than days food.
Il buy my shocstrines for 10 cents" she vol
unteered. and sol" them for T.. / sell almost
all in one afternoon: but sometimes take some
home. 1 used to pcddIc on tn Bowery but they
don't buy no shoestrings there. Not one used
to sell lady that lives in house she gave
me these boots. 40, sir. they don't hurt me. /
'cept the nails OH there's lots OF nails in ..
The gentleman that keeps this T. he bought /