New-York tribune., 1901-08-25
4 WINDOW IN NEW YORK.
WHAT IT REVEALS OF A QUIET STREET,
ON THE BORDERLAND BETWEEN
OPULENCE AND POVERTY.

lined with them? What excitement can a foot
in livery create when there is more than
a block? on the other hand. it is not
We'll to live amid the very poor. for there ugll-
crushes out most of the romance of life
In medic tutssimus ibis" said the Sun god
to Phaeton when he carelessly let that young
man drive his chariot for him-the golden mean
is best Life is most interesting in a quiet
street beautiful in itself on the borderland
between wealth and poverty. There are few
such streets in this city. more perhaps than in
most large towns for the lines are not drawn
hard and fast in New-York. Once under the
charm of such a neighborhOod the victim IS
fixed there, not unhappily for life, but unui
the street has changed. for it is always chang
ing for better or for
From the window of a house in such spot
o.e see every phase of life On the next
bock great carriage stands every afternoon.
a~d footman. who nutters the hearts OF the
working girls on their way home two streets
further down. assists woman to enter il at
4 o'clock every afternoon and to alsht exactly
ct 6 o'clock. She is a very old woman. She
wears a coal scuttle bonnet with a wreath of
f )wers over The brim. and white stockings arc
slippers Her dress is the dress e years ago,
but she it with dignity which Keeps
the girls from smiling ven at the stockings. she
belongs To the old aristocracy, that will not move
from the street because they love Il. They can
not keep up the dignity of the old place much
longer. but they die fighting for it. Like the
O.d Guard. they never surrender. There are
few OF the old Woman's contemporaries left row.
a.d real estate Spectators are Waiting for their
final journey from their stately homes to tear
the walls down and put up apartment houses.
IN front Of the house on the kindly asphalt
the chill !sen of the neighboriug tenemeats Hay.
They watch the old woman taking her cally
drive and star. "urpusly At ,he dainty Irand-
caldr,n tor re thcy great -grandchildrenb VINO
come To visit her occasionally There are T."
children in the grand houses. Their little oa"s
grew up years ago and said =podhy To Tho de-
cl.aing street and took unto themselves house
Uptown But there. a roa ily nu;n"rr ~
children among the upper class poor who ara
pushing their way ln. waiting their oAA1c" t'
ssize tn whole n-ighborho"d.
The tenement house children trat-rulke IN TIE
fr!endn,st manner With heir ,v-e'thi-r re.rh-
b3fs The children have two clubs ,.hi,h J 'ay
at baseball IN cheerful. defiance of thu las.
TIE sons Of the moderately ~-u to DO wear
caps hearing the letters y. A." which. being
interpreted. mean Young Americans. The
tenement children have no caps and i-w pairs
OF shoes among them. 50 people who look on
call them the RagamufIin club. They lively
youths. and can beat the Young Americans
of hand at any time.
The Rugamuffn Club is fri-ndly-inuch more
so than the Young Americans. once captiVate
tn fancy Of a Ragamuflin and you hatc the
whole gang at your heels. toSeth r with their
little sisters Each on Will say "Hullo' - YOU
as you appear the scene ard to each must Toe
given a return "fIullo." New faces appear and
their owners introduce Themselves To- any one
who seems to belong To the initiated. You
know Harry will say he newcomer. Yes
you viii answer, Il know Harry We'll. my
names George ana the introduction is com
pete. Henceforth "Hullos' must be- exchanged
with George. The smallest Ragamuiiin. y no is
MT a club member, being a Sir and very lit
IT, one, is the sister of the captain of the team.
II she likes you she will walk far the
biz white house with you. not say ins any thing.
but just bens friendly.
1t was on such occasion that the great
event of the street happened. Molly, the small
est RagamufIin. wandered far the big
house with her special ficaI. The special
friend. by the way, had done nothing 10 justify
thu childs devotion. Molly haa need Of = spe-
cial friend, and the choice might wcH fall
undeseying mortal as another. Con
trary to custom Molly ling .red to IOol, at the
horses. instead of returning the sheltering
baseball bat of her brother. While sha waited
the old woman came down the steps. Molly
more Interested than skr had ever been be-
fore. Was she so very. very sick. the Io0r