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diff --git a/45684.txt b/45684.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c8832be..0000000 --- a/45684.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7084 +0,0 @@ - MY MAMIE ROSE - - - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - - -Title: My Mamie Rose - The Story of My Regeneration -Author: Owen Kildare -Release Date: May 29, 2014 [EBook #45684] -Language: English -Character set encoding: US-ASCII - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MY MAMIE ROSE *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines. - - - - -[Illustration: Owen Kildare.] - - - - - My Mamie Rose - - _The Story of My - Regeneration_ - - - _By_ OWEN KILDARE - - - - _An Autobiography_ - - - - New York - GROSSET & DUNLAP - PUBLISHERS - - - - - Copyright, 1903, by THE BAKER & TAYLOR COMPANY - - _Published, October, 1903_ - - - - - To - L. B. R. - - - - - *CONTENTS.* - - -Chapter - - I. The Kid of the Tenement - II. A Pair of Shoes - III. A Nomad of the Streets - IV. Living by My Muscle - V. Living by My Wits - VI. At the Sign of Chicory Hall - VII. My Good Old Pal - VIII. Knights Errant - IX. A Player of Many Parts - X. Bowery Politics - XI. A Pilgrimage to Nature - XII. The Frontier of the Newer Life - XIII. The Beginning of the Miracle - XIV. The Old Doors Close - XV. A Kindergarten of One - XVI. Ambassador Bill - XVII. My Debut in Society - XVIII. The Journey Home - XIX. The Inheritance - - - - - *ILLUSTRATIONS.* - - -Owen Kildare . . . . . . . . . _Frontispiece_ - -Map of Bowery District - -Mr. Kildare's Birthplace on Catharine Street - -Bill - -A Typical Group at Barney Flynn's Side-Door - -Mike Callahan's Saloon - - - - - *THE KID OF THE TENEMENT.* - - -[Illustration: Map of the Bowery District] - - - MAP OF THE BOWERY DISTRICT. - - -The map on the left shows how small a fraction of Manhattan Island (only -a small part of New York City in itself) this world-famous district is. -In this small section, called by Mr. Kildare "The Highway of the -Foolish," he was born and lived, until he was thirty. Rarely did he -leave it. In fact, he states that a large percentage of the people who -are born here go through life with the very vaguest ideas of the world -beyond--many living and dying without ever having passed north of 14th -Street and West of Broadway. It is a strange world of strange people -who live only from day to day and unto their daily needs. - - - - - *MY MAMIE ROSE.* - - - - *CHAPTER I.* - - *THE KID OF THE TENEMENT.* - - -Many men have told the stories of their lives. I shall tell you mine. -Not because I, as they, have done great and important things, but -because of the miracle which transformed me. - -If lives may be measured by progress mine may have some interest to you. -When a man at thirty cannot read or write the simplest sentence, and -then eight years later is able to earn his living by his pen, his story -may be worth the telling. - -Before beginning, however, the recital of how I found my ambition -awakened, let me make my position unmistakably definite. I am not a -self-made man, having only contributed a mite in the making. A -self-made man can turn around to the road traveled by him and can point -with pride to the monuments of his achievements. I cannot do that. I -have no record of great deeds accomplished. I am a man, reborn and -remade from an unfortunate moral condition into a life in which every -atom has but the one message, "Strive, struggle and believe," and I -would be the sneakiest hypocrite were I to deny that I feel within me a -satisfaction at being able to respond to the call with all the possible -energy of soul and body. I have little use for a man who cloaks his -ability with mock modesty. A man's conscience is the best barometer of -his ability, and he who will pretend a disbelief in his ability is -either untruthful or has an ulterior motif. - -In spite of having, as yet, accomplished little, I have confidence in -myself and my ability, because my aims are distinctly reasonable. I -regret that in my story the first person singular will be so much in -evidence, but it cannot be otherwise. Each fact, each incident -mentioned, has been lived by me; the disgrace and the glory, the misery -and the happiness, are all part of my life, and I cannot separate them -from myself. I know you will not disbelieve me, and I am willing to be -confronted by your criticism, which, for obvious reasons, will not be -directed against my diction, elegance of style and literary quality. I -am not an author. I only have a story to tell and all the rest remains -with you. - -There was nothing remarkable about my early childhood. Most of the boys -of the tenements are having or have had the same experience. - -The home which sheltered my foster parents (my own father and mother -died in my infancy, as I will tell you later) and myself consisted of -two rooms. The rental was six dollars a month. Located on the top floor -of an old-style tenement house in Catharine street, our home was lighted -and ventilated by one small window, which looked out into a network of -wash-lines running from the windows to tall poles placed in the corners -of the yard. By craning your neck out of the window you could look into -the yard, six stories below, and discover the causes of the stenches -which rose with might to your nostrils. - -The "front room" was kitchen, dining-room, living room and my bedroom -all in one. Beside the cooking range in winter and beside the open -window in summer was the old soap box on its unevenly curved supports, -which, as my cradle, bumped me into childhood. - -As may be surmised, both of my foster parents were Irish. My father, a -'longshoreman, enjoyed a reputation of great popularity in the Fourth -Ward, at that time an intensely Irish district of the city. Popularity -in the Fourth Ward meant a great circle of convivial companions and a -fair credit with the ginmill keepers. His earnings would have been -considerable had he been a persistent worker. But men of popularity -cannot afford to be constantly at work. It would perhaps fill their -pocketbooks, but decrease their popularity. These periods of -conviviality, hilarious intervals to my father, were most depressing to -my mother. - -Life in tenements is a particularly busy one of its kind. When all -efforts are directed toward the one end of providing the wherewithal for -food and rent, each meal and each rent day is an epoch-making event. - -As soon as one month's rent is paid, each succeeding day has its own -thoughts of dread "against next rent day." The thrifty housekeeper lays -aside a share of her daily allowance--increasing it during the last week -of the month--until, with a sigh of relief, she can say, "Thank God, we -got it this time." - -I firmly believe that a great share of the dread is created by the -aversion to a personal meeting with the rent collector or agent. People -who have to measure the size of their meals by the length of their -purses are very apt to become a trifle unsteady in their ethics -concerning financial questions. They are willing to pay their grocer or -butcher, but lose sight of the fact that the rent money is the payment -for the most important purchase, the securing of their home. They are -friendly with the shopkeeper, are often "jollied" by him into spending -money otherwise needed, but regard the rent collector as their personal -enemy. - -There are many rent collectors, and, as in all greater numbers, quite a -few are justly criticised for their manner. Many tenements are owned by -men, who, though the owners, are only on a slightly different scale -socially from their tenants. They are men, who, by great shrewdness or -some fortunate chance, accumulated enough to make a real estate -investment in their own ward. Naturally, they being familiar with the -circumstances of their tenants and having a remnant of neighborly -feeling for them, are more easily influenced. - -Many blocks of tenements were then and are now owned by large estates. -The management of these buildings is entrusted to real estate agents, -who receive a commission on their collections, or to salaried -representatives, who owe their position to the faculty of keeping rents -up and keeping repairs down. These are the men who are hated by the -poor. - -It is said corporations have no souls, why then should a large estate, -surely a corporation, have one? And there must be a soul to understand, -to feel the woe, the pleading that comes to it in halting, sob-broken -speech. How, then, is one whose feeling is long ago calloused by the -repetition of these tales of misery, to be stirred to more than a sneer -by another variation of the old, old wail: "Have pity on us this once, -we are so poor, so ill, so miserable." - -Here the poor could be reproached for shiftlessness in household -matters, for not practising sufficiently the principles of economy. The -reproach would be perfectly justified and would touch one of the most -potent causes for the existing conditions among the poor. No one lives -more lavishly and knows less how to save than the poor. Their expense -account is not based on a sanitary or monetary basis, but shapes itself -according to temporary income. - -"Plenty of money in the house" and rent day far in the distance, and -many families will absolutely gorge themselves at table with food and -drink, only to return on perhaps the very next day to tea and dry bread. - -For this reason no social movements on the East Side are worthier of -hearty support than those carried on to teach children, and especially -girls, "How to keep house." Teach them how to keep house, and they will -make homes. - -If rent days are the fearful anticipations of tenement house life, meals -and their preparation are the pleasurable anticipations of it. At -morning, noon and evening the smells of cooking and frying waft from the -open doors of the apartments into the halls. The doors are open for two -reasons--for ventilation and to "show" the neighbors that more than the -tea kettle is bubbling away on the range. Behind the closed doors there -is no feast, just the tea and the bread and scheming how to explain this -unwelcome fact to the neighbors. - -My mother found her best hold on her husband's affections by catering to -his appetite, which was one of the marvels of the neighborhood. When -working he was very exacting in the choice and preparation of his food; -so, when idle his wife would strive still harder to cheer him into -better humor by culinary feats. - -Besides this promiscuous cooking, there were mending, washing, darning -and other housework to be looked after, and little time was left for -sentiment toward me beyond an occasional affectionate pat on the head. - -Now, take the mind, the heart of a child, and then consider the -influence of such a barren existence on it. A child can do without -coddling--yes, most boys do not, or pretend not to like it--but a -child's heart, sensitive as no other, hungers for a wealth of affection. - -The child, a little ape, finding no outlet for his willing response to -affection, seeks a field of mental activity in imitating the adults -about him. And the models and patterns in tenement spheres are not -those a child should imitate. All conditions there are primitive. To -eat, drink, sleep and be clothed are the aims of life there, leaving but -a small margin for emotions. - -The forms of expression are also primitive and accepted. The worthy -housewife, who, in a moment of anger at her husband's mellow state, -should vent her feelings in an outburst of more emphatic than polite -language, will not lose caste thereby, but will be told by sympathetic -fellow-sufferers that "She did just right." - -Among the men it is considered an indication of effeminacy or dudeism to -utter one sentence without profanity. To be deemed manly one must curse -and swear. Even terms of endearment are prefaced with an -unintentionally opposite preamble. - -[Illustration: Owen Kildare's Birthplace in Catharine St. The Star marks -the window of the Kildare Tenement.] - -There, not yet mentioning the other detrimental defects of environment, -the child grows up, and then, when in the manhood days this foundation, -faulty and vicious, breaks and crumbles to pieces and leaves naught but -a being condemned by society and law, and seemingly by God, there is an -army ready to pelt this creature, cursed by its own existence, with law, -justice and punishment, but not with one iota of the spirit which even -now, in our matter-of-fact days, echoes the grandest message, "He is thy -brother." - -Such was the setting of the stage on which the drama of my childhood -began. The part I played in it was not very interesting. - -An adult man or woman can do with a minimum of space, but a child must -have much of it. To romp and play and scheme some mischief requires lots -of room, and there being not an inch of room to spare in tenement -apartments, the children in summer and winter claim the street as their -very own realm. - -It is bad that it is so, for there is much in the street which is of -physical and moral danger to the child. Hardly a day passes without -having a boy or girl hurt by some passing vehicle. It is almost -impossible to guard against these accidents. The drivers are careful. -No one can make me believe that these men would wantonly drive into a -swarm of playing children, but there are so many, so many. - -Convince yourself of this. You need not have to travel very far. Take -any street, east or west of the Bowery, and the young generation, -crowding before your very feet or jostling against you in innocent play, -will tell you more effectively than my pen could of what the real need -of the East Side is. - -But then parks and play grounds do not bring rentals; tenement houses -do, and, further, even the child-life of those districts is dependent on -the whims of our patriotic ward politicians. - -Among the very poor--and my parents were of that class--it is the custom -to send out the children to pick up wood and coal for the fire. My -mother, being constantly engaged in looking after the welfare of my -father, had not very much time to spare on me, and I grew up very much -by myself. - -Even before it had become my duty to "go out for coal," I loved to take -my basket and make my way to the river front to pick up bits of coal -dropped in unloading from the canal boats or by too generously filled -carts. - -Among my playmates I held a very unimportant position, being neither -very popular nor unpopular. I did not mind this much, as I felt, -instinctively, that something was wrong and that I was not on a level -footing with them. It is impossible for me to explain why I felt so at -the time, but I can distinctly remember that quite often I felt myself -entirely isolated. - -No one minded me or censured me for my long absences from home, provided -my basket was fairly well filled with coal. Then spells of envy often -came to me. I envied the caresses given by mothers to their sons and, -yes, I also envied the cuffs given to them for having spent too much -time at the retail coal business. - -I reasoned so then and I reason so now, that behind every whipping given -to a child a father's or mother's love and justice is hidden. But even -parental chastisement was denied me--a fact for which, according to -popular opinion, I should have been thankful. - -In this way I lived the dull life of a tenement house child, made more -dull in my case by the lack of a certain inexplicable something in my -relations to my parents and in my home conditions. I missed something, -yet could not tell what it was. - -It can hardly be termed a hidden sorrow, but make a boy ponder and worry -about something, for which no explanation is vouchsafed to him, and he -will get himself into a mental state not at all healthy for his years. - -Close to the cooking range was an old box used as a receptacle for wood -and coal. There was my seat, and from there I watched the little -domestic comedies and tragedies played before me with my father and -mother as chief actors. - -My father's popularity made our home the calling place for many -visitors. At these visits the most frequently used utensil was the -"can," or "growler," and the functions usually assumed the character of -an "ink pot." Several houses in the ward had well proven reputations as -"mixed ale camps," meaning thereby places where certain cronies could -meet nightly and "rush the growler" as long as the money lasted. If the -friends were more than usually plentiful, the whisky bottle, called -always the "bottle," besides the "can," was kept well filled, producing -a continuation of effects, sometimes running to fighting; at other times -running to maudlin sentimentality. These occasions--no one knows -why--are called "ink pots." - -My father's house was in a fair way to become listed among the well -established "mixed ale camps." In those days no law had yet been passed -making the selling of "pints" of beer to minors a punishable offense, -and children of both sexes were employed until late in the night, when -the bar-rooms were crowded with drunken and boisterous men, to "rush the -growler" for their seniors at home. The children did not object to it, -as a few pennies were always given to them for the errand. - -I, also, had to make these journeys to the nearest saloon, and, also, -did not mind it for the above mentioned reason. Sometimes, after -returning from my trip, a man would ask me to sing him one of the -popular songs of the day, but I would refuse with the diffidence of a -boy. My father never missed these opportunities to inform his friends -that "that brat ain't good for nothing. Don't bother with him." - -I began to dislike my foster father, rather than hate him. More than -once I met his casual glance with a bitter scowl. - - - - - *A PAIR OF SHOES.* - - - - *CHAPTER II.* - - *A PAIR OF SHOES.* - - -It was winter, still. I was running about bare-footed. This was -preferred by me to having my feet shod with the old shoes of my mother. -She had a small foot, yet her old shoes were miles too large for me, and -furthermore, always made me the butt of the jeers and jibes of my -playmates in the street. Therefore, I never wore the cast-off shoes -unless snow or ice was on the ground. - -But whether bare-footed or slouching along in my unwieldy cast-offs, the -comments became so personal that I resolved to ask my father for a pair -of real, new shoes. - -The moment for presenting my petition anent the new shoes was ill -chosen. - -My father was experiencing a period of idleness, and had reached that -intense state of feeling which prompted him to declare with much banging -on the table that "there wasn't an honest day's work to be got no more, -at all, by an honest, decent, laboring man." At the moment my mother -was deeply engaged in the task of mollifying her husband's irascibility -by preparing some marvelous feat of cooking, and was not at liberty to -give me her most essential moral support. - -My request was received in silence. It was an ominous silence, but I -did not realize it. - -I insisted. - -"I want a pair of shoes all to myself, the same as other boys have." - -"Oh, is it shoes you want? New shoes? Shoes that cost money, when -there ain't enough money in the house to get a man a decent meal. I'll -give you shoes; indeed I will." - -Still I insisted. Then that which, perhaps, should have happened to me -long before, was inflicted upon me. I was beaten for the first time, to -be beaten often and often again afterward. - -The whipping roused my temper. From a safe distance I upbraided my -father for punishing me for demanding that which all children have a -right to demand from their parents, to be properly clothed. This incited -his humor; but, after his laugh had ended, he told me in the most direct -and blunt way of my status in the family, and also informed me that if -he felt so disposed he could at any time kick me into the street, where -I, by right, belonged. - -Without mincing his words he told me the story of my parentage. At -least, he told me that I was no better than an orphan, picked from the -gutter, and kept alive by the good nature of himself and his wife. - -It was all true. - -In the days to follow I learned more and more about my parents from the -legendary lore of neighborly gossip. And even he, my foster-father, -could say naught but good about my father and mother, if he did hate -their son. - -No, I should not say he hated me. Patrick McShane had a good heart, but -permitted it too often to be poisoned by the poison of the can and -bottle. - -All I know about my own father is that he was a typical son of the -Emerald Isle. Rollicking, carefree, ever ready with song or story, he -was a universal favorite during his sojourn in the ward where he had -made a home for himself and his wife for the short time from his arrival -in this country until his death. - -A few years ago I had the pleasure of meeting the owner of the building -where our home had been and where I was born. In spite of his old age, -he still remembered my father. - -"Do you know, my boy, your father was a fine man? The same as any man, -who lets nice apartments to tenants, I had to see that rents were -regularly paid, and I always did that without being any too hard on -them. But it was all different with your father. There were a few -times when his rent was either short a few dollars or not there at all, -but before I had the chance to get angry he'd tell me a story or sing me -a ditty, and instead o' being mad I'd leave and forget all about my -rent. Ah, indeed, Owney, boy, a fine man was your father." - -Not much of an eulogy, but much, very much, to me, the son. I have -nothing, no likeness, no photograph, to help my mind's eye see my -parents; and, therefore, any tribute, no matter how trifling, paid to -the memory of my father and mother goes toward perfecting the picture of -them, fashioning in my soul. - -My mother was a French woman, who married my father shortly before -departing for this country from France, where he had gone to study art. -They knew very little of her in the district. All her life seemed to be -centered in her husband, and she was rarely seen out of her own rooms. -The only breathing spells she ever enjoyed were had on the roof--quite -convenient to the top floor, where the home was--and there she would get -a whiff of fresh air, to the accompaniment of one of my dad's songs. - -Why could I not know them? - -Not being amply provided with funds, my parents, shortly after their -arrival in this country, were compelled to take apartments on the top -floor of the tenement house in Catharine street, where I was born. - -My mother died at my birth; my father had preceded her by three months. - -Sad is the fate of a baby orphaned in a tenement house. Each family has -little, and many to subsist on it. - -But I, the orphaned babe, was singularly fortunate. - -Even the lives of the poor are not devoid of romance, and, owing to one, -I found a home. - -Not so very long before my parents made their domicile in the Fourth -Ward, Patrick McShane, one of the most popular and finest looking young -men of the neighborhood, had "gone to the bad." He had neglected his -work to share in the many social festivities--otherwise, "mixed ale -camps"--until his sober moments were very few and far between. - -As soon as his status of confirmed drunkard was established, he was not -as welcome as formerly at the many gatherings. The reason for it was -his irascible temper while under the influence of drink. - -Finding himself partly ostracized, he kept to the water front, spending -his days and nights down there. - -Facing the river is South street. At one of the corners was the gin -mill and legislative annex of a true American patriot and assemblyman. -Always anxious to pose before his constituents as a man whose charity -knew no bounds, this diplomat, this statesman, had given a home to his -niece, the daughter of his deceased brother. Perhaps it was just a -coincidence that, on the same day, on which his niece became a member of -the household the servant girl was discharged. - -At any rate, Mary McNulty found little time to walk the sidewalks of -Catharine street, as was the wont of the belles of the ward. Even would -she have had the time for it, she would not have availed herself of it, -for one very good reason. Mary McNulty was not beautiful. - -During her first few weeks in the neighborhood she had been quickly -christened "wart-face" by the boys on her appearance in the street, and, -while not supersensitive, she determined to forego the pleasure of being -a target for these personal comments. - -Thereafter, she only left the house at nightfall to walk down to the end -of the pier opposite to the gin mill of her uncle. During one of these -nocturnal rambles she met Patrick McShane. He was lying in drunken -stupor on the very edge of the dock, and in danger of losing his -balance. Mary woke him up, lectured him and then gave him money. -Before sending him away, she told him to be there on the following -evening. - -Regular meetings were soon in order, and it was not long before Mary -conceived the idea of reforming Patrick McShane. - -McShane was willing, and, one day the entire ward was startled into -unusual surprise by hearing of the marriage of Patrick McShane and Mary -McNulty. - -To give credit where credit is due, it must be recorded that McShane, -for quite a while, inspired by the devotion of his wife, improved -wonderfully in his habits and walked along the narrow road of sobriety -with nary a stumble. But, after about a year of wedded life, he -permitted himself occasional relapses into the old ways, multiplying -them in time. It is hard to tell if all the hope of his ultimate -reformation died out in the heart of his wife. She became very quiet, -catering more carefully to his creature comforts and never offering any -remonstrance. - -But there must have been a void, a yearning to receive and to give a -little affection, and when "the lady in front"--my mother--died and left -her orphan, Mary McShane would not let it go to the "institution," but -took it into her own humble home. - -And for this dear little woman, whose entire life was one of -self-sacrifice, devotion and humiliation, a prayer goes from me at every -thought of her. - -It can hardly be expected that I, a boy of seven years of age, grasped -the full significance of the information imparted by my foster father. -Only two points appeared very grave to me. Should the fact become known -to my playmates that I was an orphan--not distinguished from a foundling -by them--and that I had sailed, so to speak, under false colors, my fate -would have been one full of persecution and sneering contempt. I -silently prayed and then beseeched my foster mother to keep the matter a -profound secret. - -The other point of importance was that the street, "where I, by right, -belonged," assumed a new aspect. Having had plenty of evidence of the -impulsive spirit which ruled our household, something seemed to tell me -that it was not improbable that the threat of my expulsion would be -fulfilled, and I began to consider my ultimate fate from all sides. - -The bootblacks and newsboys and other young chaps, who were making their -precarious living in the streets, became personages of great interest to -me. I watched their ways, and even found myself calculating their -receipts. It was quite clear to me that, should my foster father drive -me from the house, I should have to resort to some makeshift living in -the streets. - -All this put me in a preoccupied state of mind, which does not sit -naturally on a child. I became more quiet than ever, and, in the -evening, from the wood box behind the cooking range, watched our home -proceedings. Most times they were very noisy, and my quietness seemed -to grate on the ears of him whom I had ceased to call "father," and was -then addressing more formally as "Mr. McShane," which also annoyed him. - -Can you not read here between the lines and understand how a certain -something became more and more stifled within me? Perhaps I was -unreasonable or lacking in gratitude, but I was a child and still -hungered and hungered and longed for that which, as yet, had not come -into my share. - -But if Mr. McShane would not listen to my plea for shoes, my good, dear -"mum" had heard my request and understood the motive of my insistence. -Happily, children's shoes do not involve enormous expenditure, and so, -on a certain eventful day, "mum" went to her savings bank, the -proverbial stocking, took the larger part of it and made me the proud -possessor of a pair of real, new shoes, the first of my life. -Bitterness, sulking and wailing were all forgotten and wiped away as if -by magic, and my feet, in their new casings, seemed to step on golden -rays of sunshine. If I add to this that I had never had a toy of any -kind you will be able to measure my sensation. - -The real, new shoes were not an altogether free gift. It had been -agreed between "mum" and me that I was to pay the equivalent for them by -increased collectibility in the retail coal business. - -The following day saw me starting out for the coal docks with the very -best of intentions. I began to fear that we would not be able to find -room for all the coal I meant to carry home that day. Tons of coal began -to heap themselves in my vision, until, perchance, my eyes fell on the -real, new shoes. - -It became my unavoidable duty to let my footgear be seen. - -Many detours were made, and so much time was wasted in exhibiting my -shoes to the thrilling envy of my comrades that the accumulation of coal -suffered in consequence. The awakening from my dream of glory came with -the end of the day, when it required all my remaining buoyant spirits to -nerve me for my reception at home. - -The coal basket was dreadfully light. - -My home coming was very ill-timed. Mr. McShane was in the throes of -another idle period, which did not preclude credit at the neighboring -saloons. Had there been "company" I might have been able to escape his -wrath, but, having sat there all alone--that is, without male -companionship--and his wife never daring to reply to his sarcastic -flings, I was just the red rag for the bull. - -"Ah, and so you're home at last? Mary, have you no hot supper ready for -this young gentleman, after him being hungry from working so hard at -getting about ten pieces of coal? Oh, and new shoes are we wearing now, -ain't that nice!" Then, with a quick change of tone and manner, "Come -here, you brat, come here to me!" - -"Leave the boy alone, Pat!" interposed "mum," but I knew, as she did, -that it was futile. - -I have no difficulty in remembering it all. In a dull, heavy way I felt -that the crisis had come. - -At the ending of the scene, my shoes, my real, new shoes, were torn from -my feet. Everything within me rebelled against that. Life without -those shoes was not worth living, and I stormed myself into a frenzy, -which did not leave me until I found myself, propelled by a swift leg -movement, on the floor of the dark hallway--minus my shoes. - -The long expected had come. I had thought myself prepared for this -moment, yet found myself stunned and bewildered. What was I to do? The -street "where I belonged" now seemed to belong to me, but I did not look -quite as stoically as before at the prospect before me. - -"Besides, how can I go out without shoes?" I reasoned, forgetting the -fact that, only quite recently, shoes had become necessities to me. - -But the truth was--and will you blame me?--that from the crack at the -bottom of the door came a tiny streak of light, which told a vivid tale -of all I was in danger of forfeiting. How often I had growled at my -fate; now, behind that door, lay a paradise. - -I crouched there in the dark corner of the stairs leading to the roof. -How long I shivered there I do not know. All my senses were alert and -ready for the slightest alarm. Once I heard pleading and emphatic -denial within, and then all was still--still for a long while. - -My gaze was fixed on the door. It seemed hours--perhaps it was--before -I heard a slight creaking and saw the reflection of more light on the -hallway floor. It disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, and then -it was dark and quiet again. - -But why was that door opened? Something must have happened. I dragged -myself to the threshold of my lost home, felt around and found--my -shoes, my real, new shoes. And then I tried hard to cry, but could not. -The crust had become too hardened. - -The crisis had come, was passed, and the curtain fell on my childhood. -Ages cannot be measured by years. - - - - - *A NOMAD OF THE STREETS.* - - - - *CHAPTER III.* - - *A NOMAD OF THE STREETS.* - - -Seven years old, I stepped into the street, where, by right, I belonged, -no longer a child, to begin the journey, which, through many years in -the valley, led me to the heights. - -It was a bleak December night. - -Can you not draw yourself the picture of the boy starting on his -way--whither? - -I stood for some time in the doorway. A policeman loomed in the -distance. Boys cannot bear them in day time, how much less at night. -To be "collared" by a "cop" at this hour meant a stay in the station -house and a visit to the police court. I put myself in motion. - -With cap pulled over my ears and hands pushed into my pockets, I started -in the direction of the Bowery and Chatham Street, now called Park Row. -I halted under a lamp-post to determine on my course. - -"Uptown" was an entirely unknown region to me. "Downtown" was not much -more familiar, but, somehow, I knew that that was the place where all -the newsboys came from. - -I turned to the left and walked and ran--the night was bitterly -cold--down Chatham street until I came within view of the City Hall. So -far I had been once or twice before on some adventurous trip, but not -beyond that. Though I did not realize it at the time, I stood on my -jumping-off place, ready to jump into the unknown. - -I paused for a while, looking into the darkness before me. In those -days, before the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge, City Hall Square was -not as brilliantly lighted as now. I stood there until the biting cold -made me move on. - -My eyes were watery from the meeting blasts, and, stumbling on, I almost -fell on top of a layer of diminutive humanity. Before I had time to -draw my stiffened hands from the pockets to wipe my eyes, I felt a -welcome sensation of warmth, thick, intense, damp, ink-permeated warmth. - -The warm current came from the grating over the pressroom of a -newspaper. This open-air radiator only measured a few feet, yet, at -least, fifteen boys were hugging it as closely as their mothers' -breasts. The iron frame was entirely invisible, and my share of warmth -coming from it was very trifling. But, even so, only a few minutes of -this straggling cheer was afforded to me. - -Just as some of the numbness began to thaw out of my limbs, the -cry--ever and ever familiar to the newsboy--"Cheese it, the cop!" rang -out, and, like a horde of frightened sprites, the boys scampered away, I -bringing up the rear. - -We raced around the corner into Frankfort street and stopped in a dark -hallway, which seemed to be the headquarters of this particular crowd. -It was not warm in there, but, at any rate, it was a shelter against the -cutting gusts of night winds, playing their stormy games of -"hide-and-seek" around the blocks facing Park Row. - -Following the example of the others, I cuddled up in a corner, and tried -to forget my troubles in sleep. Just dozing, preliminary to falling -into sounder sleep, I was suddenly and swiftly aroused by a grasp and a -kick, and informed that I had usurped a corner "beeslonging" to a -habitue of this dismal hostelry. - -I had yet to learn that a newsboy will claim everything in sight, to -relinquish it only by defeat in fight, and meekly submitted to my -dispossession. The late comer took a bundle of newspapers from under his -arm and carefully proceeded to prepare his bed. First, he spread a -number of sheets on the floor; then built a pillow from the major part, -and, at last, proceeded to cover himself with the remaining papers. - -The light was dim, still, it was enough to show him my discomfiture. - -"Say," he addressed me, "what's the matter, ain't you got no place to -sleep? I'll tell you what I'll do. If you don't kick in your sleep, -I'll let you lie down longside o' me." Then, as an afterthought, "It'll -keep me warmer, anyhow." - -Most emphatically and impressively did I assure him that my sleep was -absolutely motionless, and from that night dated a partnership and -friendship which lasted for many years. - -In later years I have often wondered why I and all the other boys who -comprised the newspaper-selling fraternity of that day always landed in -Park Row, and in the midst of the future colleagues? It seemed to be a -well defined destiny. Behind the coming of each new recruit was the -little tragedy, which had made the leading actor therein a stray waif of -the streets. And, no matter where the tragedy had happened, whether in -Harlem or in the First Ward, the district along and above the Battery, -they all found their way to Park Row. - -The life of the newsboy is full of action. His personal struggle and -business is so absorbing that he has no time for useless speculation. -The advent of a newcomer is not signalized by a very warm reception. He -is neither hampered by professional jealousy or suffered by tolerance. -The field is open to all, and it rests with the boy how he will fare. -However, in spite of this almost essential selfishness, impulsive -outbursts of good nature are a characteristic of this most emotional -creature, the newsboy. My apprenticeship in the fraternity owed its -beginning to one of these spontaneous outbursts. - -It was quite early when, chilled to the marrow, I awoke in the drafty -hallway. My new and independent existence was begun with my first great -sorrow. Here the temptation is very strong upon me to tell you that -remorse, anguish and despair were racking my soul; that it was -homesickness or a great longing for all I had left behind me. But -putting this temptation behind me, I must confess that my sorrow was of -the most material kind. I missed my coffee. - -Across the street was Hitchcock's coffee and cake saloon. Through the -shivery morning air, every time a patron entered or left the place, a -cloud of greasy, spicy aromas came wafting to the frozen little troupe -leaving their dreary abiding place. My future colleagues had so often -had this torture inflicted on them that, now, with just an envious -sniff, they could bear it with stoical fortitude. I, still a weakling, -stopped, as if transfixed, inhaled the perfumed currents and most -solemnly swore that, with my very first money, I would buy the entire -stock; yes, even the entire coffee and cake saloon. - -Alas, Hitchcock's is still doing business. - -The next question presenting itself was, how was I to get the "first" -money? - -Newsboys work and play in cliques. The particular gang, with which I -had thrown my lot, had its rendezvous in Theatre Alley. It was the -assembling and meeting place for all the members, those who had slept in -"regular" beds and those who had "carried the banner"[#] in the -Frankfort street hallway. This distinction did by no means establish -two different social strata among us. Fate was so uncertain that the -aristocrat of the night before, who had rested his weary limbs on a -"regular" bed, was very apt to fight on the following night for the -possession of the corner in the hallway, which "beeslonged" to him. - - -[#] To spend the night without a bed. - - -Beyond giving me a scrutinizing look, none of the boys took heed of me, -and did not object to my following them. Arrived in Theatre Alley, we -met the leader of the gang, who had the proud distinction of being about -the only one who had a "home to go to" whenever he felt like doing so. -The same qualities, which, since then, have made him a leader in -politics and have led him to membership in legislative bodies, were even -in that day in evidence. - -In parenthesis let me say that I am not blessed with personal beauty. -Add to this that my appearance presented itself rather grotesquely and -disheveled on that eventful morning, and you will understand why the -leader's searching eye singled me out from the rest. - -"Are you a new one?" he asked me. - -I answered in the affirmative. - -"Going to sell papers?" - -Again the affirmative. - -"Got any money?" - -Now a convincing negative. - -Then, as now, our leader was sparing in the use of words. At the end of -our brief interview, I was "staked" to a nickel to buy my first stock of -papers, and those who know Tim Sullivan will also know that I was not -the first or the last to get "staked" by the Bowery statesman. - -He not only furnished my working capital, but also taught me a few -tricks of the trade and advised me to invest my five pennies in just -one, the best selling paper of the period. - -So, in less than twelve hours after leaving what had been for several -years my home, I was fully installed as a vendor of newspapers. - -Then began the usual existence of "newsies," eating and "sleeping" when -lucky, and "pulling through somehow" when unlucky. I stuck to that -business for over ten years. - -The life of the streets did not at all disagree with me. My childhood -had been full of bitterness, childish bitterness, and I had a dull -longing to make the world at large feel my revenge for having dealt so -unkindly with me. Whatever good traits there had been in me were -quickly and willingly transformed into viciousness. This helped me to -become a leading member of our gang of boys. - -Among us there was none so absolutely orphaned as myself. Those who -were orphans had, at least, their memories. I did not even have them. - -In odd, emotional moments, one or another would let his thoughts stray -back to some still loved and revered father or mother, or would confess -to having crept up to his former home, at some safe time, to have a peep -at forfeited comforts. I welcomed these references and day dreams of my -colleagues, but solely because they were utilized by me as pretenses for -inflicting my brutality on those who had uttered them. - -There is a question, a number of questions, to be asked here. Why did I -do this? Was it because I was naturally vicious, or because I wanted to -stifle a certain gnawing in my heart by my ferociousness? A strange -reasoning, the last, perhaps; but in years I was still a child, and if a -child has but little in his life to love, and that little is taken out -of his life, that child can turn into a veritable little demon. Those, -whom I had believed my parents, turned out to be nothing more than -charitably inclined strangers; that what I had believed to be my home, -proved but a refuge, and my boyish logic saw in this sufficient cause to -envy those, who had all this behind them and to give vent to this envy -in the most ferocious manner. - -That was the tenor of my life as a newsboy. I had enough callousness to -bear all the hardships without a murmur. One ambition took possession -of me. I wanted to be a power among newsboys. I wanted to be respected -or feared. As I did not care which, I succeeded in the latter at the -expense of the former. The heroes of newsboys are always men who owe -their prominence to physical prowess. I chose as my models the best -known fighters of the day. - -As with all other "business men," there is keen rivalry and competition -among newsboys. The only difference is that, among the boys, the most -primitive and direct way is the most frequent one employed to settle -disputes. Some men, after great sorrows or disappointments, seek -forgetfulness in battle, being entirely indifferent to their ultimate -fate, and they always make good fighters. My position was not -altogether dissimilar from theirs. What little I had known of comfort -and affection was behind me; my mode of life at that time had no -particular attraction for me, and my only ambition was to conquer by -fight, and, therefore, I made a good fighter. - -In all those long years I cannot recall more than one incident which -stirred the softer emotions of my heart. - -A newcomer, a blue-eyed, light-haired little fellow, had come among us, -and was immediately chosen by me as my favorite victim. Certain traces -of refinement were discernible in him and this gave me many -opportunities to hold him up to the ridicule of our choice gang of young -ruffians. I hated him without knowing why. - -One day I saw him standing at the corner of "the Row," offering his -wares with the unprofessional cry: "Please, won't you buy a paper?" - -It was a glorious chance to "plant" a kick on one of his shins, and -thereby to relieve myself of some of my hatred. Stealthily I crept up -behind him, and was on the point of sending my foot on its mission, when -two motherly-looking women stopped to buy a paper from "the cherub." -Wits are quickly sharpened in a life on the streets, and I realized at -once that my intended assault, if witnessed by the two ladies, would -evoke a storm of indignation. - -I immediately changed front, and endeavored to create the impression -that my hasty approach had been occasioned by my desire to sell a paper. - -"Poipers, ladies, poipers," I cried, but was barely noticed. - -The "cherub" claimed all their attention. - -"What a pretty boy!" exclaimed one. "Have you no home, no parents? Too -bad, too bad!" - -All this was noted and registered by me for a future reckoning with the -recipient of so much kindness. - -My heart was shivering with acid bitterness. - -"Never me, never me!" and the misery of many loveless years rang as a -wail in my soul. - -Just as the woman, who had spoken, was about to hand a dime to my -intended scapegoat, her companion happened to turn and see me. - -"Oh, just look at the other poor fellow." - -The exclamation was justified. I was a sight. However, my dilapidated -clothes and scratched face owed their pitiful condition to much -"scrapping" and not to deprivations. - -Again she spoke. - -"Here, poor boy, here is a penny for you." - -With a light pat on my grimy cheek and one of the sunniest smiles ever -shed on me, she was gone before I could realize what had happened. -There, penny in hand, I stood, dreaming and stroking the cheek she had -touched, and asking myself why she had done so. - -Somehow, I felt that, were she to come back, I could just have said to -her: "Say, lady, I ain't got much to give, but I'll give you all me -poipers, and me pennies, and me knife, if you'll only say and do that -over again." - -The "cherub" also was a gainer by this little touch of nature. I forgot -to kick and abuse him that night. - -There was nothing dwarfish about me, and my temperament made me enjoy -the many "scraps" which belong to a street arab's routine. - -Park Row was and is frequented by the lesser lights of the sporting -world. Our boyish fights were not fought in seclusion, but anywhere. -Being a constant participant in these "goes," as I was almost daily -called upon to defend my sounding title of "Newsboy Champion of Park -Row" against new aspirants for the honor, myself and my fighting "work" -soon became familiar to the "sports," who were the most interested of -the spectators. - -I was of large frame, my face was of the bulldog type, my muscles were -strong, my constitution hardened by my outdoor existence in all sorts of -weather, and, without knowing it, my advance in the art of fisticuffs -was eagerly watched, with the hope of discovering in me a new "dark -horse" for the prize ring. - -Among the men who had followed my progress in boxing were such renowned -sports as Steve Brodie, Warren Lewis, "Fatty" Flynn, "Pop" Kaiser and -others of equal prominence. In due time overtures were made to me. I -was properly "tried out" on several third-rate boxers, and said good-by -to the newsboy life to blossom out as a full-fledged pugilist. - -Before long I began to have _higher_ ambitions. It was the day of -smaller purses and more fighting, and I determined to fight often so as -to accumulate money quickly. I had no definite idea why I wanted to -accumulate money with such feverish haste. I had some dim desire _to -wanting_ to have a lot of it, to having the sensation of being the -possessor of a roll of bills, and, this being the only road open to me -toward that goal, I was eager to travel it. - -That was my ambition at the age of seventeen, the age when boys prepare -themselves to be men in the fullest and only sense of the word. My -boyhood, dreary as my childhood, closed behind me without a pang of -regret on my part. I was aspiring according to my lights and my -aspirations spelled nothing more or less than degradation. - - - - - *LIVING BY MY MUSCLE.* - - - - *CHAPTER IV.* - - *LIVING BY MY MUSCLE.* - - -The manly art of self-defense, as practised then, was unhampered by much -law or refinement. Still, with all this license, I was too brutish to -make a successful prizefighter. My sponsor in this sporting life soon -learned that I had a violent temper. - -Time and time again I was matched to fight men who were not physically -my equals, only to be defeated by them. It was useless to endeavor to -impress me with the argument that these fighting matches were merely -business engagements, in the same way as the playing of a part by an -actor. - -I fully understood all that was pointed out to me; would adhere to my -instructions for two, perhaps three, rounds of fighting, then would -forget all, rules, time limits and all else, to "sail in" with most -deadly determination to "do" my opponent at all hazards. - -During my brief career as pugilist I only met one man who was of the -same brutish temperament as myself--Tommy Gibbons, of Pittsburg--and we -fought four encounters. - -Of the same age as myself, Gibbons had earned for himself a well-founded -reputation for viciousness. He had never been defeated in his own state, -and the promoters of this "manly" form of sport were anxious to find a -more vicious brute than he to vanquish him. - -I was chosen for this mission. - -A paper manufacturer, still doing business in New York City, after -seeing me "perform" in trial bouts, was induced to "put up" the -necessary money for my side of the purse, and we were matched to fight -in Pittsburg. - -We "weighed in" at one hundred and forty pounds. - -This, our first encounter, lasted twenty-seven rounds. The "humanity" -of our seconds and backers prevented us from going any further. Our -physical condition was the cause for stirring that "humanity." - -We were smeared with blood, but that alone would not have been -sufficient to terminate the fight. A broken arm, a torn ear, a gash -from eye to lower part of cheek, constituted Tommy Gibbons' principal -injuries. I was damaged to the extent of two broken thumbs and a broken -nose, not mentioning minor disfigurements. But, what of that? Had not -the noble cause of sport derived a new impetus from our performance? -Had not the hearts and aspirations of the "select" crowd of spectators -been moved to higher emotions? - -We had behaved so right manfully, that, at the ringside, we were matched -again for another meeting. In that, after seventeen rounds, I was -declared the winner on a "foul" of Gibbons. - -Again we were matched, this time to fight according to London prize ring -rules--they permitting more latitude for our brutish instincts. It -resulted in a "draw," but not until we had entertained the very flower -of the sporting world for forty-three rounds. - -Not yet satisfied as to which one of us was the greater brute, another -meeting was arranged, and I had the proud distinction of being the -victor in this fight of eleven rounds. - -Poor Tommy Gibbons took his defeat very much to heart. His fistic -prestige was gone, and he went speedily to "the bad." He ended his busy -life at the hands of the hangman, paying therewith the penalty for one -of the most horrible murders ever committed. - -Too bad that such a promising light in the sporting world should meet -with such ignoble end! - -My backer, the paper manufacturer, who did so much, by effort and -expenditure, for the cause of sport, is still on my list of -acquaintances. He is eminently respectable, the father of an adoring -family, the model for striving young men, a pillar of his church, a -power in commercial life, and, withal, an enthusiastic follower of the -Manly Art of Self-Defense, provided the specimen of it is not too tame. - -Apropos of the manly art of self-defense I want to record my individual -opinion that it is a lost art, if it really has ever been an art. In -the knightly art of fencing, skill, artful skill, is necessary and -acquired. Not so in boxing; at least not in that branch of boxing which -is only practised for money. Men who step into the ring for a "finish -fight" are not prompted by the desire of giving a clever exhibition of -boxing. Their only desire--if the fight "is on the level"--is to "put -out" their man somehow, as quickly as possible, and to collect their end -of the purse as promptly as possible. I have seen my quota of fights in -my life time, but never one in which claims of "fouls" were not made. - -Is it not logical to suppose that leading exponents of their art should -be able to give a demonstration of it without resorting to foul means? - -Although I have given "physical culture lessons" of a certain kind I -have but little knowledge of how boxing lessons are conducted in -academies and reputable gymnasiums. The popularity of this branch of -athletics indicates that the lessons are conducive to corporal -perfection, and teach men how to use their strength to best advantage -when driven to the point of defense. - -This principle is not observed by "scrappers." They pay less, if any -attention to boxing than to learning tricks of their trade. It is all -very well for sporting writers to speak about Fitzsimmons' and -Sullivan's art, but I am quite sure that one or more efficient tricks is -the real mainspring of many pugilistic reputations. - -The rules of the prize ring are fair and formed to protect men from foul -methods. For that very reason, all the tricks learned--and they are -many and efficient--are, if not absolutely fouls, so near the dividing -line that the margin of distinction is almost nil. - -Through the press of the country we are informed that prizefighters -now-a-days make considerable fortunes. Then they did not, and having a -surprisingly healthy appetite in a healthy body, the fighting profession -sadly delayed the perfect development of my _embonpoint_. - - - - - *LIVING BY MY WITS.* - - - - *CHAPTER V.* - - *LIVING BY MY WITS.* - - -True, my fights with Tommy Gibbons and others had brought me some money, -but the social obligations were so many and the celebrations so frequent -that, after a short time of plenty, I always found myself "dead broke" -and compelled to resort to my "wits" for making a living. - -All Chatham street--now Park Row--and the Bowery teemed with "sporting -houses," which offered opportunities to men of my class. In many of -these places boxing was the real or pretended attraction. - -On an elevated stage from three to six pairs of boxers and wrestlers -furnished nightly entertainment for a roomful of foolish men, -and--more's the pity!--women. The real purpose of these gatherings must -remain nameless here, but this fact we must note, that all of these -"sporting-houses," these hells of blackest iniquity, were run by -so-called statesmen, patriots, politicians, many of them lawmakers, or -else by their figureheads. - -The figureheads were chosen with great carefulness. To become a proxy -owner of a "sporting-house" one had to have a reputation, sufficient to -attract that particularly silly and morbid crowd of _habitues_. Some of -the reputations were made in the prize ring, viz: Frank White, manager -of the Champion's Rest, on the Bowery, two doors north of Houston -street; Billy Madden, Mike Cleary and other "prominent" prizefighters. -A few of them, as Billy Madden and Frank Stevenson, later branched out -as backers of pugilists, policy shops and gambling houses. - -Reputations made in prisons were also accepted as qualifications, and -"Fatty" Flynn, Billy McGlory, Tommy Stevenson, Jimmy Nugent, of -Manhattan Bank robbery fame, and other ex-inmates of jails owed their -wide popularity and money-making capacity to their terms spent behind -the bars. An isolated position of especially luminous glamor was -acceptably filled by the famous Mr. Steve Brodie, the bridge-jumper, and -greatest "fake" and fraud of the period. - -In places where boxing was not the attraction, the vilest passions of -human nature were vainly incited by painted sirens, who, by experience -and compulsion of their employers, had become perfect in their shrewd -wickedness. In front of these "joints"--frequently called "bilking -houses"--glaring posters, picturing the pleasures within, were displayed -in most garish array. - -In addition to these places described, a number of dance-halls, notably -Billy McGlory's Armory Hall, and "Fatty" Flynn's place in Bond street, -completed the boast of the day that New York City was a "wide-open -town," and the "only place in the world fit to live in." - -It was not very difficult for one, accustomed to the environment, to -"make a living" in it by his "wits." - -Any one, not minding a short spell of strenuousness, could always get -from a dollar and a half to two dollars for "donning the mitts" in the -"sporting-houses," where boxing was the special feature. Others, having -neither the training or inclinations to take part in these "set-to's," -officiated as waiters--"beer-slingers"--and found it more remunerative, -if more tedious work. - -It seems to be a distinct trait of people who visit these "dives" and -"joints" to leave their small allowance of intelligence at the door. -Men, who, in their daily occupation, are fairly alert and awake to their -interests, permit themselves to be cheated by the most transparent -devices of the "beer-slingers." - -To give these fellows a bill in payment of drinks is simply inviting -them to experiment on you. Over charging, "palming"--retaining a coin in -the palm of the hand between ball of thumb and fleshy -part--"flim-flamming"--doubling a bill in a number of them, and counting -each end of it as one separate bill--are the most common means of -cheating employed. Whenever any of these tricks failed, the money was -either withheld or taken away by force, and the victim--the -"sucker"--bodily thrown into the streets as a "disorderly person." - -Such were the glories of the "open town." - -Although a recognized factor in the world pugilistic, I was not above -seeking occasional employment in these resorts, and it helped me to -create for myself another reputation. I did not work in these places -for the purpose of study or observation, yet, every night my contempt -for the patrons of these "joints" increased. - -Men, whose names I had heard and mentioned with awe; men, whose -positions and station should have been guarantees of every sterling -quality, came there, not once, but night after night, to enjoy that -seemingly harmless pastime known as "slumming"--to have a "good time." - -A "good time" in the midst of moral and physical filth; a "good time" in -the company of jailbirds, fallen men and women; a "good time" of -grossest selfishness, for, over and over again, I have seen men there -for whose education I would have gladly given years of my life, and who, -by one word of sympathy or encouragement, could have rekindled the dying -flame of hope, of self-respect, in some fellow-being, but that word was -never spoken, because it would have brought discord into the "good -time," and would have jangled the croaking melody chanted by that chorus -of human scum in praise of their host--the "sightseer"--of the evening! - -A glorious sport this "sightseeing," these "good times," when men of -"respectability" and position feast with gloating eyes on all that is -vile and look on the unfortunates of a great city as if they were some -strange beasts, some freaks in human shape. That almost every creature -in these "dives" and "joints" has left behind a niche in the world's -usefulness, or a home, to which his or her daily thoughts stray back, is -not considered by the "sightseer." One does not like unpleasant -reflections when at a circus. - -Vile, very vile, are the men and women who constitute the population of -divedom, but how about the representatives of respectability, who come -among them to spend their "good time" with them? - -Were I at liberty to give the names of men whom I have seen hobnobbing -with the most fearful riff-raff, you would shrug your shoulders and say: -"I cannot believe it of them." Yet, I do not lie. - -There is no need for lying, and there is much corroboration, not the -least being the conscience of those men. - -We want you--you men and women of respectability--to come to these -"dives," but we want you to come for another purpose. Even at this very -moment there is a scope for your efforts in spite of all change of -administration and Christian endeavor has done for that part of the -city. The stamping out of vice is carried on vigorously, but vice is a -proverbially obstinate disease. - -Only a few nights ago I saw a scene in a widely known pest hole, reeking -with stench beyond its very doors, which I can only hint at in -describing it. - -At one of the tables sat a youth, a mere boy, who had been coaxed into -the dirty hole by the persuasion of the wily "barker" at the side door. -The boy seemed from the country, his ruddy complexion and "store -clothes" indicated it. The drink, which he had been forced to buy, was -standing untasted before him. Without being afraid, he kept wide awake -and resented all overtures made to him. But he looked too much like an -easy victim to escape the usual procedure. - -Before he was aware of it, a woman had dropped into the chair on the -other side of the table. At least more than fifty years of age, the -toothless wretch assumed the coquetry of a young girl. - -The gray hair, devoid of comb or ribbon, hung in straggling strands to -her shoulders. The front of her dress was unbuttoned. Still, this -witch of lowest depravity, lulled her Lorelei song, hoping to transfix -the gaze of the boy--young enough perhaps to be her grandson--by the -leer of her bleary eyes. - -I do not dare, and if I dared, could not tell you the horridness of this -scene, yet it was only a detail in the grander spectacle, the "good -time," seen and enjoyed nightly by thousands of the "better" class. - -Forerunners of the eventually coming overthrow of "open" vice made -themselves felt during some of the more important elections and for a -few weeks preceding election day the ukase was sent out by the -mysterious hidden powers: "Lie low for a while." - -These periods of restriction, while not welcome, did not involve great -hardships for us, the "sports" of the Bowery. If the blare of the -wheezy cornet and the thumping of the piano had to be silenced for the -time being, there were other channels in which the services of the men, -who did not care, could be utilized. - -One of the most flourishing industries carried on was the confidence -game in its many guises. - -"Ah, all the 'easy marks' go up to the Tenderloin now," is the cry of -the few remaining Bowery grafters. Then it was different. - -The Bowery was famed from Atlantic to Pacific for what it offered. -Every day a new consignment of lambs unloaded itself on this highway of -the foolish and miserable, to be devoured by the expectant wolves. The -recognized headquarters of the wolves was at the corner of Pell street. - -A few among them were men of some education and refinement, but the most -of them were beetle-browed ruffians, who seemed ill at ease in their -fine raiment, the emblem of their calling. - -To get the stranger's money many means were used. - -Sailors, immigrants, farmers and out-of-town merchants were approached -in most suitable manner, generally by a claim of former -acquaintanceship. To celebrate the renewal of their old friendship it -was necessary to adjoin to the nearby gin-mill. Here, the stranger, the -"refound old friend," would not be permitted to spend one cent of his -money--"dear, no, you're my guest." - -Next move: The two reunited friends--the wolf and the lamb--are joined -by a third--"an old friend o' mine," says the wolf. - -The newcomer sings one of the many variations of the old, old theme. He -has just won a lot of money at a game where no one can lose; or has a -telegram promising beyond a doubt that a certain horse was to win that -day; or has a hundred dollar bill, which he wants to change; or is -broke, and offers his entire outlay of jewelry, watch, studs and rings, -each one flashing with fire-spitting jewels, for a mere bagatelle of -fifty dollars; or offers to bet on some mechanical trick toy in his -possession, trick pocketbook or snuff box, and loses every bet to the -wolf--but not to the lamb; or offers to take both, wolf and lamb, to a -"regular hot joint," hinting at the beautiful sights to be beheld there, -which, in reality, is a "never-lose" gambling device. - -Should the lamb prove impervious to all these temptations, the pleasing -concoction called "knock-out drops" is introduced as most effective -tonic. - -Sometimes there is a slip in the proceedings, and the lamb "tumbles to -the game" before he is shorn. This is entirely against the rules of the -industry, and cannot be permitted without being rebuked. Therefore, the -confidence industry was always willing to draw its apprentices from the -class in which muscularity and brutality were the only qualifications. - -Other industries, now much retrograded, were the "sawdust," "green -goods" and "gold brick" games. All these games were vastly entertaining -to all, and vastly profitable to some. Besides, in their lower stages, -and technically inside of the law, they gave employment to many young -men, who, like me, were unwilling to use their strength in more -honorable occupation, preferring to be the slaves of crooked masters and -schemes. - -Those were not all the ways in which a well-known tough could earn an -honest dollar. To our "hang out," sheltering always a large number of -choice spirits, frequently came messengers calling for a quota for some -expedient mission. We were the "landsknechts" of the day, willing to -serve any master, without inquiring into the ethics of the cause, for -pay. - -Electoral campaigns in this and other cities furnished much employment. -Capt B----, of Hoboken, a notorious "guerrilla" chief, was a frequent -employer. During a heated contest in a small town near Baltimore, he -shipped fifty of us to the scene of strife to "help elect" his patron. -Five "Bowery gents," in rough and ready trim, were stationed near each -doubtful polling place, and, somehow, induced voters, unfriendly to -their master of the moment, to keep away from the ballot boxes. - -Local primaries and conventions, regardless of politics, could never -afford to do without us. To-day we would fight the men, who, to-morrow, -would pay us to turn the tables on our masters of yesterday. - -Still, we were loyal to our temporary bosses. We offered our strength -and brutality in open market. We asked a price, and, if it was paid, we -did our "work" with a faithfulness worthier of a better cause. That -this was so is proven by the fact that not only John Y. McKane, the -"Czar of Coney Island," recruited his police force from among us, but -even reputable concerns, like the Iron Steamboat Company, and others, -engaged men of our class to preserve order and peace at designated -posts. - -A number of railroad companies and detective bureaus, in times of -strikes, invited us to aid them in protecting property and temporary -employees, but, for some reason or other, these offers were never -greedily accepted. - -Among the rest of these unlisted occupations must be mentioned playing -pool and cards. I do not mean the out-and-out experts of these games -hung around to win money from unwary strangers. Quite a number of the -more "straight" saloons on the Bowery did not object to having about the -place a crowd of fellows who were fair players of pool or the games of -cards in vogue. If, by any chance they lost a game, the proprietor -would stand the loss, and, if they proved exceedingly lucky, he would -give them a percentage of the receipts of the game. - -It is rather difficult to enumerate all the different ways in which a -man, who had to live by his "wits," could make a living on the Bowery. -They were many and variegated in their nature. It was a saying of the -day that all a man had to do then was to leave his "hang-out" for an -hour to return with enough money to pay his expenses for the day. - - - - - *AT THE SIGN OF CHICORY HALL.* - - - - *CHAPTER VI.* - - *AT THE SIGN OF CHICORY HALL.* - - -I have several times mentioned "hang-out." Most of these "hang-outs" -were ginmills (saloons) of the better class, but the real Bowery -Bohemian chose odd spots for his haunts. The most unique resort in this -Bohemia of the nether world was at Chicory Hall, where my particular -gang had established itself. - -It was a basement at the corner of Fourth street and Bowery. Originally -a bakeshop, it had been unoccupied for some time, until a coffee -merchant rented it to prepare his chicory there. One man constituted -the entire working force of the plant, and it so happened that Tom -Noseley, the chicory baker, was imbued with sporting proclivities. - -Do not let us forget that, at the time, the prize-fighter was a man of -consequence to the youths of the East Side. To know a pugilist, to have -spoken to him, to have shaken his hand, was an event never to be -forgotten. - -Tom Noseley was a very young man. In the immediate neighborhood of his -basement were many "sporting-houses." Tom Noseley was earning eighteen -dollars a week. What is more natural than that one of sporting -proclivities should become an enthusiastic patron of "sporting-houses"? - -Tom Noseley wanted to number some well-known pugilists among his -acquaintances. Several well-known pugilists, I among the number, did -not resent his many invitations to drink with him, and, ere long, the -dream of Noseley seemed fully realized, for we consented, after much -coaxing, to call at his basement for the pleasant task of "rushing the -growler." - -Our first call at the cellar convinced us of its many attractions. It -seemed just the place for an ideal "hang-out." Then, also, there was -Tom Noseley's weekly stipend of eighteen dollars a week, which he was -willing to spend to the last cent for the "furthering of sport." - -Tom Noseley was a hunter of Bowery lions. I have been told that in -higher social strata different lions are hunted by different hunters. -Still, the species do not differ very much from each other. - -Men who had "done" a long term in prison; men who had a reputation for -crookedness; men who were known to make their living without having to -descend to the ignoble manner of working for it, all these had been fads -of Noseley. Then, the sporting spirit of the Bowery flared up with -great spluttering, and Noseley, for the nonce, took the poor, shiftless -boxers to his heart of hearts. - -We named the cellar "Chicory Hall," and quickly succeeded in making it -known. - -The cellar consisted of two large rooms. Descending from Fourth street, -about a dozen steps led to the bakeshop. Four small windows, grimed -with impenetrable dirt, suggested the presence of light. The sunlight -or cloudy sky found no token there. At night one dim flame of gas gave -a sort of humorous weirdness to the filthy hole. - -Adjoining the bakeshop was a dark apartment of the same size as the -first room, used as storing place for the bags of bran, which were used -in the manufactory of chicory. Shortly after establishing our -headquarters at Chicory Hall, we chose the storage room as our sleeping -chamber, making unwieldy couches from the heavy, unclean bags. - -Certainly we had conveniences, a "front room" and a "bedroom," what more -could we desire? And we appreciated it. Did not I, myself, spend ten -entire days and nights in Chicory Hall without ever leaving it? - -But while Tom Noseley's eighteen dollars a week, earned by his -intermittent labors in baking chicory, were not to be despised as the -substantial nucleus of our treasury, they were not enough to provide a -little food and much drink for about six able-bodied prizefighters out -of work. The regular staff included Jerry Slattery, the Limerick -Terror; Mike Ryan, the Montana Giant; Tom Green and his brother, Patsy -Green; Charlie Carroll and myself. - -On Saturday, Tom Noseley's pay day, two or three of the staff appointed -themselves a committee to accompany our host to the office and to -prevent him from falling into other hands. His return was celebrated by -feasting on many pounds of raw chopped meat and drinking many gallons of -beer. Sunday morning found the exchequer very much depleted, containing, -perhaps, just enough to reflicker our drooping and aching spirits by -purchasing several pints of the vilest fusel oil, parading under the -name of whiskey, ever manufactured. - -Sabbath day, the day of rest, as appointed by the Master, was spent by -us in quiet peace. That the peace was a consequence of the turbulent -hilarity of the night before, and not a desire to live according to -divine dictates is a mere detail. - -At the beginning of our sojourn at Chicory Hall our feast of Saturday -was generally followed by a famine until the next week's end. This was -somewhat palliated by a happy inspiration of "Lamby," a character of the -locality. - -"Lamby"--no one knew him by any other name--had some mysterious hiding -and sleeping place, but was infatuated with our Subterranean Bohemia and -spent all his spare time--which practically was all his time, excepting -the hours dedicated to sleep--with the Knights of Chicory Hall. He was -a boy of about seventeen years of age, over six foot tall, of piping -voice and full of most unexpected opinions and ideas. - -There was good stuff in "Lamby," as in many of the East Side boys, who -are, by environment and circumstances, led into evil, or, at least, -useless lives. "Lamby's" heart was bigger than all his carcass. To be -his friend, meant that "Lamby" thought it his duty to give three-fourths -of all his temporary possessions to the cementing of this friendship. - -I made "Lamby's" acquaintance under inconvenient conditions. He was not -yet entitled to vote. This did not prevent him from formulating the -strongest opinions on political personages and principles. During the -election which made me acquainted with him, "Lamby" for some unknown -reason, was doing the most enthusiastic individual "stumping" for the -candidate of one of the labor parties. It was conceded by the -supporters of the labor ticket that the candidate in question stood -absolutely no chance of being elected and that their entire list of -nominees was only in the field as a means of making propaganda, of -paving the way for future possibilities. All this did not deter "Lamby" -from sounding the labor-man's praises on all and every occasion. - -In one of his many eulogies "Lamby" was opposed by a ward-heeler of the -local organization, who laughing offered to bet any amount that the much -praised candidate would not poll fifty votes. This roused the ire of the -champion of labor. - -"Say," cried "Lamby" at his adversary, "you know I ain't got no money to -bet and that's why you're so anxious to bet me. If you're on the level -in this, I'll tell you what I'll do. You put up your money and if -Kaltwasser don't get elected I won't speak to no human being for a -month." - -The politician accepted this odd bet and, a few weeks later, "Lamby," by -his own decree, found himself sentenced to one month's silence. - -And "Lamby" loved to talk! - -It was a fearful dilemma, but leave it to a Bowery boy to wriggle out of -a scrape. - -In one of his rambles, "Lamby" had met Rags, and, impressed by some -similarity in their appearance and disposition, had appointed him -forthwith his chum and inseparable companion. - -Rags was a cur of nondescript origin and breed. His long, wobbly and -ungainly legs barely balanced a long and shaggy body, draped with a -frowsy, kaleidoscopic mass of wiry hair. The color of Rags' eyes could -not be determined, bangs of matted locks wholly screening them from -view. - -For some obscure reason, "Lamby" conceived the idea that the use of the -lower extremities would prove injurious to Rags, and the mongrel--surely -weighing at least fifty pounds--spent most of his time in the loving -arms of his adoring friend. - -The opportunity to return some of his friend's devotion, by making -himself useful to him, came to Rags during the period in which "Lamby's" -tongue was restrained from its favorite function for a month of silence. -"Lamby's" pledge not to speak to a human being for a month was never -broken, but he found a way of expressing himself to Rags in such loud -and distinct tones that no one had any difficulty in following the train -of conversation. - -There was so much ingenuity in the plan that the ward politician -declared the bet off and presented "Lamby" with a part of the stake -money. - -On a Monday, when the feast of Saturday was but a sweet memory and the -famine of the week had set in with convincing force, Tom Noseley and his -staff of friends--including "Lamby" and Rags, who hugged the shadowy -recess of a corner--sat disconsolately in the dingy dimness of Chicory -Hall. - -"Ain't none of you fellows got any money at all?" queried Jerry Slattery -against hope. - -The question was too absurd to deserve an answer. - -"Well, what are we going to do?" pursued the Limerick Terror; "I'm -hungry as blazes and can't stand this any longer. Nothing to eat and -nothing to drink; this is worse than being on the bum in the country -among the hayseeds. If I don't get something here pretty soon, I'll go -out into the Bowery and see if I can't pick up something." - -The harangue passed our ears without comment. More deep and dark -silence. Then everybody turned to where "Lamby's" preambling cough -heralded a monologistic dialogue. - -"Rags," began the silent sage of Chicory Hall, "what would you and me -do, if we was hungry and wasn't as delicate as we are? Wouldn't you and -me go up to Lafayette alley and look them chickens over that don't seem -to belong to nobody? Couldn't you and me use them in the shape of one o' -them nice chicken stews with plenty of potatoes and onions in it? Ain't -it too bad that you and me is too delicate to be chasing round after -them chickens and that we aren't allowed to speak so's we could tell -other people how to get a meal that'll tickle them to death?" - -Bully "Lamby." - -In less than five minutes a small, but determined gang of marauders made -their stealthy way through Lafayette alley. Every one of the husky -pilferers endeavored to shrink his big body into the smallest compass. -The alley ended in a hamlet of ramshackle stables in the rear of a -famous bathing establishment. The place was deserted in day time as all -men and animal occupants were in the streets pursuing the energetic -calling of peddling. As said, the place was deserted, save for those -chickens. Dating from our first call, the chickens, young and old, began -to disappear. - -For over a week we feasted on chicken. We had them in all known styles -of cooking. Our bill of fare included fried, baked, stewed, broiled and -fricasseed chicken. But a day came when naught was left of the flock of -chicks excepting one big, black rooster. - -I shall never forget him, because it was my fate to be his captor. - -He surely was a general of no mean order. We had often hunted him, but -he had always succeeded in eluding us by some cleverly executed -movement. - -This survivor of his race irritated my determination and, supported and -flanked by my cohorts, I set out to exterminate the last of the clan. -Sounding his defy in many cackles and muffled crows the black hero raced -up and down the yard, dodging, whenever possible, under some of the -unused wagons and trucks standing about. But escape was impossible. - -Driven into a corner he faced me and my bag with splendid heroism. He -met the lowering deathtrap by an angry leap, and, when I and bag fell on -top of him, we were greeted by a shower of furious picking and clawing. - -Oh, brave descendant of a brave ancestry, nobly did you meet the -inevitable fate! You were never born to be eaten; you were the tough -son of a tough father! First, you fought right splendidly against being -captured, then, you resisted most stubbornly against being devoured! -Boiled, stewed, fried, hashed, you remained tough, and, even in death, -you defied us! You escaped the destiny of your weaker brethren, for you -were never eaten! - -Chicken coops are not many on the Bowery. Having found and demolished -the feathered oasis, we were again reduced to dire straits. - -Again "Lamby" proved our rescuer. - -He and Rags, with the story of the extraordinary bet, were discovered by -a reporter and given due fame in the press. "Lamby" and Rags became -celebrities and deigned to receive their many callers in the attractive -reception room of Chicory Hall. A trifle of the glamor reflected on us, -the minor characters in the comedy, and visitors became quite frequent -to behold the "truly charming, typical Bohemia of the nether world." - -But visitors will not call again unless you make their first visit -entertaining. How could we entertain them? Not one of us was as yet of -a literary turn of mind, and were not prepared to offer readings or -selections from Shakespeare, Lowell or Browning. Some of us were quite -renowned as comedians, but it is very doubtful if our humor would have -appealed to the class of people honoring us with their visits. There -was nothing left to do but to offer entertainment in the only line in -which we all were proficient. The reception room of Chicory Hall became -an impromptu arena and fights were fought down there which, for -ferociousness and bloody stubbornness have never been beaten. - -It would be quite logical to suppose here that our visitors were of the -rowdy element, and all of the male sex. I wish I could tell you -differently, but the truth of the matter is that the "very best -families" were represented at our nocturnal seances by younger members -of both sexes. - -In the course of time Chicory Hall became quite a "sight place," and it -was nothing unusual to see a string of carriages and coaches in front of -the humble entrance to the subterranean Bohemia. Would I were a Balzac -to describe to you an evening at Chicory Hall. - -At the foot of the stairs was a circle marked on the floor with chalk. -No one save the regular members of the staff were permitted to enter the -sacred precincts without depositing a "voluntary" contribution in the -circle. Corresponding to the amount gathered by the circle was the -degree of entertainment. - -On a row of boxes, crippled chairs, upturned pails and other makeshift -seats, the guests were served with drinks at their own expense pending -the preliminaries. Above their heads, traced with white paint on grimy -walls, was this legend in straggling letters: - - "WELCOME TO CHICORY HALL!" - - -With our increasing prosperity came needed improvements, and the -solitary gas light was reinforced by a murky smelling kerosene lamp, -which I can never remember having seen topped by an uncracked chimney. -The door, on account of the lively proceedings within, had to be kept -shut, and you can easily imagine the atmosphere in the cellar, there -being no ventilation. - -Still our guests kept coming and truly enjoyed themselves because "it -was all so charmingly realistic and odd." - -Being the most steady member of Chicory and rarely absent from the hall, -it was quite natural that I took part in most of the "goes" in the -cellar. I felt myself in my element. Neither the Marquis of -Queensberry or the London prize ring rules were rigidly enforced, and my -viciousness had full scope, our guests--men and women of the "better" -class--liking nothing so well as a "knockout finish." - -Mainly through my savageness the last vestige of regulated fighting -disappeared from our "set-tos," and our performances fell to the level -of "go-as-you-please" scrimmages. My reputation as a precious brute -increased rapidly, and again a certain set of men saw a probability in -me. - -I was asked if I would fight anything and anybody under any conditions. -An easy question to answer for a man, who, in the fullest possession of -all his strength, had no knowledge of any other controlling influence -than his brutal instinct. - -Not knowing or caring who my opponent was to be, I left all arrangements -to the enthusiasts, and in due time was introduced to Mr. Mickey Davis, -who had the great honor of being the champion rough and tumble fighter -of New York. - -These were the conditions of our meeting: We were to be locked in a -room, with the privilege of using any means of defeating each other. Of -course, weapons were excluded, but any other pleasantries like biting, -clawing, choking, gouging, were not only allowed, but really essential. -He who first begged to have the door unlocked and to be taken from the -room was the loser. - -I held the championship for some time. In fact, I relinquished it -voluntarily not long afterward on account of several changes which -occurred in my life. - -I should not blame you in the least were you to feel disgust and -contempt for me for writing of it and for seemingly to glory in it. -Your disgust is justified, your contempt is not. I myself am disgusted -with my past and its several stages of degradation, but I have pledged -myself to tell you the truth, and I am doing and will do it. - -Perhaps you may despise me for it, but put yourself in my place and you -will be less severe. There was something brewing and fermenting within -me which wanted to assert itself. I wanted to be somebody; to be -successful. It is a frank confession. - -Will you blame a blind man for choosing the wrong path at the -crossroads? Will you not, instead, lead him in the right direction? - -Was I not blind when I stood on life's highway and could not see the -pointed finger which read: "To Decency, Usefulness and Manhood"? - -And there was no one to lead me. - -Yes, criticise, sneer, if you will, but do not forget that in my life -there had been no parental love or guidance and no moral influence. - -The attaining of my championship revived the interest of the "sporting -set" of the Bowery in me, and several flattering offers were made to me -by certain dive-keepers. I changed from place to place and left such a -trail of noble deeds behind me that ere long I found myself a real, -genuine celebrity and a man with a name. - -I never had any difficulty in getting work at my calling--that of a -"bouncer," called, for the sake of politeness, "floor manager," as my -connection with any place meant additional customers. I was splendidly -equipped for the position, and my fame kept steadily increasing until I -thought myself on the sure road to success. - -I reasoned the case with myself and drew the following deductions: I was -feared because of my brutality; I was respected because of my -"squareness," which had never been severely tempted; I had more money -than ever before; I was wearing well-made, if flashy, clothes; the -grumbling envy of my less fortunate fellows and chums sang like a sweet -refrain in my ears; I was strong, vicious and healthy. Why, why -shouldn't I consider myself successful? - - - - - *MY GOOD OLD PAL.* - - - - *CHAPTER VII.* - - *MY GOOD OLD PAL.* - - -Here we have reached a stage in my story where I must introduce to you -the dearest friend of all, my good old pal, my Bill. - -Bill is only a dog, but when the doors of my past banged shut behind me -he was the only one able to squeeze through them into my better life. -He is the only relic of my other days and a living witness of -remembrance. - -And, who can tell, but he, too, may have gone through a transformation, -if that was necessary in his case. He was always faithful, true and -loyal, and what would you think of me were I to repudiate him now? - -Those who know me do believe and you will believe that I have not the -shadow of desire to detract one iota from the work accomplished by my -little martyr, but I would be grossly unjust were I to deprive Bill of -the credit due him for his share in the making of me. - -I am a man; I feel it. My soul and conscience tell me so, and to all -the forces and factors that combined in my transformation I owe a debt -of gratitude which deeds only--not words--can repay. If this mentioning -of Bill shall demonstrate to you that he was of importance in my -regeneration, then I shall have paid part of my debt to him. - -Not very long ago the rector of a fashionable church in New York City -came forward with the blunt claim that dogs have more than intelligence; -that they have souls. Of course, this assertion caused a storm of -indignation and a flood of discussion in many circles. Dogs were rated -very low after that in the list of intellectual values by the -representatives of those circles. - -It is fortunate that I am not sufficiently learned or educated to have -an authoritative or deciding voice in the matter, for it will save me -from criticism when I become too enthusiastic about my good dumb, -soulless brute. - -Yet, I wish, pray and hope that he has a soul. - - * * * * * - -Between First and Houston street, on the Bowery, was a saloon which was -known throughout the land as the "hang-out" of the most notorious toughs -and crooks in the country. Still, the place was nightly visited by -persons called "ladies and gentlemen," representatives, specimens, of -the "best" classes of society. - -I was employed there as "bouncer." My nightly duty was to suppress -trouble of any kind and at all hazards. - -The business staff of my employer included a number of gentlemen who -were renowned for their deftness of touch, and who, at various and -frequent times, had had their photographs taken free of charge at a -certain sombre-looking building in Mulberry street. - -Their code of ethics--never adopted by the public at large--was most -elastic. Still, there were times when they did overreach the limits of -Bowery etiquette and then it became my painful duty to rise in righteous -indignation and smite them into seeing the error of their ways. - -One night a middle-aged man of respectable appearance, evidently the -host of a party of "sightseers," got into a quarrel with a member of the -mentioned gentry. There was a rumpus of sufficient volume to distract -the attention of the other patrons from their most important duty, that -of spending their money, and I was forced to take a hand in it. - -I quickly ascertained that the "sightseer" and his friends were lavish -"spenders," and, with a great display of dramatic effect, I ejected the -loafer, who had already become decidedly threatening. That, a few -minutes later he found his way back again via the little, ever-handy -side door, was a fact not made public. - -My stylish "sightseer" had been somewhat sobered by the occurrence and -was most effusive in thanking me for having so gallantly rescued him. A -lingering sense of shame and realization of his position made him turn -homeward, but before leaving he insisted that I should call at his home -on the following day to be properly rewarded for having prevented him -from falling further into the contumely of contempt. - -Greed was then one of my many besetting sins, and without losing any -time I called at the address given to me. It was a rather pretentious -dwelling in one of New York's thoroughfares of ease and good living, and -I could not help speculating on the moral make-up of a man who could -leave this abode of comfort and home cheer behind to spend his leisure -hours in a "good time" at a Bowery dive. Even though I could not read or -write at that time, and was not sensible to the world's finer motives, -such an act on the part of a man who had all that life could give, -seemed to be beyond the ken of human intelligence and my humble -understanding. - -The reception accorded to me was none too cordial. He seemed to regard -me as a blackmailer, and, alas! he was very nearly correct in his -estimate. After entreating me not to breathe a word to any living soul -about his nightly adventure, he invited me to follow him to the stable -in the rear of the house, where I was to receive the reward for my -righteous conduct. - -My hopes fell at this. - -Stables are the lodging places of horses, and I began to wonder if he -could imagine the consequences were I to attempt to lead a gift horse -through the streets down to the Bowery. The police, if in nothing else, -are very careful in looking after strayed horses and delight in finding, -by accident, a pretended owner at the other end of the halter rope. - -I mentioned all this to him, but he only laughed and bade me wait. He -took me to a stall, and there pointed with pride at a litter of -pure-bred bull pups who were taking a nap at the breast of their mother. -He stooped and, one by one, lifted them up by the scruff of their necks -for my inspection. - -I felt disappointed, saw my dream of reward evaporate, and could not -screw up any interest in the canine exhibition. - -My aversion for all dogs dated from my years as newsboy in Park Row. -One homeless little cur, a mongrel looking for a bit of sympathy in his -miserable existence, once made friendly overtures to me. I was still a -brute--bestial, cruel--and sent the poor thing yelping with a kick. As -soon as he had regained his footing he waited for his chance and then -bit me in the leg. - -Therefore I hated dogs, and reveled in the execution of my hatred. - -I watched the pups with ill-concealed disgust. The little fat fellows -hung limp and listless until dropped back into their nest. Just as I -was priming myself to propose a compromise on a cash basis, a little -rogue, different from his brothers, was elevated for examination. -Instead of hanging quietly like the rest of the younger generation of -the family, he twisted and wriggled, while his eyes, one of them -becomingly framed in black, shone with play, appeal and good nature. - -The shadow of a smile must have been on my lips, for the owner placed -the pup in my arms and presented me with it. - -My first impulse was to drop the pup and kick it back into the stall, -but the little fellow seemed to consider his welcome as an understood -thing, and with a sigh of content snuggled into the hollow of my arm. -He was on my left side, and his warmth must have been infective, for I -felt a peculiar if dull glow creep into my heart. - -[Illustration: Bill.] - -Without exactly knowing what I was doing, I tucked my new property under -my coat and made my way to my room. It is a question whether the pup -gained by the exchange of quarters. My room was on the top floor of an -old-fashioned tenement. The ceiling was slanting and not able to cope -efficiently with the rain. Of the original four panes of glass in the -window, only two remained, paper having been substituted for the others. -There was a cot, a three-legged chair, and a washstand with a cracked -basin, and a pitcher. - -I dropped the pup on the cot, and intended to note how he would take to -his new surroundings. He failed to notice them. First, he squatted -down and looked at me intently. I must have passed inspection, for, not -seeing me draw closer, he came to the edge of the bed and gave a little -whine. I meant to grab him by the neck and throw him to the floor, but -when my hand touched him he felt so soft and warm, and--well, I patted -him. Of course, I had no intention of allowing a pup to change the -tenor of my life. That night I went to the saloon at the accustomed -time and did my "duty" as well as before. However, at odd moments, I -would think of the little fellow up in the room. - -It had been our custom to spend the major part of the night drinking and -carousing after the close of business. But on the morning succeeding -the pup's arrival, I thought it best to go to my room at once, as he -might have upset things or caused other damage. That is what I tried to -make myself believe--a rather difficult feat in view of the pup's -enormous bulk and ferocity--not caring to interpret my feelings. I -opened the door of my attic room and peeped in. The little fellow was -curled upon the blanket and did not wake until I stood beside him. Then -he lifted his little nose, recognized me, and went off again into the -land of canine dreams. - -As I was burdened with the dog, I could not let him starve. Therefore, -my neighbors had the wonderful, daily spectacle before them of seeing -me, the champion rough and tumble fighter of the city, go to the grocery -store on the corner and buy three cents' worth of milk and sundry other -delicacies suitable to my room-mate. Had they taken it good-naturedly, -I would have felt ashamed and the pup would have fared badly in his -nursing, but my neighbors sneered and smiled at my unusual proceeding -which did seem rather incongruous, and, mainly to spite them and give -them a chance to break their amused silence, did I persist in playing my -new part, that of care-taker and nurse to his royal highness, the dog. - -I became used to him, after a fashion, and, though showering very little -affection on the pup, he seemed to be supremely happy in my company. We -had been together for some time before I was sure of our relative -positions. Always finding him asleep on my return from the saloon, I -was surprised to hear him move about, one morning, as I was inserting -the key in the lock. I opened the door, and before me danced the pup in -a veritable frenzy of delight at beholding me. This not being a -psychological essay, only a plain, true story, I shall not attempt to -analyze, but will tell you straight facts in a straight way. - -It was a new, a bewildering sensation to me to perceive a living being -to be so pleased at my appearance. It was a new, a strange welcome, -perhaps not entirely unselfish, because milk and good things to eat -generally came with me, but, still, much purer and more sincere than, -the greeting "hello" or loud-mouthed invitation to drink vouchsafed me -by ribald companions. - -I had not yet softened, at least, did not realize it, or would not admit -it, but in occasional, unobserved moments, a sporadic, spontaneous -dropping of the hard outer shell would come to me and I would not deny -it until my "manhood" whispered to me: "Why, what is the matter with -you? Are you not ashamed of giving way to your feelings? You are a -man, a great, big, tough man, and not supposed to have any softer -emotions. Get yourself together and be again a worthy member of your -class!" - -I must have been in one of these softer moods on the morning when the -pup gave his first outspoken recognition. Why I did it, I do not know, -but I lifted the little fellow to my arms and sat down on the bed. To -us two a critical moment had come and it was best to make the most of -it. - -"Do you like me, pup?" I asked in all seriousness. - -Bless me, if that little thing did not try to bark an emphatic "Yes!" -Oh, it was no deep-toned growl or snarl. It was the pup's first effort -in the barking line, and it sounded very much like a compound of whine -and grunt. But I understood and we settled down to talk the matter -over. - -I realized that the pup was entitled to be named, and that matter was -first in order. - -"See here, pup; you and I are very plain and ordinary people, and it -wouldn't do to give you a 'high-toned' name. Now, what do you say to -'Bill'?--just plain 'Bill'?" - -The motion was speedily passed, and then Bill and I went to discuss -other questions. - -"Bill, you and I aren't overburdened with friends. If you and I were to -die at the same moment, not even a cock or crow would croak a requiem -for us. Now, I am going to make you a proposition. You're friendless, -and so am I; you're ugly and so am I; you belong to the most -unintelligent class of your kind and so do I; why not establish a -partnership between us?" - -Bill had sat, watching my lips and looking as wise as a sphinx, until I -asked the question. He answered in the affirmative, without a moment's -hesitation. - -"I'm glad you like my proposition, Bill. Now you and I are going to -live our own life, without regard for others. We're going to stick to -each other, Bill; we're going to be loyal to each other, and, though we -do not amount to much in the world, to each other we must be the best of -our class. We're going to be true friends." - -I took Bill's paw, and, there and then, we sealed the compact, which was -never broken. - -Our relationship being founded on this basis, I spent a good deal of my -spare time in the room, which until Bill's arrival, had been nothing but -my sleeping place. Soon the bare walls and the dilapidated condition of -the furniture began to grate on me and, slowly, I improved our _home_. -I bought a few pictures from a peddler, purchased two plaster casts from -an Italian, and even employed a glazier to put our window in good shape. -Bill and I took pride in our home, and thought it the very acme of -coziness. You see, neither one of us had ever known a real home. - -But dogs, as well as men, need exercise, and, in the afternoon, attired -in our best--Bill with his glittering collar, on which the proceeds of a -whole night had been expended--we took our walk along the avenue. He -was beautifully ugly, and the usual pleasant witticisms, such as, "Which -is the dog?" were often inflicted upon us. But we didn't mind, being a -well-established firm of partners, who could afford to overlook the -comments of mere outsiders. - -In the midst of our prosperity came an unexpected break. A reform wave -swept over the city and closed most of the "resorts." The loss of my -position left us in a badly crippled financial condition. - -Bill and I had lived in a style befitting two celebrities. Porterhouse -steaks, fine chops, and cutlets had been frequent items on our bills of -fare. The drop was sudden and emphatic. Stews, fried liver, and hash -took the place of the former substantial meals, and our constitutions -did not thrive very well. It did not even stop at that, for, ere long, -we were regular _habitues_ of the free-lunch counters. It often almost -broke my heart to see my Bill, well bred and blooded, feed on the scraps -thrown to him from a lunch counter. But there was a dog for you! -Instead of turning his nose up at it, or eating it with growl and -disgust, Bill would devour the pickled tripe or corned beef with a -well-feigned relish. Between the mouthfuls his glance would seek mine -and he would say, quite plainly: "Don't worry on my account. I'm -getting along very nicely on sour tripe. In fact, it is a favorite dish -of mine." - -You poor, soulless Bill, of whom many men; with souls, could learn a -lesson in grit and pluck! - -During that spell of idleness our hours in the room were less cheerful -than before. I must confess that my "blues" were inspired by material -cares, and not by any regrets or self-reproaches; but, whatever the -cause, they were sitting oppressively on me, and I often found myself in -an atmosphere of the most ultra indigo. It did not take Bill very long -to understand these moods, and, by right of his partnership, he took a -hand in dispelling them. - -He would place himself directly in front of me, and stare at me with -unflinching gaze. Not noticing any effect of his hypnotic suggestions, -he would go further, and place his paw on my knee, with a little -pleading whine. Having awakened my attention, he would put himself into -proper oratorical pose and loosen the flood-gates of his rhetoric. - -"Say, Kil, I gave you credit for more sense and courage. Here you are, -sitting with your hands in your lap, and bemoaning a fate which is -largely of your own making. Besides--excuse me for being so brutally -frank--you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Big and strong, you live in -idleness, and now you kick because you are down and out and deprived of -your despicable means of livelihood. Owen Kildare, brace up and be a -man. You are not friendless. I am here. True, I'm only a dog, a -soulless brute, but I'm your Bill, and we're going to stick until we -both win out!" - -You will not offend me by calling me a silly fool for putting these -words into Bill's mouth. Perhaps I err greatly in believing that Bill -was not without influence over me, or that I could understand him; -perhaps it was all imagination, but, if it was--and I doubt it--it was -good, because, no matter what it may be, whether imagination, -inspiration or aspiration, if it leads up and not down, it cannot be too -highly appreciated. - -There were times when Bill's speech was either less convincing or my -period of blues more pronounced than usual, and then he would resort to -more drastic measures. He undertook to prove by the most vivid object -lesson that a buoyancy of spirits is the first essential. Dogs, when -gay and playful, run and romp. Bill made believe he was gay, and romped -and raced and ran. If you will take note of the fact that the exact -measurements of the room were fifteen by twelve feet, you can easily -imagine the difficulties opposing Bill's exercise. Snorting and -puffing, he would cavort about the narrow precincts, now running into a -bedpost, now bumping against the shaky washstand. But he always -accomplished his object, because, before his collapse from his -exertions, he never failed to put me into a paroxysm of laughter. No -"blues" could ever withstand Bill's method. - -Still, he was but a brute--a poor, dumb brute. - - - - - *KNIGHTS ERRANT.* - - - - *CHAPTER VIII.* - - *KNIGHTS ERRANT.* - - -An episode, which occurred about this time, took me into latitudes and -scenes never before dreamed of by me. - -As near as I can figure it, the event happened in March, 1893. I admit -that in view of the seriousness of the incident my indefiniteness seems -strange, but it is typical of my class. - -Since I have moved in different spheres I have often wondered at this -and tried to explain it to myself. No other explanation seems to be at -hand except that this disregard of dates, of time and place is a -characteristic of the world Bohemian, whether on the Bowery or in the -Tenderloin. Recently I had an illustration of this. - -In preparing a story, treating of a certain phase of Bowery life for a -newspaper, I bethought myself of a man, who had been closely connected -with the very occurrence I intended to mention. I sent for him and he -came to my house, willing to tell me all he could remember. He recalled -it all and graphically described every detail. - -At last I asked him to tell me the year and month in which it had -happened. That caused an immediate halt in the narrative and many -minutes were spent in serious reflection. It was of no avail. We fixed -the date of it to be in "about" such and such a year, and such and such -a month, but it was impossible to accurately settle the year and month. - -And this in view of the fact that the occurrence had been a cold-blooded -murder, that my informant had been an eye-witness of it and had spent -several months in the House of Detention. - -Why others are so careless of dates I do not know and it is not to the -point here, but I do know that in the life of the East Side, every -existence is so crammed full of reality that even the most important -occurrences are only of temporary moment. There, events are dated by -events. - -Ask a fellow of the Bowery when he had lost his father or mother, and he -will very likely answer: - -"Oh, about five or six years ago." - -If you insist on a more precise answer, he will scratch his head, ponder -for a while, and then: "Let's see! Yes, the old man died about two -months after I came from the penitentiary on my last bit, and that was -somewhere in 1891." - -I was playing my now familiar role of bouncer at "Fatty Flynn's," an -ex-convict, who was running a dance hall and dive at 34 Bond street. It -was only a few doors from the Bowery and enjoyed a great vogue among the -transient sightseers, traversing the Bowery in search of "good times." - -On the night in question, two Princeton students, arrayed in yellow and -black mufflers and wearing the insignia of their fraternity, visited the -dance hall in the course of their lark. It was rather early for that -sort of thing, the place was half-empty, and I, to do the honors of the -establishment and also to speed their "buying," stepped over to the two -young men for a "jollying" chat. - -They were very young, had a considerable amount of money, and seemed -flattered by my mark of distinction. - -We spoke about "sporting" life in general and they asked me concerning -several dives which were the most notorious of the day. As I had worked -in every dive of notoriety, it was not a difficult matter for me to give -all desired information. This seemed to invite their hunger for -knowledge and they invited me to make the third in their party and to -spend the night in going from dive to dive. This, by the way, this -unofficial guide-business is another way in which the man, who has to -live by his wits, turns many an "honest" dollar. - -I could not accept the invitation as they held out no financial -inducement and, that not forthcoming, I felt myself in duty bound to -stick to my post and employer. However, it was a rainy night, business -was slow and my chances for making any "extra" money very slim, and I -entrusted one of my favorite waiters with the diplomatic mission of -"boosting my game" with the two students. Moved by their curiosity and -the skillful strategy of my emissary they made me an offer which was far -more than I had expected, but which was nevertheless declined by me, -until my persistent refusal to utilize my services in their behalf -screwed their bid up to a figure, which I could not conscientiously -decline. - -I made my excuses to "Fatty" Flynn, and, that done, we started out on -our expedition of studying social conditions and evil. Measured by dive -time-standards, we had started out too early. It was only nine o'clock -and the "fun" in the dives hardly ever began before midnight. Still, -thanks to my knowing guidance, we found quite a number of dance halls -where we could spend the intervening hours to the profit of the -respective proprietors. - -One thing, which soon disgusted me with my two charges, was that they -were unable to stand much drink. I warned them against too much -indulgence, as that would incapacitate them for the pleasures to come, -but youth is proverbially obstinate and they went their whooping way -rejoicing. - -After having left the "Golden Horn," a well-known dance hall in East -Thirteenth street, we walked down Third avenue as far as Twelfth street, -where they insisted on going into a gin-mill, which shed its garish -radiance across our path. It was not a regulation dive and only known -as the rendezvous of a gang of tough fellows, who made that part of the -thoroughfare none too safe for passing strangers. From this it should -not be supposed that they were unkempt in appearance. Quite the -reverse, they were rather well-dressed. - -We happened to drop into the place at a most inopportune moment. A -crowd of these fellows were at the bar spending lavishly the proceeds of -some successfully worked "trick." They were very hilarious; so were my -proteges, and I was kept constantly on the alert to prevent friction -between the hilarious majority and minority. It was not my policy to -become embroiled in any useless rows and I entreated the students to -continue on our way downtown. But they were not in a condition to -listen to reasoning and, attracted by several unclean stories told by -members of the other faction, began to treat the "house" and intermingle -with them. - -There seemed to be no immediate prospect of any disturbance, and I -permitted myself to leave the room for a few minutes. On my return the -scene had completely changed. The crowd had closed around the students -and were threatening them. I learned afterward that one of the students -had taken umbrage at the rough familiarity of one of the gang and had -attempted to hit him. The situation seemed critical, but not dangerous, -and I was about to smooth matters, when my eye caught the reflection of -some suspiciously glittering object. It was a knife in the hand of the -tough offended and only partly concealed by the sleeve of the coat. - -He was sneaking around the crowd to get beside his intended prey and had -almost reached him when I decided to interfere. I had not measured my -distance well, for just as I jumped between the two men, the knife was -on its downward path and found the fulfillment of its mission in my -neck. - -A three-inch cut, a tenth part of an inch from the jugular vein, is not -exactly the sort of souvenir one cares to take with him from an evening -dedicated to "fun" and "good times." And when it confines one to the -hospital for several weeks, it becomes a decided bore. All this was -recognized by my new found friend, the student, who had been the -indirect cause of my disfigurement, and having in the meantime, been -expelled from his college for some wild escapade, he decided to show his -gratitude to me, for what he was pleased to call "having saved his -life," by taking me abroad. - -"You are not educated. Travel is the greatest educator, therefore, I -will show you the world." - -It did not require much coaxing to accept the proposition, and after -arranging for a boarding-place for my good, old Bill, we started out to -see the world. - -The next six months were and are like a dream to me. I was perfectly -willing to have the world shown to me, but am inclined to believe that I -had a rather imperfect demonstrator. To be quite candid, I doubted if -my fellow-traveler was any more familiar with the world at large than I -was. - -At any rate, after a hurried and zig-zagged jaunt through Europe, we -landed in Algiers with a fearfully shrunken cost capital. The cafes of -that African Paris certainly broadened my education. - -An expected remittance from home failed to arrive and my partner fell -into a trance of deep and pondering thought. The conclusion of it was -that we, by decree of my "college chum," were forthwith appointed -adventurers, soldiers of fortunes, dare-devils and anything else that -could make us believe our miserable, stranded condition was the stepping -stone to great, chivalrous deeds to come. We enlisted in the Legion of -Strangers. - -But chivalry loses half of its charm when it comes in red trousers, blue -jacket and on the back of a bony Rosinante, carrying you through -stretches and stretches of glowing, burning sand. In short, the life of -an African trooper, banished into the interior and subsisting on food as -foreign to a Bowery stomach as the jargon spoken by his messmates, had -absolutely no charm for me. - -I am not very good at disguising my moods and emotions, and that I was -homesick, that my heart, in spite of the excitement of the occasional -skirmishes, yearned for my old Bowery, became apparent to my brother in -misery. Then, a stranger coincidence, it also cropped out that my -partner would much prefer to be on Broadway or Fifth avenue than in the -dreary stockade of Degh-del-ker. - -Alas, then, the railroad system of that part of Africa was hardly in -existence, and even if it had been, it would not have been advisable for -us to take berths of civilization, as the government foolishly wanted to -retain our valuable service. History informs me that, shortly after our -departure the garrison of Degh-del-ker had several disastrous encounters -with some of the rebellious tribes, which would have probably resulted -differently had we two lent our arms and strength to the cause of the -tri-colored flag. - -I mention this merely for the purpose of explaining the delicacy with -which I have related this experience. Neither my friend nor myself have -the slightest intention of becoming the unfortunate causes for -international complications between our own country and France, for -having bereft the latter of two such valiant warriors as ourselves. - -We of the Bowery love colors and I had often had a potent wish that I -could show myself in all the glory of my gaudy raiment to the gang of my -old, beloved street. A Bowery boy in blue coat and red trousers, with -clanking sabre by his side, I would have made the hit of my life if -appearing thus attired in my favorite haunts. However, this pleasure -was denied to me. - -We managed to procure less stunning costumes and successfully besting -the sentinels, started on our march for the coast. - -It was a fearful trip. For six long weeks we plodded on through -blinding sand and blistering heat, carefully avoiding all native -villages and, yet, often saved from perishing just in the nick of time -by tribesmen, who found us in helpless state in hiding places. - -From the coast we shovelled our way across the Mediterranean in the -boiler-room of the good ship St. Helene. It was suffocating work, and -time and again, we were hauled up from the regions of below, thrown on -the deck, and revived by streams of cold water. - -At last, we steamed into the harbor of Marseilles, where we expected to -find a letter of credit. It was there and we both fell on our knees in -the most sincere thanksgiving ever offered. - -Nothing more can be told in relation to this episode, excepting that we -both felt we had been sufficiently educated by seeing the world and that -we were urgently needed at home. - -We lost no time in getting there. - - - - - *A PLAYER OF MANY PARTS.* - - - - *CHAPTER IX.* - - *A PLAYER OF MANY PARTS.* - - -You will easily believe me when I tell you that my very first task on -coming home was to look up my good, old pal, my Bill. - -His temporary home was a stable. The owner of it was an old -acquaintance of mine and I was satisfied that Bill had been well treated -during my absence. But how I had longed for him! - -In Europe and Africa I had seen dogs of purest breed and best pedigree, -but, to me, they were only as mongrels when compared to my Bill, my -loyal boy. There had not been a day in our travels, when I had not -asked myself the question: "I wonder what Bill is doing just now?" - -And here I was home and rushing up to meet my pal. - -The owner of the stable met me at the door and congratulated me on my -safe return. Then he grew serious and began: "See, here, Kil, whatever -we could do for Bill, we did, but there's something the matter with him. -He's off his feed and not half the lively dog he used to be." - -I did not wait to hear any more, but went to look for Bill. Up in the -hayloft I caught a glimpse of him. On a bale, nearest to the -dilapidated window, there lay my Bill, the picture of loneliness. He -looked right straight in front of him and never shifted his eyes. - -I stood and watched him for a few minutes, then, stepping behind a post, -whispered: "Bill." - -One ear went up, the eyes blinked once or twice, but otherwise he -remained unchanged. He was afraid to trust his sense. - -Again I whispered: "Bill, Oh Bill," and then hid myself. - -I did not hear him move, but when I peeped out from my hiding place I -found the gaze of his true eyes upon me and, with a whine and cry, my -Bill and I were partners once again. - -What a meeting that was I cannot describe to you, and, were I to attempt -it, you would laugh at our silliness. Still, I think that some of you -would not laugh and you will need no description of the scene. - -That night saw Bill and me back in our ramshackle attic, and we sat up -late into the morning exchanging experiences. - -Divedom was still flourishing. The reform movement had subsided after -the election, and things grew livelier every day. In spite of my ocean -voyage and change of scene, my health was not very good, and it took -considerable time to eliminate all traces of my African adventure. - -There is an old German saw, which reads that any one that goes -travelling can tell a good many tales afterward. Not being strong -enough to take up my former calling of "bouncer," I hung around the back -room of Steve Brodie's place on the Bowery, and became a raconteur par -excellence. It was not my rhetoric or elocution which made me the lion -of the hour. It was solely the recapitulation of my trip, and, -particularly my African experience. This should not astonish you, for, -I beg to assure you, Bowery boys are not in the habit of extending their -tours to the Dark Continent, confining their excursions mainly to -Hoboken and other convenient picnic grounds along the Hudson or East -River. - -I cannot mention the name of Steve Brodie without relating to you a -curious phase of fraud, which is not entirely without humor. In saying -this, I do not refer to Mr. Steve Brodie's accomplishments in the bridge -jumping line. Whether he really did jump from the Brooklyn and other -bridges is a question, which will never disturb the equanimity of the -world's history. I may have my opinion and a foundation for it, but -have neither the inclination or time to air it. - -It was not very long before the stories of my travels had been told and -told again, until every one of the _habitues_ of the Brodian emporium -was surfeited with them. This largely curtailed the number of drinks -bought for me by admiring listeners, and I was sorely puzzled how to -fill this aching void. I was not yet fully able to "hustle" very much, -and still stuck to the sheltering shadow of Steve Brodie's back room. - -It was the veriest chance that put me in the way of a new "graft" and -again brought me the surety of food and drink. I became a splendid -exemplification of the saying that life is but a stage and we players of -many parts. - -The scheme developed finally owing to prevalent hero-worship. Take the -greatest celebrity of the day, push him into a crowd which is not aware -of his identity, and he will pass unnoticed. But only properly label -him and the multitude will kneel before the erstwhile nonentity. - -Now, while we always have the inclination for hero-worship, heroes are -rather scarce and not always handy for the occasion. This is especially -the case on the Bowery, where quantities of heroes are always supposed -to be waiting around, "but ain't." Their supposed presence draws the -usual attendance of worshippers, and it was solely for the purpose of -not wishing to disappoint these worthy people that Steve Brodie, with my -co-operation, decided upon a plan, which proved satisfactory from the -start, and was the means of conveying many pleasant recollections into -the houses of many uptown people and into the rural homes of our land. - -The plan itself was very simple, and was originated by John Mulvihill, -at the time the dispenser of liquids of the Brodie establishment. - -The Horton Boxing Law had not yet been thought of, and the fistic cult -had more followers than ever before. A few of the lesser lights of -pugilism had their permanent headquarters at Brodie's, while some -aspirants for champion honors and even real champions dropped in -whenever happening to be in the neighborhood. - -Brodie's well engineered fame and the many odd decorations and pictures -in the place did not fail to draw the many, and they, after inspecting -Brodie and the other oddities, invariably inquired if "some prominent -fighters" were not present. As a rule, Johnnie Mulvihill was able to -produce some celebrity to satisfy this craving of the curious, but there -were times when the stock of stars was very low; then the mentioned plan -was resorted to. It was the inspiration born of emergency. - -On a certain evening I happened to be quietly sitting in the desolated -back-room. Business was dreadfully slow. My quiet was suddenly -disturbed by Mulvihill, who came tearing through the swinging doors. - -"Say, Kil, you got to do me a favor. Steve is out, and there ain't a -single solitary man in the place whom I can introduce to the bunch I got -up against the bar. They just came in and are fine spenders, but I'll -lose them if you don't do this for me." - -Mulvihill's request was not fully understood by me, yet, owing him many -debts of gratitude for having given me a drink on the sly and for having -often shared his corned beef and cabbage with me, I was quite willing to -do him the favor desired, which, I thought, would be nothing else than -to "jolly" the men at the bar into the buying of more drinks. - -"No, no," interjected Mulvihill, "that ain't what I want you to do." - -He immediately unfolded his scheme, which was nothing more or less than -that I should face the expectant as a pretended Jack Dempsey, famous -throughout the land as one of the best and squarest fighters that ever -entered a ring. - -Naturally, I rebelled, not wishing to expose myself to an easy discovery -of the palpable fraud, but Mulvihill pleaded with his most persuasive -voice. - -"Don't you see, those fellows don't know Jack Dempsey from Adam. Any -old thing at all would convince them they are in the presence of the -real man, and you know enough about Jack Dempsey and his history not to -be tripped up by those fellows, who never saw a prize fight in their -lives." - -Who could resist such gentle pleading? I could not, and followed my -mentor in the path of deception. - -Assuming the proper pose, I stepped into the barroom and was -ceremoniously introduced by Mulvihill to the "easies," who had traveled -quite a distance to bask in the radiance of a real fighter. - -"Gentlemen, permit me to introduce you to the famous champion of the -world, Mr. Jack Dempsey," quoted the artful Mulvihill, and, thereby, -started me in a repertoire, which, in the number of different roles -cannot be surpassed by the most versatile actor. - -The visitors pumped my hands and arms with fervid enthusiasm and showed -their appreciation of the honor afforded them by copious buying of many -rounds of drinks. - -Well, the ball had been set rolling and it was a long time before it -stopped. - -The plan proved surprisingly profitable, at least for Steve Brodie, and -although Mulvihill and I had to be satisfied with the crumbs from the -feast, we had a lot of fun out of it and that was no mean recompense. -You can imagine some of it, when I tell you that rather often some of -the "sightseers" would bring themselves to my remembrance (?) by -recalling to me something, which had happened to me (?) in their own -town, or how they had seen me defeat Tom, Dick or Harry by one mighty -swing from my tremendous left. - -If there was fun in it, there was also some embarrassment attached to -it. The male sex is not the only one which admires physical prowess, -and ladies, escorted by gentlemen, appeared quite frequently at this -newly founded shrine of pugilistic worship. - -I cannot recollect having ever been so confused as I was on a certain -night when I was cast for the role of Jake Kilrain, the man who tried to -wrest the heavyweight championship from the redoubtable John L. -Sullivan. In my limited but appreciative audience were several ladies. - -A short while after my introduction I noticed a lot of whispering among -the ladies. One, the spokeswoman, stepped over to me and presented the -guest of the others. - -"Oh, Mr. Kilrain, you must have a perfectly developed arm and chest. -They are necessary in your profession, are they not? And may we not -have the privilege of testing your strength?" - -Before I fully realized what they intended to do they had gathered -around me and with many "oh's" and "oh, my's" they began to feel my -biceps and to prod me in the chest. - -Of course, this was only an odd occurrence, and did not happen every -night, but it did not help me to respect my "betters." - -It was also very embarrassing when, at the same time, I had to "double" -and even "treble." As an illustration, just let me tell you that in one -evening, and at the same time, I represented Jack McAuliffe at the head -of the bar, Mike Boden at the end of it, and Johnny Reagan in the -back-room--all well-known pugilists and champions in their class. My -audiences were especially annoying that night, holding me down to dates -and details and keeping me on the edge of apprehension lest I should mix -my identities. - -Also, on a certain auspicious occasion, while portraying a certain -renowned pugilist with admirable accuracy, the said pugilist happened to -appear on the scene in person and it was only his true friendship for me -which prevented the imitation ending in a fizzle, if not worse. - -Now, when all that lies behind me and belongs to a different world and -personality, I cannot fail to see the wrongness of it, but, at the time -of its happening, I cannot deny having often laughed heartily at the -silliness of those gaping curiosity-seekers. - -Later, when on account of a disagreement with Steve Brodie, I -transferred my headquarters to the palace of the king--Barney Flynn, the -King of the Bowery--at the corner of Pell street and the Bowery, we -instituted another fraudulent scheme intended to interest and entertain -our many friends and provide drink and small change for us. - -The palace of the King of the Bowery is not a very imposing building. -On the ground floor a saloon, overhead a lodging house, it serves the -two purposes of refreshing and resting the subjects of his majesty. For -two weighty reasons the saloon has always been the Mecca of the curious. -It is, so to speak, the entrance-gate to Chinatown and, also, the -official address of Chuck Connors. - -Besides the transient crowds of nightly visitors to Chinatown, the -saloon is often honored by calls from literary personages. For some -time, it seemed to be the proper thing for writers of a certain genre to -come there to study types. - -[Illustration: Jackey Doodles. Barney Flynn. Jumbo. "Chuck" Connors. A -typical group at Barney Flynn's side door.] - -Right here let me say, that, without wishing to discredit any writer of -dialect stories, I have yet to find the story which presents the idiom -of the Bowery as it is spoken. I have taken the trouble to compare -different stories--each one guaranteed to be a true and realistic study -of the underworld--written by different writers and the discrepancies in -the dialect are flagrant. - -One, throughout his entire tale, puts "youse" in the mouth of his most -important character. The other only uses "ye." One spells the -question: "Do you?"; the other phrases it: "D'you?" - -Perhaps this also applies to other stories written in New England or -Southern dialect, but whether it does or not, it seems to be a case of -"you pays your money and you takes your choice." - -I have yet to see the "low life" story which is not studded with "cul" -and "covey." Take my advice and do not use this form of address on the -Bowery. They would not understand it and, therefore, would feel -insulted. - -Also, the men of the East Side are not so lacking in gallantry as to -call their lady loves "bundles" and other similar names. - -Then, in the matter of emphatic language the writers are far from -hitting the target. The favorite phrase is "Wot'ell," which is a -hundred leagues removed from the distinct utterance with which this -dainty bit of conversation is used by a Bowery boy in a moment of -rhetorical flight. - -So I might cite hundreds of instances. - -The same carelessness of detail is manifested in other things, when -writing about us. They are not all important errors or serious -mistakes, but are grave enough to prove the unreliability of those "true -East Side studies." - -A writer, who for a considerable time, has been accepted as an authority -on conditions in the underworld, is the most profligate in calling -beings and things of the sphere he describes by their wrong name. He -persists in claiming that thieves are called "guns" by police and -fellows. Every man, who has lived all his life on the Bowery, as I -have, knows that "gun" means an important personage. A millionaire is a -"gun," so is a prominent lawyer, or a politician, or a famous crook; in -short, anybody who is foremost in his profession or calling, be he -statesmen or thief, is a "gun." - -The Bowery is not hard to reach and, if so inclined, you can easily test -my assertion. Take a page from one of the many East Side stories extant -and read it to a typical Bowery boy and he will ask you to interpret it -for him. - -The East Side dialect does not abound in slang. Whatever of it there is -in it has been absorbed from the Tenderloin and other sources. To coin -a funny slang phrase one must have time to invent and try it. They have -no time for this on the East Side, where even time for schooling cannot -always be spared. And that accounts for ungrammatical expressions and -whimsically twisted sentences, but not for the idiotic gibberish and -forced coinages of words slipped onto the tongues of my people. - -The courtiers of the King of the Bowery, being a good-natured set of -fellows, did not wish to curb the fervency of the literary "gents," and -did their best to supply the ever-increasing demand for types. - -The inner sanctum of the royal palace was divided from the outer room by -the usual glass and wood partition. As Barney Flynn, the King of the -Bowery, was a genial and jovial monarch, the more secluded chamber did -not resemble a throne-room so much as a rendezvous of kindred spirits. -It was a specimen of another strata of nether world Bohemia. - -Tables and chairs were about the place in picturesque disorder. On the -walls were three gigantic oil paintings, "done" by a wandering Bowery -artist for his board and lodging, including frequent libations. In one -corner was the voluntary orchestra, consisting of Kelly, the "rake," the -fiddler, and Mickey Doolan, the flute-player. Their day's work -over--they were both "roustabouts" along the river front--the two court -musicians would take their accustomed seats, and, without paying much -attention to those present, would fiddle and flute themselves back again -to their own green shores of old Erin. - -They are pathetic figures, these men of the Bowery, who live their -evenly shiftless lives in dreams of days passed, but not forgotten. - -Being directly in the path to and from Chinatown, Barney Flynn's saloon -was, at odd times, visited by the sociological pilgrims to this centre -of celestial colonization. One night, a writer happened to stumble into -the place. Whether his impressions were perceived in normal or abnormal -condition is not known. The "gang" was engaged in a little celebration -of its own, were observed by the writer, and, forthwith, Barney Flynn's -and the royal staff became a mine for authors of low-life stories. - -With the acumen acquired in my dive training, I saw very soon that those -coming to study us were most willing to pay for grotesquely striking -types. The "real thing" had very little interest for them. What were we -to do? To get the money we had to be types, therefore, whenever the -word was passed that a searcher for realism--with funds--had arrived, we -put on our masks, lingual and otherwise, to help along the glorious -cause of literature. - -No good purpose would be accomplished were I to mention the names of -authors, who portrayed us so correctly. They are now celebrities with -more paying aims. Their stories of us are still remembered, but only -because of their "beautiful and pure sentiment," and not because of -their "true realism." The latter differs with every writer and has -bewildered the casual reader. - -I am strongly tempted to call by name one, whose glory as demonstrator -was dimmed in an unexpected manner. The writer in question had come -here from Philadelphia, preceded by a reputation for his sympathy with -those in the slums. Several of his "low down" stories had been hailed -as the models for all the other writers of that tribe. - -With his usual aggressiveness, not devoid of a touch of almost medieval -dash and chivalry, this young man threw himself into the study of New -York slums with wonted ardor, and, naturally, mastered the subject -almost immediately. Being socially well-connected, or, rather, being -well-taken up by society, he had no trouble in interesting his friends -in his hobby. He was not niggardly in the spending of his money and -quite popular on that account with my friends in Barney Flynn's. As a -matter of fact, this promising young writer--a promise since then -fulfilled--was a favorite of the highest and lowest; verily, an enviable -position. - -With note-book in hand, this young man sat among us for hours, jotting -down phrases and slang expressions, manufactured most laboriously and -carefully for the occasion. The interest of his friends increased, and -one night we were honored by a visit of a large party of ladies and -gentlemen, piloted by the aforesaid author. - -Before the precious cargo had been unloaded from the cabs and hansoms, -word had been taken to the back-room. As actors respond to the call of -the stage-manager, so did we prepare ourselves to play our parts with -our well-known finesse and correctness of detail. By that I mean, that -we knew what was expected of us and that we emphasized our -"characteristics" as we had seen them burlesqued on the stage. - -The promising young writer was in his glory. With irrepressible glee, he -introduced us, one by one, to his admirers, watching the effects of our -"quaint" salutations. The chorus of enthusiastic approval was -unanimous. We were "absolutely charming," "perfectly thrilling," and -"too droll for anything." Encouraged by this warm reception of our -feeble efforts, we surpassed ourselves and assault, battery, murder was -committed on the English language in most wilful frenzy. Taking it all -in all, it was a gem of slum mosaic, and is still remembered by most of -the offenders. - -Having given our performance and exhausted our programme, we were told -by our friends how "very glad, charmed and delighted" they had been at -meeting us. - -The doors had barely closed behind the last of the promising young -author's friends, before all the performers rushed up to the bar to -spend the money given to them for their instructive entertainment. The -comments on the visitors were many and very much to the point, but were -not uttered in the manufactured dialect. There was much laughter and -many imitations of our late audience, and none of us had noticed that -the promising young author, accompanied by a few of the party, had -returned to look for a pair of gloves forgotten by one of the ladies. -Part of our conversation was overheard and the laugh was at the writer's -expense. - -Of course, we instantly endeavored to rectify our mistake and fell back -to addressing each other as "cull" and "covey," but, somehow, the effect -was not convincing. - -One of his friends turned to the promising young author on leaving: - -"Old man, you certainly deserve another medal for this, but this time, -it should be a leather one." - -I did not know then to what the above remark referred. - - - - - *BOWERY POLITICS.* - - - - *CHAPTER X.* - - *BOWERY POLITICS.* - - -The death-knell of divedom had been sounded by the legislature. Albeit, -it had been sounded before, without stopping the dives from resurrecting -themselves. But vice had become so rampant, so nauseating that the -righteous of the city braced their backbones a trifle stiffer than usual -and insisted on having a committee of investigation appointed. - -All the daily papers heralded the coming of the inquisitors in big head -lines, and the inhabitants of divedom began to quake in their shoes like -fallen angels on the eve of judgment day. - -Shortly before the beginning of the upheaval, I had overcome one of my -many spells of lassitude and gentlemanly idleness and had accepted the -position of bouncer in the "Slide," the most notorious dive which ever -disgraced a community. - -When a body is covered with a cancerous growth, the most dangerous ulcer -is the first to receive the surgeon's attention. For that reason, the -"Slide" was the first to be put under the prying probe. The -investigation was thorough. The investigators and prosecuting -officials, stimulated by fear of public censure and thoughts of -political advancement, were merciless, and, as a consequence, the -"Slide" was closed forever and the nominal proprietor sent to jail. - -Without waiting for further developments, the other dive-keepers retired -from business and a general cleansing process struck all quarters of the -city. - -The immediate effect of this was that a shifting of quarters of the -vicious began. The harlots, bereft of their known places of business, -hid themselves in the obscurity of virtuous surroundings, and the male -element of the lowest dives congregated on the Bowery, ever the -dumping-ground of human scum and offal. In a short time, the Bowery was -full of a muttering crowd of able-bodied men, each one cheating the -world out of an honest day's labor, all proclaiming loudly at the -injustice which deprived them of their "living." Even the recollection -is loathsome. - -In company with a number of fellows who, like me, were "thrown out of -work" by this "uncalled-for interference," we established headquarters -in a ginmill owned by a legislator. As a matter of course, the -"back-room," seemingly a legislative annex, was very much in evidence, -and by no means subdued in its proceedings. If anything, the business -behind the "partition" had increased in volume since the other dives, -operated by less influential citizens, had been obliged to close. So we -have here another of the many paradoxes of our political conditions. -While his fellow-legislators were scouring the city with really -commendable zeal to rend the evil-doer limb from limb, this being of -their kin could be seen daily in front of his hall, sunning himself in -the radiance of his increased prosperity and influence, and looking with -self-satisfied smile across Chatham Square at the closed windows of -minor dives. - -Yes, as the Romans clothed the men of wisdom and love of country in the -flowing robes of dignity and called them patriots, statesmen and -senators, so do we take--take by the will of the people--the men fat of -jowl and fat of paunch from beneath us and place them above us in the -seats of the mighty and give them power over us. And if you would growl -at my saying "from beneath us to above us," and would wrathfully -confront me with the slogan of political and other equality, I would not -wish to stand in your way of being their equal, but would have trifling -respect for your integrity. As I tell the stars by seeing them and find -but small difference in their lustre, so do I tell the rascals by their -rascality, and there is small difference in the degrees of rascality. - -Senators! Rome and Albany! Would the difference of time, of centuries, -were the only one between them! - -In all governments by and for the people, the making of the nation lies -with the common people; that great mass, which you would call "rabble" -were it not for the continental sound of the word and the danger of -being quoted. An ever-watchful press keeps its eye on you, and would -readily pillorize you as an offender against the most sacred of our -possessions and privileges; our sacred freedom; our sacred equality; our -sacred franchise, and, by no means lastly, our sacred screaming eagle, -screaming ofttimes from veriest agony. The buncombe of press and -loud-mouthed gabbers has decreed it to be treason to see the truth and -to speak it, and you must, to be above suspicion of being a traitor to -the land you love, on the Fourth of July let off in sissing streams of -pyrotechnics your patriotism, which, after its one gala day, is -forgotten for the rest of the year in the strenuous pursuit of getting -all you can out of "what's in it." - -The common people of the fields and meadows plow, sow and reap their -harvest. They pluck the weeds from out among the useful growth and -stamp them under foot. The common people of our cities live -"downtown"--that vague and indefinite region--in tenement and barracks. -(Notice how "down" and "common" always run together). - -They have no knowledge of agriculture, and, with their seldom sight of -plant or flower, even the stink-weed, for it is leafed and green, finds -a welcome and place among them through their ignorance. Yes, more, it -is cared for and nurtured until, as all ill-weeds, it grows to -tremendous proportions, overshadowing and dwarfing those who have spared -its life instead of plucking it out by the roots and pressing the heel -upon it. - -Who plants the weeds? Who is their sower? They care not. - -Does not the same blessed sunshine and dew of heaven fall upon them as -on the corn and roses? And do they not get more of it than the flower -and the fruit-bearing plant? For they are greedy and strive for that -which is not theirs according to merit. - -Not most, but all the men, who played their part in our history so well -as to be immortalized forever were self-made from the field and farm. -Remember that there they destroy the weeds! - -Not most, but all the men, who have made it a risk to a fair name and -reputation to become actively engaged in the affairs of one's own -country and state were self-made from the slums and gutters, with their -only chance of immortalization via Rogues' Gallery. We of the city do -not destroy the weeds! - -They of the gutter, who have been forced upon and above the multitude, -if not caught or not too notoriously prominent, keep the data of their -success and formulative period secret. If, however, they run foul of -the calcium, which often strikes, unexpectedly, dark places, they become -arrogantly defiant in their ill-gotten might. Even against the scorn of -the decent and to the awe of their own kind, they swing themselves onto -the pedestal of the self-made man and strike their pose. All that is -intended as a parallel to several rail-splitting and canal-boating men -in our little history, who, as a "patriot" remarked, deserve a whole lot -of credit "even if they was farmers." - -Then, when forced into the public focus from their disturbed obscurity, -is theirs the cry of repentance? Do they sob and cry: "Peccavi! Yes, I -have sinned! I have wronged you and my country! Have mercy and -forgive!" - -If it were that it would be the cry of a tortured soul, rotten and -distorted, yet still a soul and worthy of the chance of atonement. No; -what reaches us from the usurped pedestal is the self-satisfied grunt of -the swine: "Look and behold! You know or can surmise what I have been! -Look now and wonder at what I am and how I got there!" - -Surely this affront is resented and the daring knave pulled from his -lofty perch to be punished for his insults and ill deeds? Some are -foolish and un-American enough to suggest such a course of proceeding. -But what really does happen is a taking up of that refrain of -self-adulation by the admiring throng. There in almost worshipping -attitude, we find that the chicaning game of politics makes mates of all -sorts and conditions of men, and pickpocket and tax-paying citizen, -cut-throat and that very peculiar animal, the intelligent workingman, -all kneel in equal humility before the rum-soaked idol of their own -creation. - -A subject for deep guesswork is where the workingman keeps his well -advertised intelligence. To claim to be one thing and then prove -yourself the opposite, which, in this case means a fool, is a rather -absurd proceeding. Presumably a good part of that intelligence is -occupied in defending their rights, which nobody assails. Howling and -haranguing do not require much intelligence, and of both the -"intelligent" workingman does more than enough and to no purpose. When -the time of his usefulness approaches--although it should be the time -for him to assert himself--he stops his howling and listens to the -strongly flavored persuasion of the wily politician--the weed he -permitted to grow and to prosper--and becomes the gently led sheep, to -awaken after election and find himself the twin brother of the donkey. -They will not recognize that far better, by virtue of his sincerity, -would be the sincere demagogue as leader than the dishonest politician -of the gutter breed. - -No man can choose his birthplace. Mansion and tenement have each -furnished their quota of honest and dishonest men. If he of the gutter -gets above it and gets there by means which are those of a man and an -American, he will not lack the respect and esteem of those whose ranks -he has fought to join. That is what proves this the land of -opportunities and therein lies true equality. - -There is another way to get out of the gutter, and that was the way -employed by statesmen of the stamp of the Hon. Michael Callahan, of the -State Legislature. - -Mike Callahan's place in horticulture was most decidedly among the -rankest weeds. "Lucky" Callahan, as he was sometimes called, had -escaped the inconvenient calcium of public opinion, and, on that -account, little was known about his origin, except by his intimates. -Perhaps bootblack, perhaps newsboy, he had early learned to make himself -subservient to his superiors, genial to his equals and condescending to -his inferiors. Of course, these social lines were drawn by him -according to his viewpoint. - -Mike's striving for political recognition was aggressive from the start, -and, having no other aim or ambition, he threw himself into the game of -intrigue and wire-pulling with all his energetic intensity. Never -questioning, always obeying, he became the ideal plastic mass to be -molded by the enterprising chiefs of the organization. His promotion -from ward heeler to captain, and from captain to the leadership of the -district was his logical reward. - -Yet, even in spite of his usefulness, his ascendancy to the leadership -was not accomplished in a day. He did not mind this much, his bulldog -tenacity keeping him alive to his ultimate purpose. His manhood and -individuality, whatever they might have been, had long been sacrificed. - -To strengthen his own power in the district it was necessary to weaken -the influence of the incumbent leader, and, to effect this, knowing -nothing of diplomacy, Callahan resorted to plain treachery. The fact -that the leader to be deposed had been his benefactor and stanch friend -was of small moment. Certainly Mike was sorry, but what could he do? -Take a back seat and beat himself out of his chances? "Not much," said -he, and invented the useful and often quoted phrase, "Friendship in -poker and politics don't go." - -Mike's assumption of the leadership was worked by decisive methods. -There was no vagueness about him. The great leaders in the history of -nations were endowed with attributes and traits of the highest and -noblest order. Mike's most pronounced attribute in his functions as -leader was directness. It was this that enabled some of the brilliant -young men of the party press to apostrophize him as "rugged, bluff, -stalwart, frank and straightforward." - -The district contained a population in which the intelligent workingman -was not greatly represented. The few of them who lived in the many -lodging houses had very little belief left in the dignity of labor and -toiled only enough to "square" themselves with their landlords and -liquor dealers. Still, they were of use. They could talk beautifully -about the rights of labor, and were encouraged--before election day--to -spout grandiosely about the tyrannical oppression of the American -workingman by the opposing faction. - -The great majority of the voters in the district belonged to the class -of grafters, and for that reason if no other, the Hon. Michael Callahan -of the State Legislature was their born leader. - -Callahan was at his best shortly before election. Then no man or -woman--unfortunately the ladies of the district would indulge too -strongly--had to linger in the throes of the law. It was the sacred -duty of the leader to call daily at the police court to save his -constituents and their "lady friends" from their impending fate. - -On the eve of election no time had to be wasted in speculating on how -much the free and independent voter could expect to receive for the -exercise of his sacred franchise. According to the amount sent down -from the headquarters of the organization, Mike's ultimatum would settle -the market price of votes. One or one and a half, or two dollars were -the rates paid, although the last named rate was only given to liquidate -the voter's claim at the most critical periods. In this way the voter -could figure with certainty, and with very little interruption resume -his dissertation on the betterment of municipal and national politics. - -The most important events in our history were conceived amidst -surroundings of severest simplicity. No marble hall, no lofty council -chamber, just the Common with its green sward and sturdy oak was the -favorite meeting place of our forefathers. In the shadow of the mighty -tree they spoke of liberty, of the rights of man and of the welfare of -our country, and we reap to-day the benefit of their integrity, in spite -of the machinations of politicians, whose very thoughts are a pollution -of patriotism. - -A careful and thoughtful student of American history, the Honorable Mike -tried to live up to tradition as much as possible. Customs have -changed, civilization has progressed, real estate has risen in price, -and the political leader of to-day has felt himself obliged to -substitute the gin-mill and the dive for the Common of old. Besides, -"there is not much in Commons," excepting when the city fathers, in the -goodness of their charitable hearts, decide to create another breathing -place and playground for the poor children of the East Side, and, -thereby can get a "chance at" the property owners of the site. - -When one is a leader, one must do as leaders do. Mike could not swerve -from the accustomed practice, and, nolens volens, found himself the -proprietor of a dive. But, forced into this, he had at least the -satisfaction of opening this adjunct to his legislative office on the -Common, or Square, as it is now called. True, there was no sturdy oak -and no green sward, but there were elevated railway pillars and their -shadows were quite sufficient for the practice of side issues in -politics. The oak bears only acorns. The pillars and their shadows -bore better fruit of silvery and golden sheen, and their sturdiness was -often welcome to the backs of the many weary pilgrims who had traveled -far to imbibe the pure draught of American patriotism as dispensed by -the Hon. Michael Callahan of the State Legislature. - -With the characteristic modesty of great men, Mike refrained from making -the exterior of his place too showy. This superficial attraction to his -resort was absolutely needless, as his more lasting fame--some -detractors called it "disgraceful notoriety"--was firmly established. -Did he not have several fist-fights with "officious" police officers to -his credit, and, did he not openly dare and defy all known authorities -to "monkey" with him. He feared no man but one, and that one only, -because he was a more successful thug than himself and the Great Leader -and Chieftain. - -Dives of a certain kind make no effort to attract transient trade by -bright, or, at least, neat and clean exteriors. Their business is not -supplied by the honest man, who is looking for an honest place to have -an honest drink. They depend on that flotsam and jetsam that can find a -dive blindfolded. Callahan's place was more suggestive than attractive -in its front and the interior was fairly dazzling in its austere -plainness. Sawdust and traces of former expectorations were the most -evident features in the bar-room, which only ran the length of the bar. -At the end of it a partition jealously claimed the rest of the space for -the back-room. There, and not in front, was the real business -transacted. The front, a pretense of respectability; the back, without -any pretense whatsoever. - -I cannot tell you what furnished the real attraction of the back-room. -A minimum clearance of space in the centre of the room was reserved for -dancing and surrounded by tables and chairs which were nightly occupied -by young men and women, many of whom had been born and brought up in the -immediate neighborhood, under the very eyes of the legislating -dive-keeper. But that fact made no difference to this vile thing, -empowered by our sanction to make laws which were to safeguard homes, -property and life. - -[Illustration: Mike Callahan's Saloon in Chatham Square. The entrance to -Chinatown on the right.] - -And there, safe in the protecting radius of our friend and statesman, we -found a resting-place; for our enforced retirement from dive activity, -and there, in all my uncleanness, there came to me the sweet messenger -of a newer, better life, and took me from it by the all-powerful -persuasion of an unquenchable love. - -Before telling you how this miracle transformed me in a way, which will -tax my power of description to the utmost, I must relate to you the one -and only attempt we, myself and two cronies, made to get away from a -life which was the only one we knew. - - - - - *A PILGRIMAGE TO NATURE.* - - - - *CHAPTER XI.* - - *A PILGRIMAGE TO NATURE.* - - -It was in May. The side-walk in front of Mike Callahan's dive was wide, -and we, the gang of discharged dive employees, were in the habit of -lounging on the empty beer barrels along the curb or sticking ourselves -up against the swinging doors of the place. People, whom we knew from -having met them in the "better" days, when we were still working, often -passed by and were eagerly hailed by us in the hope that they might buy -a drink for our thirsty throats. - -Corner loafers are despised by all people who lead useful lives, and -justly so. Still, there is something very moving in thinking about the -dreary existence of these fellows. With brains as empty as their -pockets, they assemble with praiseworthy regularity at their open-air -clubs, and waste their days in pessimistic conjectures. The loafer is a -born pessimist and cynic. No matter what subject or event you may -mention to him, he will sneer at it and promptly proceed to pick it to -pieces. His criticisms are as acidly sarcastic as his excuses are -ingenious. Ask him his opinion about the work done by some skilled -mechanic, and he will find a multitude of faults and then expound how -the job ought to have been done. Surprised at his technical knowledge -you ask in a mild way why he does not put his evident ability to -practical use, and are forthwith shocked by suggesting such a thing to a -man, who has such a wealth of haughty and convincing reasons for -remaining a loafer. - -Loafers are forever hovering in the ante-room of crime. If his Satanic -Majesty bethinks himself of his own and calls them, they willingly and -without compunction, do any crooked commission provided it does not -require too much physical courage. After due time, crime seems easy, -they have not yet been caught, and from their familiarity with -evil-doing, and not because of any lately awakened courage, they commit -deeds which are called "desperate" by every conscientious reporter. - -Jack Dempsey, Frank Casey and myself formed a sort of inner circle in -the larger gang. We often philosophized together, exchanged ideas and -commented on things in general. At one of our confabs, Frank Casey -seemed to be entirely out of humor. - -"What's the matter with you, Frank?" I asked. - -"What do you think there is? There's nothing the matter with me, -excepting that I'm dead sick o' this game." We could see he was deeply -moved by some unsuspected emotion and were deeply interested in its -development. - -"I tell you what I'd like to do," he resumed. "I'd like to cut this all -out and go to work some place. There's nothing in this kind o' life and -it's the same every day. See, it's years and years since I done what -you may call an honest day's work." - -"Ah, you're only kidding!" - -"Kidding?" he echoed, indignantly. "Say, Kil, and you, too, Dempsey, I -was never more serious in me life. What are we getting out o' this? -It's hanging round here all day, looking for graft and the few pennies -to go to bed with or to buy a beef-stew; and when a fellow does make a -piece o' money, does it do him any good? Not on your life! If you -flash it, you got to blow it in for booze, and if you don't they think -you're no good, and the whole gang gets sore on you. A fellow that's -working and making his dollar and a half or two dollars a day, is better -off than the whole bunch of us taken together." - -"For the love of heaven, you ain't thinking about going to work?" - -"That's just what I'm doing, and the sooner I can start in the better," -attested Casey with emphasis. - -A warm discussion followed. It is hard to tell if it was the novelty of -the proposition or Casey's evident sincerity, but Dempsey and I began to -consider it very seriously. - -"Say Casey," I asked, "supposing the three of us really wanted to go to -work, where could we get it? They don't take men like us in shops or -factories, where there are a whole lot of trained help looking for work -every day. So, even if we wanted work, we couldn't get it." - -"Is that so? You're talking as if New York City is the whole thing. -What's the matter with the country? That's where we ought to go, -because we'll never amount to anything here. In the first place, even -if we was to get jobs here, the three of us would be going on a drunk on -the first pay day and stay on it until we're broke. But in the country -you ain't got no chance to spend your money, and it's healthy and it's -better anyway." - -The surety of Casey amused me. - -"Will you tell me where you have ever been in the country to know so -much about it, and where you got your information from?" - -"That don't make no difference," insisted Casey stubbornly, "I know -there's lots o' fellows going over to Philadelphia or Jersey or some -place over there every year about this time, and they come back like new -and with money from picking strawberries and whatever else there's -growing out there." - -We put our heads together, discussed the matter, came to the conclusion -that, surely, we would not be in worse circumstances in the country than -we were in the city, and resolved to try our luck at strawberry picking. - -To financier our expedition was our first duty. We skirmished round and -raised about six dollars as our joint capital. Casey went on a secret -errand to make inquiries of some well-known "hobo" authority where to -go, and how to get there, and then undertook to personally conduct the -tour into the unknown land. - -Baggage did not encumber us. I had thought of taking my good old pal, -my Bill, along with us, but did not wish to expose him to the dangers, -which, no doubt, were lurking for us. - -At the ferry, Casey flew his flag and read us the last orders. To save -our small capital, we were to walk or "jump" freight trains. Also, for -reasons of economy and sagacity, we were not to indulge in one solitary -drop of anything intoxicating. - -The first hitch occurred in Hoboken. To get a freight train was -impossible. Dempsey and I never knew why we were unable to make -connections, as Casey's plausibility drove the question from our minds -and made us follow him blindly. - -We walked from Hoboken to Newark. It was a scorching afternoon, the -sand was hot and heavy under foot, and our mouths became parched at an -uncomfortable rate. A few wells and pumps were passed by us, but Casey -would not permit us to slake our thirst, as "Newark is only a step or so -further on, and it's dangerous to monkey with them country people. They -got dogs and are kind of suspicious of fellows like us, who come from -New York." - -Ah, really and truly, it would have been the most confiding and -unsophisticating nature that would not have been suspicious of us, no -matter where we hailed from. Three tough specimens of humanity, indeed, -we were! - -No stop was made until we reached the railroad station at Newark. Quite -a crowd was assembled to wait for either an incoming or outgoing train, -but we, without paying the slightest attention to the many mistrustful -glances given in our direction, raced for the ice-water tank, prepared -to gorge ourselves with the cooling drink. - -Casey was the last to have his turn at the chained tin cup. He started -off splendidly, but paused after, his first gulp and smacked his lips in -a most critical manner. - -"Taste anything funny in that water?" - -We replied in the negative. - -"There's something wrong with it, just the same," Casey persisted. "And -do you know, the worst thing a man can do this time o' the year is to -drink bad water." - -"But we got to drink something. We ain't going to drink any beer, and I -hate to spend money for soda and ginger-ale and stuff like that," -remarked Dempsey. - -"That's true enough," admitted Casey, "but, I'll tell you what we'll do. -The same fellow who gave me points on how to get to the strawberries, -also, told me that the biggest glass of beer in the country was sold -right here in Newark. Now, we ain't going to get full or anything like -that, but, being as the water ain't fit to drink, I guess we might have -one, just one o' those biggest schooners, which I never seen and which, -besides quenching our thirst, are surely worth looking at, the same as -any curiosities." - -Without the aid of a Baedeker, we found our way to Newark's most -interesting spot. We entered the hospitable tavern at about seven -o'clock, and, at ten o'clock, were still tarrying there admiring the -size and beauty of the biggest beers in the world. - -Regardless of the size of the drink, the beer alone,--never a product of -malt and hops--a vile concoction of injurious chemicals, is sufficient -to put the indulger far above the most worrying troubles. Late that -night, the quiet streets of Newark were profaned by three unsteady -musketeers, who, with song and laughter, were making their way to the -"meadows." - -Only one more resolution made and broken. It was not the first and was -not the last. - -Out in the "meadows," the train-yard, where the freight trains were made -up, we succeeded, after many mishaps, including Casey's tumble from a -moving train into a ditch, in catching a train at about midnight. We -had only traveled about a mile, when a trainman, stepping from car to -car with lighted lantern, saw us huddled between the bumpers. - -"Where are you fellows going?" - -"Philadelphia," came the answer in sleepy, drowsy tones. - -"You're on a wrong train. This train goes to the 'branch.'" - -At the time we did not know that this was only a common ruse to make -"hoboes" leave the train and accepted it at its face value. - -"Where did he say we were going?" asked Casey. - -"To the 'branch,' wherever that may be," I answered. - -"I guess we better get off, then. This train ain't going to -Philadelphia," suggested Dempsey. - -"What we'll get off for? This train goes somewhere, don't it? And it -don't make much difference where it goes to, as long as it goes -somewhere into the country and away from New York," said Casey, with the -evident intention of ending further argument. - -The heavy, damp night air and the drink partaken by us lulled us into -deep slumber, forgetful of our precarious attitude. We had journeyed -for hours without waking and were not aroused until the coldness in our -limbs became actually painful. Without speaking a word and merely -staring at each other we jolted on and on into the unknown, and the -dawning morning. - -Suddenly a brilliant spectacle caught our eyes. Coming out from wooded -land, the train sped along a level stretch and we fed our looks on the -Fata Morgana of a large city. The size, brilliancy of illumination and -distance from New York left no doubt in our minds that we were not far -from Philadelphia, and had we known how to pray, we would surely have -done so. I have never regretted the experience, still have no wild -desire to repeat it. There are more easily obtainable joys in life than -the riding on the bumpers of a freight train on a chilly May morning. - -It was not long before we were slinking along Market street in -Philadelphia. After fortifying ourselves against the bad consequences -of our benumbing voyage by sampling some "speak-easy" whiskey, we -visited "Dirty Mag's" famous all-night restaurant on Sixth street and -feasted on steak-pie and coffee, with crullers included. The bill -amounted to ten cents. - -We were so tired out by our traveling that it was out of the question to -continue our journey. Down on Calomel street we found a resting-place -for our weary and frozen bones at fifteen cents per couch. It was -almost noon before we woke from our sleep and held a conference. At its -termination we hied ourselves to the nearby grocery store and spent -almost the entire remainder of our depleted treasury in buying -provisions for our trip into the wilds of Pennsylvania. After that, -with a last parting drink, we turned our backs on Philadelphia and set -boldly out to win our fortunes. - -Just as the suburbs had been reached by us we were reminded by our -stomachs that we had forgotten to breakfast. An inviting tree stood -nearby, a brook, as clear as crystal, was rippling past our feet, and -the place seemed to be made for a picnic ground. The enjoyment of the -meal was marred by the thought that now we would have no lunch or -dinner. - -"What's the use of worrying about that now? Besides, we won't have to -carry so much," was Casey's way of consoling us. - -We rose and began our tramp in earnest. For hours we walked, giving -little attention to the things about us and only holding desultory -conversation. Not one of us knew the route to the "strawberry country," -and we were often obliged to ask people whom we met for directions. We -had little luck in this. Most of the people addressed by us would -quickly button their coats and hurry on without heeding us. Others -would barely stop and throw us such a small scrap of information that, -instead of enlightening us, they only bewildered us the more. At last, -Casey got tired of this way of securing information and burst upon us -with his latest and brightest inspiration. - -"It's no use of asking any o' these men. Most o' them are hayseeds and -been to New York and have been buncoed. They can see in a minute that -we're from New York and ain't going to take no chances with us. It's -different with women. They're always nice and gentle and, especially, -when they get spoken to the way I know how to talk to them. Leave this -to me. Don't ask any more men. Wait till we meet some women, and then -I'll ask them, and then you'll be surprised in the difference." - -Casey, who had given voice to this speech with properly inflated chest, -proved himself to be a true prophet. We found there was a difference in -the way in which men and women received our approach. - -Before long, we saw two women with baskets coming our way. - -"Now, you fellows want to keep a little behind, and watch me how I do -this," was Casey's final instruction. - -Giving his clothes a quick brushing with his hands and setting his hat -jauntily over his ear, Casey went toward his fate with a grace all his -own. - -Dempsey and I could not hear the first passage of words, but it was -hardly necessary, as the effects of it were immediately visible. - -One woman proceeded to pummel Casey with her umbrella, while the other -was trying to fit her market-basket on his head. When they saw Dempsey -and me come running to the rescue, they left Casey and took it on a run -across the fields, but they took good care to shout back to us that they -would have the sheriff or constable after us. - -"For heaven's sake, what did you say to those women?" I asked Casey, -after I had pulled the basket from his head. - -"What did I say to them? They ain't civilized, and it don't make no -difference what a fellow says to them kind o' people. I spoke to them -like a regular dude. This is what I said: 'Ain't this a fine morning, -girls. We're strangers here and didn't like this country very much -until it was our good fortune to see you, who are sweeter than any -sugar, and now we'd like to stay here if you will tell us the road to -where the strawberries grow and where there are as many girls as -beautiful as yourselves!' And the minute I said that they soaked me." - -We consoled Casey and resumed our tramp. - -It was now late in the afternoon and I determined that we should know -something about our whereabouts. I stopped the very next man we met in -such a way that he could not get away from us. - -After assuring him that we had no intention of robbing him, I insisted -on getting correct information. - -Can you imagine our feelings when he told us that we had spent our time -and energy in describing circles around Philadelphia, without getting -away from it? - -Dempsey and Casey made no attempt to hide their chagrin. The blow was -too crushing. I, also, felt fearfully discouraged, but did not want to -give in. - -"There is no use in going back. We're here now, and must go on. If we -go back to Philadelphia, we might as well go back to New York. We're in -the country now, and we might as well stay here. I don't care what you -fellows do, I'm going to go ahead." - -The last sentence was a fearful bluff. Had Dempsey and Casey decided to -return to New York, I would have joined them on the spot. Fortunately, -they adopted my way of looking at it, and we once more pursued our sorry -pilgrimage. - -Now, we were sure of penetrating right into the heart of the country and -evidences of it were not lacking. Suburban villas grew fewer and fewer -and we had to walk for a considerable distance before we passed another -farmhouse. With our inborn stubbornness we kept plodding on, until our -legs almost refused to obey. - -It was the hour in which evening unwittingly yields supremacy to night. -We felt it, as was proven by Casey in answer to Dempsey's question in -regard to the time. - -"Well, when it looks like this they always begin to light up in -Callahan's, and that's about seven o'clock." - -Again we were silent and tramped and tramped. Dempsey was the next to -speak. - -"Say, fellows, I ain't seen any strawberries yet. And even if we were to -see any now, we couldn't go to work at them this evening, it being so -late now, and I think the best thing we can do is to sit down some place -and take a rest." - -Only a few more steps and we saw a spot, which by you, would have been -called a dell. We called it nothing, just saw the soft grass and, with -one accord, sank down on it. - -The tone of evening now rang unmistakably clear. Evening and its -partner, the gloaming, were at the last and best moment of their -supremacy. Too short, by far, are evenings in the country, those short -brief hours of nature's neutral state, before retiring to its -well-earned rest. But that I only feel now, and did not then. - -Remember! this was my first night in God's country. Like thousands of -others who live and die in the southeast corner of Manhattan--along the -Bowery--I had never had a sight of nature. I could not have told a daisy -from a rose; or a crow from a robin. All that I write here are the -impressions that linger in my mind of this, my first night with nature. - -It was one grand moment in our lives, yet we did not feel it. Hold, I -am wrong! We did feel it, perhaps subconsciously, but feel it we did. -Our kind is not given to much talking while doing anything of import. -Then our energies are in our task, no matter how dirty that may be. As -soon as we rest, we change, and the silent drudge becomes a veritable -magpie. We three were resting as, like three daisies in the wilderness, -we sat in our dell, but there was something all about and around us that -stopped our flow of talk from loosening itself. - -We sat and stared, and the most insignificant changes in the tranquil -scene before us left their unrecognized, yet deep impressions on us. -And looking back through all the years passed since then, I see it all -still before me, though I cannot attempt to picture it to you. - -From where we sat it looked before us like the setting for a glorious -play. On both sides, small sketches of woodland interjected just far -enough to serve as the wings on the stage. Back of it, there was a -grand, majestic last drop, a range of hills, running unbrokenly from -where to where we could see. The cast, the actors of the play were -supplied by all the many living things about us and, above it all, like -the last curtain, hung the forerunners of the coming night. - -It was no tumultuous melodrama, no rollicking farce, it was a pastoral -play so successful, so wisely composed and staged that from its first -night it has been enacted every night through all the ages. No wonder -that with so many rehearsals the scene, as we saw it, was played with -perfection. - -Out from a loophole in the sky, a bird came flying toward us with -unfaltering swing. Night after night it had flown the same course, -night after night it had the same role, that of bringing their share to -the young striplings in the nest above our heads. Along the road came a -creaking, lumbering farm-wagon. The farmer looked at us with suspicion, -still, gave us a "good evening, boys." I do not know if we returned his -greeting or not. - -It was quiet, so quiet, that the many little noises, made by unseen -beings, pealed like tornadoes of sound. The snatch of laughter, coming -from the tree-encircled farm-house behind us, was as the laughter of a -multitude; the chirrup of that homeward bound bird was as a lofty, airy -chorus; the croaking of the frog was as a grunting wail from many, many, -who never get above the very ground. While we had sat staring holes into -the air before us, evening had flown, and night, a gallant victor, had -unrolled the standard of the stars. I know I cannot tell you my -impressions, but even had I the gift and genius of a hundred of our -greatest writers, I could not convey to you what a picture that night, -my first night in God's country, left with me. It seemed to me that all -and everything, before becoming wrapped in slumber, gave one -praise-offering to Above. The corn of the field and the poor lowly -flower by the roadside and even the tiny blade of grass, they all were -straightened by one last, upward tremor before relaxing to their -drooping doze. The birds of the air and the beasts of the ground, all -sounded their evening song. With some it was a thrill of sweetest -divine melody, with others it was but a grunt, but it all seemed like a -thanksgiving for having lived and worked a day made by the Creator of -all. - -And from beneath all this, the silent attitude of prayer and the intoned -evening hymn of creatures rose onward, upward, like an anthem to the -sky, where brilliant orbs and shining, milky veils were interwoven in a -web of glory, and peeping over the tops of hours into the birthing -cradle of another day. It is a witching hour, this hour, when stars and -nature in unison sing their evening song. - -Where nature is grandest, man most likes to profane it. - -The sublime, sweet spell held us enthralled. Not a word had been spoken -by us. How long we had sat there we did not know. How much longer we -would have sat there is a matter of unprofitable conjecture. As if -turned loose from the regions of the arch-fiend, with howling screech, -with snorting, rumbling, rattling, a train, looking like a string of -toy-cars in the distance, clattered along the range of hills, the last -drop of our scene. Spitting fire before it, leaving white streamers -behind it, the iron disrespecter of nature's sanctity rushed into the -very heart of the hills and took the haze of idealism with it. - -The spell was broken, and we were not long in getting back to terra -firma. - -"Say," remarked Casey very pensively, "ain't it very quiet here?" - -"Well, I should say so," hastened Dempsey to corroborate him. "It's so -quiet you couldn't sleep here if you wanted to. This ain't no place for -us. Let's go." - -We started ahead and tumbled along the country road. All directions, as -to our route, were, for the present, forgotten. We only had one purpose -now, to get away from the haunting quiet. With every step our nerves -became more unstrung. A rabbit scooted across the road and made us -grasp each other's arms. The faint rustle of the leaves sent shivers -down our backs. - -Out in the open, we felt the hazy, vapory night air enshroud us, which -showed every object in ghost-like mold. A dog barked far away, then it -howled, and I can swear to it, we trembled. - -It was not physical fear. It was the weirdness of the unaccustomed that -played havoc with our reasoning powers. Some may doubt all this and -mention as proof the "hoboing" tramps, who spend their most pleasing and -profitable period of vagrancy in their country. I am not prepared to -discuss this at all, but am quite sure that every tramp, at the -beginning of his career as such, was similarly impressed on his first -night in the country, provided he had not found shelter in a barn or -haystack or had not been born and lived in the country before. - -We, we were city bred to the bone, and noise was essential to us as -ozone is to the country lad. He cannot sleep with noise,--we could not -sleep without it. - -Our musings--we had not spoken for a long time--were interrupted by -Dempsey, who had fallen over a rail, which he had not noticed in the -shadowy Darkness. Yes, it was a full-fledged railroad track and, for -some obscure reason, it seemed to possess a great deal of fascination -for us. We were apparently not able to get away from it. We stood and -looked at it as if we had never seen a railroad track before. - -This lasted until the ever-ready Casey interpreted our feelings. - -"I wonder if this is the Pennsylvania railroad?" - -That started a chorus of "wonders." - -"I wonder which end of this runs into New York;" "I wonder how far we -are from New York;" "I wonder if we could get to New York from here;" "I -wonder how long it takes to get to New York from here;" "I wonder if -there is a station near here." - -How it happened, whether any one proposed it, or how we got there I do -not know, but I do know that, quite unexpectedly, we found ourselves at -a little wayside station, with a lot of milk cans on its platform. -There is no mistaking the fact that we were entirely unbalanced -mentally, and it was a good thing for the crew of the freight train, -which rolled in to unload and load milk cans, that they were an -easy-going crowd of men. We made no pretense of hiding ourselves, but -climbed boldly on to the cars and would have committed murder had they -attempted to put us off. The spectre of the stillness had taken -possession of our brains, and we wanted to flee from it as from a -plague. - -Again the long, cold journey, and, then, at last, a great white sheen of -shining lustre in the heavens told us that we were home once more to the -city of our birth, of which we were so proud. - -But could she be proud of us? - -The rest of the night, or rather the beginning of the day, was spent in -chairs in Callahan's back-room, which seemed like paradise to us after -our "fierce" experience in the country. After a nap, I went to look for -my Bill, who greeted me as if I had left him alone as long as I did on -our previous separation, and then again settled down to grace Callahan's -dive with my presence. - -In a day our country trip was forgotten, and I felt quite resigned at -taking up my career where I had dropped it. There was little hope of -things in divedom brightening up for some time to come and I was -perfectly willing to resume playing the gentleman of leisure, who makes -his fluctuating living at the expense of his fellow men. - -But the days in the old life were numbered. Only a short space of time -more, and I was to be taken from the cesspool by one whom God must have -sent solely for this end. Why this was and why I was chosen, neither -you or I can answer, but it is enough for me to know that, even were -every miracle of old found to be a fraud or sacrilege, the existence of -one great, mighty, living God would be proven to me beyond the slimmest -shadow of doubt by the miracle he performed on me by His sweetest -prophet. - -Lord my master, here I thank Thee, not only for having permitted me to -live the life of purity and cleanliness, but also for having had me come -from out and through the life of the most miserable and sinful. -Mysterious are Your ways and Your purposes are not for us to know, but I -have suffered, learned and prayed, and I know You will not let it be -without avail. And if naught else I can do, give that for her sake, I -shall always live in the way she wanted me to live and that was in Your -way, God. - - - - - *THE FRONTIER OF THE NEWER LIFE.* - - - - *CHAPTER XII.* - - *THE FRONTIER OF THE NEWER LIFE.* - - -Returned to New York from my Philadelphia trip, I immediately fell back -into my old ways, which meant for the time being I established myself -again as an ornament in and in front of Mike Callahan's dive in Chatham -Square. Things in our line of business were growing quieter every day -and no one seemed to know when this drought in the former land of plenty -would cease. - -Our temporary occupation during this lull was to "lay for" easy things -and suckers. But even they seemed to grow fewer and, at last, we were -reduced to a state of desperation. Then, when hunger and an -unquenchable thirst were less and less satisfied, some of the gang -overcame their inborn cowardice and turned "crooked." One, two and -three would go on secret expeditions and return either with money or -easily disposable goods, or would not return at all, at least, not for a -long time. The gang could well afford to stand these occasional -vacancies in the membership, as more than fifty constituted it and more -and more were constantly joining it. - -I am not making an untruthful statement and do not wish to tax your -belief unduly when I tell you that I did not take active part in these -"crooked" doings. My list of misdeeds is so full that one more or less -would make but small difference therein, and I have no cause to tell you -a lie. - -Had it been necessary for me to turn "crooked" I would have surely done -so, but it was not necessary. - -I was the recognized leader of our gang, and leaders of or in anything -always have certain prerogatives. Out of every expedition I received a -small share. I was "staked" is the proper expression. The return I -made for the "stake" was small enough. - -In case one or more of the men were locked up in the city prison, I, not -officially known to the police, had to visit them and act as go-between -to lawyers and their "outside" friends. Were any barroom growls between -one of the men and outsiders started I had to throw myself--regardless -of the merits of the fight--into the mixup to end it quickly in favor of -my brother in loaferdom. - -Not having to go on any of the mentioned expeditions, I had all my time -to myself and hardly ever left Callahan's. In truth, I was in a fair -way of becoming one of the monarchs of the Bowery, having, so far, been -only one of the knight errants of that locality. It was the beginning -of Summer, and excepting when business of a liquid or financial nature -called me inside, I could have always been seen on my keg at the curb, -flanked and surrounded by a galaxy, whose very faces made men, -respectable men, clasp their hands over their watches and pocketbooks. - -I remember, how once a "sport" hung up a prize for the "homeliest mug" -in Callahan's, and a hurried ballot awarded me the prize. However, -there were extenuating circumstances, which I do not care to recite, the -whole matter being one not very interesting to me. - -Hanging around the dives all day we "regulars" often found the time hang -heavy on our hands. To help us over these periods of ennui we invented -a gentle form of sport. The sidewalk was very wide, the traffic was -heavy, the police, for reasons of policy, absolutely blind to our -doings, what more did we need? From our kegs we looked, like the -gallery of the play, at the passing show, and frequently became so -interested in the ever-playing drama that we took part in it ourselves. - -Is there more manly, noble sport than for the many, with stamping horses -and yelping, snarling dogs, to throw themselves on to the death-scared, -fright-unwitted fox and tear him to his end, after having him partly -finished by hoof beat and dog bite? Of course not. Were it unmanly, -unwomanly, ignoble sport, our "better, upper" classes, our social -leaders, would not enjoy it. We, of Chatham Square, aped our models in -the higher circles, and, not having a fox in our collection of rare -animals, chose the passing pedestrians as the objects of our sport. - -Our imitation of our "betters" was fairly correct. If only one or two -were on the kegs passers-by would not be molested; but when the gang was -there in force, then woe to the unoffending man or woman, whose way led -by us. - -To be exact, our "sport" consisted of insults of various kinds to -pedestrians. Old people--and especially old women--received the most of -our playful attention. They were our favorite victims, as they were -less likely to resent our brutishness. It brings a flush to my face when -I think of our beastly cowardice. There is more manliness in one -mongrel cur than there was in that whole gang of ours! - -And in that sport I was the acknowledged leader. - -There were many variations to our game. We would quickly put our feet -between those of men and women passing by, would "trip them up" and send -them sprawling to the pavement; we would throw rotten fruit and decayed -vegetables at them; would deliberately run into them and upset their -balance and, besides all this, would shower avalanches of filthy -expressions on them. Why didn't they resent it? Because people who -were obliged to pass there did not do it from choice, but because they -were obliged to do so, and knew the calibre of our tribe. They knew -that, like the rooster taken away from his dung-heap, singly and on -different ground from our own, we were crawling, cowardly caricatures of -men, and only brave when we could throw ourselves on One in mass. - -Yet, withal, even loafers can be saved from their mockery of an -existence, but different means from the stereotyped ones of the present -day must be employed. Where is the harvest of the many millions sown on -the East Side? The time, the day, the hour is ripe for a Messiah to the -slums who will have much piety, more manhood and, most of all, common -sense. Bring less talk and more muscle; less hymns and more work, and -there will be an echo to your labor in every lane and alley. - -My loaferish career ran along so evenly that I could not imagine such a -thing as a break in it. Without a moment's warning, in the most ordinary -way, the message from across the frontier of decency was brought to me -by one whom I cannot call otherwise than one of God's own angels. - -It had been a most quiet day. In the early forenoon "Skinny" McCarthy, -one of my intimate pals, had informed me that "something would be doing" -that day. I gave him my rogue's blessing and sped him on his way. - -"Skinny" belonged to the class of meanest grafters. His graft consisted -in walking miles and miles looking for trucks and wagons left -temporarily without the driver's protection. To whip something from the -vehicle and then to accelerate his steps, at the same time holding the -stolen article before him, was only a moment's effort. Naturally, the -proceeds of "Skinny's" expeditions were never very large, but he kept at -it so constantly and spent his few dollars so quickly that he was a -rather handy acquaintance for me. - -It was about two o'clock in the afternoon of June the second when -"Skinny" returned to Callahan's and, pulling me aside, whispered that he -had done better than usual. I praised him for his zeal and luck, -encouraged him to greater efforts, and then suggested that our thirst -should find an immediate end. Forthwith, at a signal from me, several -other birds of our feather joined us and we celebrated "Skinny's" safe -and welcome return in the customary way. - -The only serious fault I had to find with "Skinny" McCarthy was that he -could not stand very much drink. Just when the others would begin to -feel the mellowing influences of the drink "Skinny" was always so -intoxicated as to lose all control over his speech and actions. He was -a bit of a hero-worshipper, and I--mind you, I--was his hero. As soon -as the fumes of the stuff consumed would befuddle his brains he would -declare with howling, roaring emphasis that he was a thief and proud of -it, that he didn't care for what anybody thought of him as long as I was -his friend, and that he was always willing to share with me, because he -knew that I would stick to him if he should happen to get into "stir." - -All this was very flattering to me and sounded sweet to my ears, yet, -being of limitless capacity, I never found myself sufficiently drunk to -enjoy this too public endorsement. - -On this occasion--June the second--"Skinny," elated over his markedly -successful expedition, bought drinks so fast that, in a little over an -hour, he was near a state of coma. I, as leader of the gang, was more -or less responsible for the individual safety of my fellows, and, not -caring to see "Skinny" utterly helpless so early in the afternoon, -ordered a cessation of drinking and proposed an adjournment to the kegs -at the curb, hoping the air would partly revive my ailing follower. - -My suggestion was accepted, and I led the way to the sidewalk, closely -followed by "Skinny." - -Just as I had reached the curb and was about to seat myself on my keg I -heard a slight commotion, followed by a muffled scream, behind me. -Leisurely turning I saw what I had expected to see. - -It was one of our customary frolics. "Skinny" McCarthy had wilfully and -fiercely collided with a frail young girl. Although I could not see her -face, her figure and general appearance denoted youth. But what did -youth, age, sex or size matter to us? - -They all stood about her in a circle, grinning and leering at her. I, -too, meant to join in the general enjoyment. But before my facial -muscles had time to shapen themselves into a brutish laugh the girl -wheeled around, looked at McCarthy, at me, at all of us and, quite -distinctly could I read there the sentence: "And you are MEN!" - -Possibly there was a psychic or physical reason for it, but whatever it -was I could almost feel when her look fell on me the bodily sensation of -something snapping or becoming released within me. It was as if a -spring, holding back a certain force, had been suddenly freed from its -catch and had, catapult-like, sent a new power into action. - -I had neither the inclination or intelligence to explain it all to -myself. Instead, I rushed into the crowd, tore through it, until I -stood in front of McCarthy, who, without a word from me, received a blow -from me under his ear, felling him to the ground. - -This decisive and unexpected action on my part amazed the members of the -gang so that they stood motionless for several seconds before paying any -attention to McCarthy, who was lying motionless on the sidewalk. They -did not know what to make of it. Was I more drunk than they had judged -me to be? Was there a private grudge between McCarthy and myself? - -That I had acted solely to save the young lady, from further insult -would have been--had they surmised it--as inexplicable to them as it was -to me. - -I took no heed of their wondering attitude, but, in gruff tones, asked -the young lady to come with me. She was completely bewildered and -followed me mechanically. - -Poor "Skinny" in his stunned condition was still on the ground, and -this, as always, furnished an interesting spectacle to the many idle -gapers, who had joined the rank of spectators. I, holding the girl by -her arm, made my way through them without any trouble and then addressed -my companion. - -"Say, sis, I guess I better walk a block or two with you, because I -think it's better. That push there won't do you nothing, but they're -all drunk and might get fresh to you again." - -Surely, it was not a very cavalierly speech, but, somehow, it was -understood and remembered. Often in the future, we--she and I--had our -laugh at this offer of my protectorate, which was word for word -remembered by her. - -The crowd through which I had roughly forced a passage for the girl and -myself closed again behind us, and, with that, the doors of my old life -creakingly began to move on their rusty hinges and slowly started to -close themselves entirely. They did not close themselves with a bang -and a slam--if they had done that I might have been aware of their -maneuver and would, most likely, have offered resistance--and, even -their slow move was not known to me then, but only recognized by me in -the years to come. This happens to many of us. We are successful or -unfortunate, rich or poor, and can in our acquired state clearly trace -back the line to an event which was the parting of the ways. - - - - - *THE BEGINNING OF THE MIRACLE.* - - - - *CHAPTER XIII.* - - *THE BEGINNING OF THE MIRACLE.* - - -For the first time in my life I found myself playing the part of a -chivalric knight, and, let me assure you, the poorest actor could not -have played it worse. Part of my existence had been to watch others. -Not to learn from them by observation, but to find their weaknesses. -While engaged in the most potent part of my observations, I was never so -concentrated in them that I entirely overlooked the minor details. So I -had seen gentlemen help ladies to and from carriages, had seen them -assist their women friends across gutters and crossings, and open doors -for them. Walking beside the young lady I knew something was expected -from me in the line of politeness, but I who had always been accustomed -to go up "against the hardest games and unfavorable odds," felt most -uncomfortable at not being sure what to do in a case like this. Perhaps -this was the reason, why I, instead of seeing her along for a block or -two, kept on walking beside her, because I did not know how to take -leave without giving serious offense by my way of expressing my -leavetaking. The truth of the matter was I was afraid. - -This confession of mine will lead you to think that there was something -about her inspiring awe or fear. But you are wrong, very wrong. - -She was not tall, not statuesque. She was not a "queenly looking" girl -judged by external appearance. Her queenliness was within, so potent, -so convincing, that neither man nor beast could refrain from bowing to -it. I was in the dilemma of wanting to be a gentleman, a courtier to my -queen, and not knowing how to be one. - -Somehow impelled, I kept on walking beside her. She was not wanting in -expressions of gratitude, but I did no better than to acknowledge them -with deep-toned grunts. - -To explain matters, she told me she was a teacher in one of the near-by -schools, and was compelled to pass our "hang-out" every day on her way -to and from home. In exchange for her confidence I should have -introduced myself, but, alas! this big, hulking oof knew naught of -politeness. - -But the bonny little lass was a marvel of tact and diplomacy. Not -commenting on or pretending to notice my neglect of the customary -introduction, she appointed herself inquisitor-in-chief. She put me on -the witness stand and cross-examined me. Leading questions were fired -at me with the rapidity of a trained lawyer. Ere I knew it, she knew -all about me and I felt ashamed at having a little mite like her break -down all the barriers of that reticence on which I prided myself. - -We walked on, the street traveling beneath and unnoticed by us. She -stopped me at Houston street and the Bowery and I looked about me as if -descended from a dream. She wanted me to leave her there and wanted me -to return to Chatham Square, or from wherever I had come. But the -bulldog in me growled and persisted in seeing her to her door. We -halted at a modest dwelling-house in Houston street, near Mott street. -She thanked me with very much feeling and, expecting a modicum of -manners from me, waited for a second for my response. There are things -which we learn without being aware, and I knew and felt that I should -say something, but my courage had fled, my knees weakened under me and -the words which I meant to utter stuck in my throat, kept there by my -fear of not being able to use the right expression. - -At last I squeezed out a gruff "Good night," and then turned to leave. -I was not permitted to go. - -"Where are you going?" she asked. "I am afraid you are anxious to -return to that place on Chatham Square. Don't go there." - -"Where else can I go?" - -"Where else?" she asked, with a mingling of pity and contempt. "Mr. -Kildare, I have absolutely no right to interfere with your business, but -I have the right to tell you the truth. You may not know it or would if -you did know it, deny it, but you and most of the men of that gang are -too good to be of it. We are strangers, and you may think me -presumptuous, but a man, strong and able bodied as you, sins against his -Maker if he wastes his days in an idleness which is hurtful to himself -and others." - -"Oh, I heard that before, young lady, but that sort of talk don't amount -to anything." - -"It doesn't amount to anything? From what you have told me about -yourself and from what I have seen of the street life, I am afraid it is -not absolutely impossible that, one of these days, you may find yourself -in serious trouble. And, Mr. Kildare, you can rest assured that the -prisons are full of men who are convinced when it is too late that this -sort of talk does amount to something. You say you do not know where -else to go? The evening is beautiful. There are parks, the river-front, -the Brooklyn Bridge, where one can go and sit and think----" - -"Think," I interrupted, "now, what would I be thinking about?" - -She remained silent for some little while and then held out her hand to -me. - -"I am so sorry for you, so sorry. Do try and be a man, a man who has -more than strength and muscle. And--and--do not be offended at my -solicitude--pray, pray often." She had almost entered the hall, but -stepped back again and whispered, "I will pray for you to-night." - -Pray! I can imagine the sneer which surely settled on my face. The -name of the Divinity had been used by me daily. But in what manner! -Before I reached my teens I was past master of the art of profanity, and -my skill in cursing increased as I grew older. And now she had -counselled me to pray, to use in reverence the name which had no meaning -to me and slipped glibly from my lips at the slightest provocation. -Why, it was ridiculous--but was it so very ridiculous? - -The two arch enemies began a fierce battle within me. Without any -trouble can I remember my walk to Chatham Square that night. Sometimes -I halted, leaned up against a lamp post and said: "By Heavens, I think -there's a great deal of truth in what she said!" Buoyed up by this -assurance I would start afresh, would walk half a block and then again -halt to listen to the other voice, which whispered: "Fool, don't listen -to women's talk. You are somebody. You are known and feared, and -wouldn't be that if you were a goody-goody." - -Many men are only feared, while they believe themselves to be respected. -That is how it was with me, and that is why my "other" voice did not say -"respected," but "feared." - -The battle was waged within me until I was almost at Chatham Square. -And then a strange thing came to pass. Mike Callahan's place was on the -western side of the square. I had come down on that side, but, when on -the corner of the square, I deliberately crossed over to the eastern -sidewalk, and, from there, surveyed my camping ground. - -I stood and looked at the flashily illuminated front of Mike Callahan's -dive and wavered between the old-rooted and the new-come influences. It -would have been laughable had it not been so pitiful. - -Just think, a man, supposedly intelligent and mature, considering -himself the martyr of martyrs if he had to forego the "pleasures" of -Callahan's dive for one precious night. - -The new-come influence was a potent one, yet it was so strange, so -inexplicable to me that I could have refused to heed it and would have -let my old inclinations persuade me, had I not thought of my good old -Bill. The importance of my recent adventure had driven my partner -temporarily from my mind. But now I thought of him, remembered that he -had been subjected to a long fast by my carelessness and hurried to the -attic to make up for my negligence. I found him as expectant and -philosophical as ever, and watched him with languid interest while he -was munching the scraps I had saved for him. Then it occurred to me -that Bill had been deprived of his customary walk with me and had not -had a breath of fresh air all day. It also rankled in my mind what she -had said about the parks and the Brooklyn Bridge, and, lo and behold, -Bill and I found ourselves in the street, bound for City Hall Park, like -two eminently respectable citizens intent on getting a little air. - -I consoled myself for this evident display of weakness by emphatically -resolving to return to Callahan's as soon as Bill should have had his -fill of fresh air. - -We were comparative strangers to City Hall Park. Every foot of the park -and the sidewalks about it had been traveled by my bare feet many years -ago, but never had I looked on the leafed oasis in the light of a -recreation ground. - -We felt a trifle out of place, and, most likely on that account chose -the most secluded and unobserved spot for our experimental siesta. The -rear stoop of the City Hall, facing the County Court House, was in deep -shadow, and there we seated ourselves to test how it felt to be there -just to rest. - -It gradually began to dawn on us that City Hall Park was almost as -interesting as the sidewalk in front of Mike Callahan's dive on Chatham -Square. A perpetual stream of people crossed our view on their way to -and from the Brooklyn Bridge and to and from the Jersey ferries. Very -few of them walked leisurely. Most of them seemed in a hurry and all -seemed to have a definite purpose. Bill and I were the only two without -a purpose. - -Ah, no, it is wrong for me to say that. Let me speak only for myself. -Bill had a purpose, and a noble one. - -My thoughts ran oddly that night. I looked around and saw the people on -the benches. Then, as now, the majority of the seats were occupied by -homeless men, by "has-beens." - -"Well, I am surely better than those tramps," I assured myself with -self-satisfied smirk. - -Was I better than those tramps? The newer voice gave me the answer. -These tramps, useless now, had once been useful, had once worked and -earned, but I, almost thirty years of age, couldn't call one day in my -life well spent. - -It was a wondrous night to us, this night in the shadow of City Hall -Park. It was the first night I had given to thought, and found myself -at my true estimate. Saints are not made in a day, and I was still hard -and callous, but, after my introspection, a feeling took possession of -me which very much resembled shame. Instead of returning the way we had -come, via Chatham street--now called Park Row--we wandered home by the -way of Centre street. We passed the Tombs, the sinister prison for the -city's offenders, and Bill and I looked at it musingly. There were many -in the cells who were known by me. Many in them could justly call me -their accomplice, because I had willingly spent their money with them, -knowing, or, at least, suspecting, how it had been gotten. And how long -would it be before a cell in there would be but a way station for me -before taking the long journey "up the river"? - -The mere suggestion of it was shivery and I remarked to Bill that our -attic, no matter how humble, was preferable to a sojourn at Sing-Sing. - -Then an inspiration came to me, and, to this very day I am making myself -believe it came from old Bill. Most likely I am a fool for doing it, -but I want to have my old pal have his full share of credit in my -reincarnation. The inspiration was: "Why not try and stay in my attic -in preference to going to Sing-Sing?" To this came an augmentation: "If -able to keep away from the road that leads to prison, it may not always -be necessary to stay in an attic. There are more nicely furnished rooms -in the city than your cubby-hole on the top floor, friend Kildare." - -How can I now, at this long range, analyze my feelings of that critical -night? I would have to perform a psychic wonder, and I am not that kind -of a magician. But I did not go back to Callahan's, and have never been -there since as a participant in the slimy festivities. - -Up in our attic Bill and I gave ourselves up to much mutual scrutiny. -Some outward change in me must have been noticeable, for Bill watched me -most critically. - -The one thing I remember best of all the little incidents which left -their clear impressions on my mind was my first attempt at praying. - -Bill laid in his usual place at the foot of my bed, and I was stretched -on my back, gazing into the ceiling and overcoming my astonishment at -being in bed at such an unearthly early hour by going over the events of -the day. I lingered longest at the scene at her door and tried to laugh -when my train brought me to her advice to pray. Somehow the laugh was -not sincere, and, instead of being able to continue my mind's recital, I -could not get away from her admonition. - -That was not all. A soliloquy ensued and ended with the result of -giving prayer a chance to prove itself. Why not? It did not cost -anything, might do some good after all, and, besides, it would be -interesting to note how it felt to pray. - -I prayed, and you will not accuse me of irreverence when I make the -statement that my prayer was certainly one of the funniest that ever -rolled on to the Father's throne. It was hardly a prayer. The "thou" -and "thee" and "thy" were sadly missing. I did not think or ask with -faith. Quite the reverse. I frankly avowed my skepticism. The -substance of it was that I had been told God could do much, everything. -The one who had told me this possessed my greatest respect, yet was only -a little girl and not as experienced as I, and, perhaps, fooled. So, if -God wanted me to believe in Him, He would have to give me conclusive -proof right away or else lose a follower. It was a heart-to-heart talk -of the most informal kind and--are they not the best prayers? - -I said quite coolly that I had been told I wasn't as much of a man as I -had thought myself to be and that there was a much better life than the -one I had led. Well, I was willing to try it, and, if I really liked -the newer life better than the old one, I promised to stick as closely -to God as I had stuck to all that was evil before. - -One should not bargain with the Creator, but I am sure that on the -Judgment Day my God will find extenuating circumstances. As for the -bargain made that night, both parties have lived up to it. - - - - - *THE OLD DOORS CLOSED.* - - - - *CHAPTER XIV.* - - *THE OLD DOORS CLOSED.* - - -Sober to bed and sober out of it was an uncommon experience and I felt -embarrassed by the unwonted sensation. Happily I found some money in my -pocket and that deprived me of the excuse to my conscience that I must -go to Callahan's so as to get my breakfast money. How we ate that -morning, Bill and I, and how we relished our breakfast. Yes, I had a -drink, a big drink of whiskey, but not because I had forgotten my -resolve of the night before, but because I was yet ignorant. To be -quite frank, I have always been a bit cynical about these sudden -conversions of confirmed drunkards. - -Not long ago I met a man at a rescue mission where I frequently attend, -who, as we say on the Bowery, "eats whiskey" and almost subsists on it. -He was homeless, or rather bedless, his home being forfeited long ago, -and received his "bed ticket" from the missionary after his confession -of salvation. I happened to meet him on the following day; and his -breath was strong with the perfume of cloves. He told me he liked to -chew them, which is rather an odd hobby. - -Far be it from me to slander any one, yet the perfume of cloves can hide -a multitude of aromas. - -Sublime is the aim of the rescue missions, but how and whether they -accomplish this aim is another story, which we might discuss at some -future time. - -Another habit, which also still clung to me, was my late rising. It was -noon before Bill and I appeared on the street on our way to the -restaurant. After breakfast we walked over to City Hall Park, looked -gravely and wisely at the spot where we had sat the night before, and -then we permitted ourselves the luxury of a day dream. - -Dreams are funny fellows, always playing pranks. This dream kept me -embraced until I found myself in the immediate neighborhood of the -school where a certain little professor was engaged in leading the -infantile mind through the labyrinth of the A, B, C's. - -Soon they began to stumble out with noisy, natural, healthy laughter and -hubbub, and the dingy street became one long, squirming stream of -babbling children. I could not help looking back on my boyish years and -tried to imagine how it would feel to have your slate and books under -your arm. There were many youngsters before me and I kept staring at -them to draw the picture in my mind's eye of how I would have looked -coming from school, my school. - -At last she came! - -As I saw the little tots, her pupils, cling to her skirts from very love -of her, I felt a light, an oriflamme, within my breast, and knew that I -would have to fight a harder fight than ever before; that I would have -to conquer myself before I would dare to touch the hem of her skirt as -those children. And he who fights, fights best when in the sight of an -inspiring emblem. So then I took my sailing flag and nailed it to the -mast of purity. It has withstood all sorts of weather. Sometimes it -droops, again it flies defiantly. But, whatever, it is still safely on -the mast and will stay there until I strike my colors for the last -dipping to my God above. - -I crossed the street and put myself in her way so that she could not -help seeing me. - -"Oh, Mr. Kildare!" - -She remembered my name. - -It is impossible for me to recall how I acted at this meeting. However, -I consider it very fortunate that no camera fiend took a snapshot at me. -The human document which would have evolved from it would certainly be -very embarrassing to me. Still, lout, churl as I was, it was the first -time in my life that I spoke to a girl without even the shadow of an -ulterior or impure motif, and some of my want of politeness may be -forgiven on that account. - -If I cannot recollect my behavior during that scene, I can correctly -recollect my feelings. I was in a turmoil. Her face showed real, -unaffected pleasure on seeing me, and that to me, if you will understand -my social position then--was an incomparable boon. If people, the good, -well intending people, would only realize that the hardest heart is very -often the most ready to respond to genuine kindness and that, usually, -it is only hard, because, through life, it had to be satisfied with the -stereotyped prating which passes as a message from our all-loving and -loving-all God! - -Knowing the awkward propensities of my limbs and arms, it does not -surprise me in the least that I stood there shuffling and wobbling, and -never noticing the little hand held out to me in truest greeting. - -She greeted me kindly, in evident surprise. - -Most gingerly I took her dainty hand into my big, brawny paw. She spoke -of the "chance meeting." Since then I have often felt certain that when -I said "chance meeting," a twinkle danced for the time of a breath in -her eyes. Afterward, I often accused her of it and was severely -squelched for my presumption. Yet, yes, she was an angel, but also very -much of a woman, and, between you and me, there are times when a true, -little woman with staunch heart, level head and unwavering faith is of -more practical benefit to a rough, big fellow like me than the angel who -wouldn't dare take a chance of spoiling those snowy garments or to let -the harp remain untwanged for a few moments. - -Being more unfamiliar with etiquette than I am now, I had no little -white lie ready, but blurted out that I had come there for the express -purpose of seeing her. She seemed a trifle annoyed at this and I -hastened to explain that I was there to see her home, so that she would -not have to run the risk of being insulted again. When she learned this -determination of mine to act henceforth as her body guard, she chided at -first, declared it absolutely unnecessary, but then laughed, and told me -it was very kind of me. - -And all this time I was playing a part and, as I thought, so perfectly -that she could not penetrate my disguise. But she could not be -deceived. She quickly saw through my pretense of wishing to appear a -fairly considerate man of the world, who, not having anything better to -do, would do a chivalrous act merely for the sake of killing some of his -superfluous time. The only wonder is that she permitted me to bother -her. - -Then, though no daisies or roses garlanded our path and though we walked -along the crowded, not too clean, sidewalks in the precincts of the -poor, began walks that one could turn into poetry, but which I cannot -do, not having the essential gift of expression. All I could do in -return for being permitted to be beside her was to devote myself -entirely to the task of protecting her. Protect her against what? - -You know the most glorious thing about love is that it is no respecter -of persons. To rich and poor it comes alike; here to be received in -passion and impurity, there to be welcomed in a better spirit and to be -nested in an ever-loyal heart. But the bad thing about love is that it -makes us lose our proper respect for truth. In short, it makes splendid -liars out of us. - -Where is there the young man who has not told her whom he adored that -her eyes made the most brilliant star look like a tallow candle, or that -her cheeks were as peaches? - -In the same way did I magnify my knightly duty to myself. Surely the -dangers along the journey to her home were trifling and few, but, thanks -to my love-stirred imagination, I felt as serious as a plumed knight, -and no proud queen in days of sword and lance had more devoted cavalier -to fight, die or live for her. That now became my sole duty, and with -such duty, to serve the best and truest, a man must grow better even in -spite of himself. - -Every day, rain or shine, I waited on the corner above the school to -serve as permanent escort. Every day she told me it was not necessary to -see her home, yet, every day she permitted me to do so. When one arrives -in a strange land the smaller details are often not noticed, and, -afterward, you can only re-see the grander pictures. I cannot tell you -how and why the turns in our conversations occurred, but I can remember -certain bits of talk and questions, very important to both of us. - -For instance, on our third meeting she asked me if I were still one of -Mike Callahan's ornamental fixtures. I felt then, as many of us have -felt before and will feel again; I was ashamed to admit that I had -severed my connection with the gang and had not been there since the -night I had taken her home. You see, I still considered myself a -"red-hot sport," and did not care to be identified with anything that -was goody-goody. Since then I have learned that it is quite the thing -among certain sets to speak lightly of one's religion and to laugh at -being found out as an occasional church-goer. It makes such a rakish -impression to intimate you are "really devilish." - -So, to her question, I did not give a straightforward answer, but hummed -and hawed and--lied. - -"No, I ain't been there the last two nights, because--because, I wasn't -feeling any too good, and--and, oh, yes, one night I went up to a show." - -The greatest lies can be compressed into the smallest parcels, yet they -always weigh the same. - -She had a way of letting me know when my lies were too transparent. It -was not what she said, but how she looked when she said it. - -In reality I had stood away from Callahan's because I had taken a -dislike to the place and everybody in it, but, of course, it would have -never done to tell that to a little slip of a girl. - -Apparently my explanation was not taken at its face value, for she -merely said: "Oh, I see." Barely a second later she added: "Oh, I'm so -glad." - -The intuition of women is certainly wonderful. Even such an accomplished -diplomat as myself was floored on the spot by a little girl. - -Well, the days wore on, and our walks became to me walks in an unknown -realm. Her little casual references to mother, brother, home, friends -and daily work gave me a vista of a life not even imagined by me. To -live as she, in well-regulated household and according to well-ordained -schedule, had never been desired by me and, therefore, never been -considered by me. - -"If that kind of life turns out such fine little women, it can't be so -bad after all, and may be worth trying," was my train of reasoning, and -a dull but positive desire to try that sort of life began to rankle in -my soul. - -While I was engaged in these musings, she did not keep entirely quiet, -but put me through the most severe kind of civil service. I had to -answer so many questions--and truthfully, too, as she could tell a -fabrication immediately--until I honestly believe every hour of my life -was covered. The finish of it all was that I was made the subject of -several of the most scathing lectures ever delivered. Those sermons -fairly made my blood boil, and often, under my breath, I wished she were -a man, that I could close the lecturing for good and all with a blow. - -It is simply awful how impudent little people--and especially -women--are. And the worst of it is that we big fellows have to stand it -from them. - -She had a peculiarly direct way of getting at things and never minced -matters. The effect of it was that I began to shrink into myself. - -A leering knave, I had stood on the pinnacle of wickedness; had grinned -and sneered at decency, manhood and womanhood; had thought myself a -"somebody" because the laws of God and man were unregarded by me, and -because a chorus of fools and friends had always shouted an amen to my -deeds, and now--now I awoke to the pitiful fact that I was not only a -"nobody," but a despicable, contemptible thing, without the least of -claims to the grandest title--man. - -Yes, there was no denying the fact, the "somebody" had fallen, sadly -fallen from his horse, and all his house of cards had been knocked into -smithereens by a little bit of a schoolma'am. - - - - - *A KINDERGARTEN OF ONE.* - - - - *CHAPTER XV.* - - *A KINDERGARTEN OF ONE.* - - -Keeping away from Callahan's and from the sinister harvest which was -often reaped there, had a depressing effect on my income. For a -comparatively long time I lived on a few dollars, which came to me from -outstanding loans, now determinedly collected. I learned then that if -one keeps away from Callahan's and places like it, one can subsist on a -remarkably small income. As it had been with me, it was always a case -of "getting it easy and spending it easy." - -My expenses became the object of much thinking and figuring. So much -for room rent, so much for meals, including Bill's fare, and so much for -shaves and incidentals were estimated at the lowest minimum and so as to -last the longest until something should turn up. This something did not -fail to turn up. - -When the funds became dangerously low, I bethought myself of some of my -swell friends, who had often evinced a desire to have me "train" them or -keep them in condition. These propositions had been so frequent as to -make me think that to be rich included being rich in ailments. - -Some wanted me to make them thin, others desired more flesh to cover -their bones, and they all came to me, I being such an authority on -anatomy and physiology! - -I communicated with many of these ailing swells and ere long made a -fairly good living by my physical culture lessons. There is a heavy -cloud on my conscience that on my balance-sheet a score of offenses are -recorded against me in connection with the furtherance of my physical -culture system. A frank confession is good for the soul, and I might as -well confess right here that, only too frequently, I prescribed the -identically same course for fat and lean. - -This calling of mine was not without humor. I remember a "patient" who -was troubled with too much embonpoint. He did not believe in the -prescriptions of his physician, but rather preferred the physical -culture system of "Professor" Kildare. He was a man of much weight in -public affairs and in flesh. About 250 pounds in the flesh, if I -remember right. - -He lived in the immediate neighborhood of Madison Square, and for a long -succession of many mornings a select audience, including several -news-boys, a few policemen and myself, had the edifying spectacle of -seeing these 250 absolutely-refusing-to-melt pounds chase around the -square like mad at 5 A.M. - -I do not think it did him very much harm and it did the audience an -awful lot of good, if you will take laughter as an indication of -increasing health. - -No fear of want or need threatening me, I gave myself completely up to -peeping into the better life. I fairly revelled in my new experience, -and dreams by day and night were my only territory. - -A few weeks of this and then a crisis came. - -We had reached her house from our customary walk from the school. I had -taken leave and had already taken a few steps, when she called me back. - -"Mr. Kildare, I forgot something." - -I was quickly back to the door waiting to hear what she had forgotten. - -She took a small card from her bag and handed it to me. - -"Mr. Kildare, you have been very kind and considerate and I would like -to show you that I appreciate it. I am afraid you will find it rather -tame, but I hope you will come." - -I twirled the card between my fingers and without looking at it asked: -"What is it?" - -"Why, just a little social entertainment of our church." - -"When and where does it take place?" I still kept on asking. - -"I am not quite sure as to the date, but the card will tell you." - -As it was said, I could do no less than refer to the card. Whether I -held the card upside down or what I did, I do not know, but my secret -was out and nothing could hide it any longer. - -There I stood, to all appearances a man, intelligent and able-bodied, -and not able to cipher or decipher even my own name. - -I felt all go away from me. My fairy palace of bliss crumbled to -pieces. What else could I do but slink away, to hide myself, my -ignorance, my shame forever? - -Why prolong the agony of this torturing moment? - -I turned quickly without a word, intending to return to the dark -"whence" from which I had come. - -But before I had taken a step a little hand grasped my arm, and then and -there took up its faithful guidance of me, and every fibre of my big, -ungainly frame thrilled at this waking of the better life. - -The memory of the following months--yes, years--but for the tingeing -sadness would be a bit of most laughable humor. - -The work of my little schoolma'am became doubled. Besides her class at -school she saddled herself with this unwieldy, husky kindergarten of -one. I know many youngsters--God bless them!--who like their school and -studies, but they were not in it with me in the drilling of my A, B, -C's. Never was the alphabet more quickly mastered. In a surprisingly -short time "c-a-t, cat," and "r-a-t, rat," were spelled by me with the -facility of a primary scholar. - -Who would not have learned quickly with such a teacher? - -My good old Bill did not fail to note this educational process and was -sorely puzzled at it. - -Our attic became a study; the washstand a student's desk, with a big, -ungainly head bent close to a smoking oil lamp. - -How I pored over my private lessons! - -The pen in cramped fingers would trace those tantalizing letters, while -the lips gruffly murmured the spelling. Naturally, arithmetic was also -included in my curriculum, and often Bill had flung at him the maddening -puzzle: "Seven into thirty-five goes how many times--yes, how many -times?" - -Bill always sat beside me during my studies and blinked a hundred -questions at me. - -"Say, Kil, what are you up to now? I am afraid it is some new sort of -tomfoolery. If not, why can't I do it, too?" - -I often answered and explained, but the situation was not fully grasped -by my old pal until he met my teacher. And then? Why the rocks, the -hillsides, trees and birds and flowers were all responsive to that -little sprite, and Bill, in just one glance, saw that the fairy of our -destinies had but begun her miracle of love. - -But even dolls can be made to talk and parrots can imitate empty -chatter. My teacher wanted me to have the means to lift myself out of -my ditch. The little sculptor who was moulding this huge mass of the -commonest clay into the semblance of a man wanted to waken that in me -which would make me something apart from the thing I had been. Coming -out of blackest darkness I was not led at once into the radius of the -dazzling light, but, as with the tots in her class at school, she -coached me, step by step, into the way of righteous intelligence. - -Gradually I began to see--to see with the eyes of my soul--and I found a -great world about me abounding in the evidences of an almighty and wise -Creator. I began to understand and love this newer and better life, and -began to hate the old life, which often tried to tempt me back to it. - -Our lessons were carried on with much inconvenience and difficulty. The -distance from school to home was little more than ten blocks, and during -the time it took us to walk that length I had to report my lesson and to -receive instructions for additional study. The inconvenience of this -method was not at all conducive to learning, and one day I was asked by -my teacher to come to her house to receive my lesson there. - -I could hardly believe mine own ears. I was to see the very place in -which she lived. It was beyond belief. Was it not a sacrifice on her -part? Indeed it was, and I can never sufficiently emphasize the many -sacrifices this sweet little girl underwent for me from the beginning to -the very end. - -Let us understand her position. - -Marie Deering was the sole support of her mother and a young invalid -brother. Besides these two she had only one other relative, an elder -brother in a far western city. The father, a retired captain of -engineers in the British army, had come to America to dispose of several -inventions. Whatever the value of these inventions, the captain knew -little of the ways of business and commerce, and soon found himself -minus his inventions and balance of his savings. Disappointment and -failing health combined to shorten his days, and the little family found -themselves fatherless. - -The burden to provide fell then on the shoulders of the daughter, and -that, as all her other burdens, was borne with a fortitude worthy of a -saint in heaven. - -It goes without saying that the Deerings were refined people, and you -can imagine what it meant to them to have a big, uncouth fellow intrude -into their home circle. I shall never forget the horror-stricken -countenance of Mrs. Deering when I appeared for my first lesson. It -needed no interpreter to read the question in her eyes: "For goodness' -sake, where did this come from, and what is it?" - -But I immediately found a dear little ally in my teacher's invalid -brother, who quickly discovered me a willing horse for many a wild and -hazardous canter from kitchen to parlor. - -This first glance into real home life fairly upset me. Since then I -have seen many more luxurious places, but none where my heart felt so -much at home. I noticed everything--the neatness, the taste of the -modest decorations--and I set my teeth and said: "I, too, will have a -home, a real home, and, perhaps, not only for myself, but----" - -Ah, it was too early to dream that far. - -To dream of things will never bring them. People who had known me had -always given me credit for stubborn determination in wicked pursuits. I -resolved to test the strength of my determination by applying it to a -better end. - -As soon as my mentor ascertained that my income came from practising my -uniform system of physical culture, of which the only beneficiary was -the inventor and professor, she counselled against it and told me to -cease it. - -This brought me face to face with my most novel experience. I looked -for work--good, honest, hard work. - -My luck surprised me. - -Only a few months had passed since the beginning of my transformation, -but it had been noticed by men whom I had thought indifferent to my -fate. - -I can say, with all the conviction possible, that, if a man determines -without compromise to do right, he will find friends, all willing to -help along, among those he had expected to be nothing more than mere -acquaintances. And another thing. I also claim--and it has never -disproven itself to me--that the man who really wants to work can always -find it, friends or no friends. The rub is that "suitable" work cannot -always be found so easily. It is this lack of "suitable" work which -sends men to Bowery lodging-houses, there to keep themselves in high -collars and cuffs by begging instead of soiling their tender hands by -the first work offered to them. - -I started out to do my hustling turn and had no trouble in finding work. -Happily it was of the--to me--"suitable" kind. - -I went to work at one of the steamboat piers as a baggageman--sometimes -lovingly referred to as a "baggage-smasher." The wages were eight -dollars a week, and that was a smaller amount than I had often "earned" -in one night while employed in the dives. - -On my first pay day, those eight dollars were recounted by me -innumerable times, not because I was dissatisfied with the smallness of -the amount, but because I felt good, really good, at having at length -earned a week's wages by honest toil. Every one of those bills had its -own meaning for me. - -My teacher knew of my new employment, and, with my first pay I bought a -little gift for her. It also gave me a pretext for explaining to her my -future plans. - -Much of her time had been taken up with me, and I owed all of my new -life to her endeavor. Persistently she claimed that all her efforts -were only a small return for the favor done for her by me, and that, -besides, it was her duty to help me to gain a foothold on my new road of -life. This argument failed to convince me, as my favor amounted to -nothing, and I understood without difficulty that all the benefit I -received from her unceasing toil with me was inspired by nothing else -than the sweet, Christian spirit which ruled every one of her actions. I -insisted that it would have been an imposition for me to be a trouble -and bother to her any longer, especially when I had steady employment, -which afforded me the time and means to attend evening schools and to -study at home in spare hours. I wanted to thank her, and not be quite -so conspicuous where, because of social differences, I felt I did not -belong. - -I mentioned something about coming from the gutter. As always, she had -an answer, and a flattering one, ready. As to coming from the gutter, -she expostulated, why, many a coin is dropped there and remains until -some one picks it up and, by a little polishing, makes it as good as it -ever was. - -It was just like her. She always claimed to have found in me something -good, something I could never have discovered. On the other hand, as -soon as we resumed the lessons, she found that quite often her pupil -could be severely trying. - -It was the harrowing science of arithmetic which caused the most -trouble, and even to this day--but that is a different story. I had a -confirmed habit of becoming hopelessly muddled in my multiplication -table. When floundering in the numerical labyrinth I would hear just -the faintest little sigh, and, looking up, would see a dear little -forehead showing the most cunning wrinkles of resignation. It was then -that horrid wickedness would take possession of me, and I would -intentionally make more mistakes just to see those eyes reproach me for -my stupidity. I would also make errors in my spelling and reading to -have the pleasure of being chided in her modulated voice. - -My course of education had now run on for months and the beginning of -winter gave us the chance to elaborate it. The free lectures of the -Board of Education were a boon quickly taken advantage of by us. Almost -every night we went to Cooper Union or some public school where an -interesting lecture was announced. To be sure I was not at first a -howling success as an attendant. I could stand the illustrated -lectures, but astronomy and political economy without pictures always -produced the lullaby effect on me, and I was often on the verge of -snoring. All this disappointed my professor, but did not discourage -her. - -Summer came and my knowledge of botany was destined to be enriched. -Strange are the paradoxes of fate. No class loves flowers as much as -the poor, and no class has less of them than they. Ah, it is pitiful, I -tell you, to wander through the streets inhabited by my people, and to -see never a patch of green, a fragrant oasis, in this stretch of barren, -joyless materialism. There is no time there for flowers, where even the -cabbages in front of the dingy grocery stores look withered and seared, -and where there is no other watchword than, "Work, work, or we will be -homeless and starving." That one thought rules the brains of my fellows -with an iron grasp. With the close of their daily toil their day's -worry is not over. Listen to the talks on the stoops and in the -doorways of the tenements and you will be the witness of much fretting. -Often all this mind's botheration is not necessary. There is no actual -want, no threatening danger of it. Yet, the poor find a gruesome -pleasure in dwelling in the midst of their horrors, and the roll of -their organ of misery churns along on an endless chain. - -And I believe that this is so because the child life of the East Side is -dwarfed and deprived of all that is dear to a child's natural desires. -Every year brings improvements. Men and women with hearts of gold are -working like Trojans among the children of the poor, and the harder they -work the more are they appreciated by their charges. I cannot rid -myself of the opinion that in the aiding of the children lies the only -solution of our social troubles. Teach them to be natural--a difficult -feat, to swing themselves above their level in intellect and not by -imitating the modes and fashions of the idle rich in the shoddy fabrics -offered to them by unscrupulous dealers, and we will have advanced miles -nearer to the goal which is desired by all who love their fellow men, -not with mushy sentiment, but with intelligence. - -Still, in spite of all that is done, the yearning look in the eyes of -the children is still there, and I would not care to have the heart of -the man who can see the unspoken wish in the childish gaze when -beholding a flower, no matter how scraggy, and then laugh at it as at a -freak of humor. - -My acquaintance with the denizens of the kingdom of flowers was -exceedingly limited. My teacher had noticed this and forthwith set to -work to remedy this other defect in my education. - -As early as May did we begin our out-of-door course. We did it by means -of excursions. I did not care to have this arrangement all one-sided -and we agreed to change off in the management of our personally -conducted tours. We both had to work during the week and could only -indulge in our excursions on Sundays. So, on one outing she would be -the supreme director and dictator; I, on the next. - -Candor compels me to confess that my outings always led us dangerously -near to Coney Island, if not quite to it, yet, people can enjoy -themselves even there, for it is the same old ocean, and the same sea -air there as elsewhere, and it only lies with the visitor how to spend -the holiday. - -On her Sundays I was always kept in the dark as to our destination until -we reached it. It invariably proved to be some quiet country place, -with nooks and brooks and all the charming props which set the stage of -nature with tranquil loveliness. After depositing the luncheon in some -shady spot, the professor would trip from flower to flower, from tree to -tree, and deliver little sermons on birds, flowers and minerals. There -is no schoolroom like God's own nature, and in a way which I cannot -describe to you, I learned that there was a life abounding in purity, in -the understanding of things, and based in the wisdom of a wise Father. -Step by step my faithful teacher led me on, until there was no doubt -travailing me, until I could stand in street, or field, or forest, and -feel my soul, my own undying soul. - -There never were other days like these and, surely, there never will be -again. - -We had then known one another for a long time. I had become capable of -reasoning, and had grave cause for doing so. Was it all for the best? -Will it surprise you to know that constant companionship with my mentor -had awakened in me thoughts very foreign to grammar and arithmetic? - -I loved her. I knew it, but I also felt that that love was doomed to be -buried unsatisfied. A cat may look at a queen, but that is about all a -cat may presume to do. - -That is what my reason told me, but in my heart there echoed a stirring -hymn of fondest hope. It would not let me rest, and I became a -pestering nuisance to my teacher. Many times daily would I ask her the -questions, "Why, why do you undergo this ceaseless labor--why do you set -yourself this gigantic task of making of me a man?" - -As in all other matters, I was rough and uncouth in my annoying -questioning, and an answer to it was long refused. But my bulldog -tenacity came to my aid and I would not let go. Determination will -overcome a good many things, and surely a little school teacher. I need -not tell you how it happened--you either know, or will know it -yourself--but one day we understood the question and the answer. - -Then life for us became a blessed thing indeed. For the first time in my -life I was supremely happy. I cannot tell you how my little girl felt, -but can give a very strong guess at it, for my sweetheart never wavered, -never failed me, and was my very own until the very last. - -My Mamie Rose, my bride, my dearest friend, my all. - -It took me a long time to fully grasp that she had really said "Yes," to -the ever-important question, but, as soon as I was quite sure of it, I -assumed the grand airs of proprietorship new swains usually assume. - -First of all I exerted my prerogative of calling her by her first name. - -Although long under her tutelage and exposed to her refining influence, -I was by no means, very polished, and still harbored many prejudices -against customs and usages not common to the social shift from which I -had sprung. The nomenclature of my people is very limited. Only a very -small choice of male and female baptismal names is resorted to by -tenement house folk. John, James, Michael, Patrick, Henry, George, -Charles are the most used male names; Maggie, Sadie, Susie, Lizzie, -Nellie and Mamie are the favorite female names, or, at least, the -favorite abbreviations of the names. - -The name, Marie R. Deering, sounded a trifle too fashionable, too -"toney," to me, and I proceeded to acclimatize it. - -"Mamie" is the abbreviation or substitute for "Marie," so my little girl -was immediately dubbed "Mamie." - -The "R."--the initial of her middle name, stood for Rosetta, and it was -decidedly against the code of ethics of the Fourth Ward for any one to -be burdened by such an enormity. Again I officiated at the imaginary -baptismal font, and "Rosetta" became a plain "Rose," sweet to me as no -other. - -Let no one think for a moment that my changing of names was accomplished -without opposition. Besides other things, little people also possess the -virtue of stubbornness, and many were the arguments pro and con. I was -told with most charming emphasis that I could shout "Mamie Rose" to the -winds, but that she, Marie R. Deering, would never--no, never--answer to -that name. But, you know the old saying about many little drops of -water penetrating the surface of the hardest stone, and the same was -true in this case. Also, it should not be forgotten that she, my Mamie -Rose, was of English descent, I was of Irish stock, and it is in Ireland -where the Blarney stone is, which same instils a wonderful magic in the -love-making of every descendant of good Erin's folk. - -We had barely sealed the compact of our love when I received a fearful -shock. My Mamie Rose wanted me to inform her mother concerning what had -happened. - -Mrs. Deering and myself had become very good friends. On several -occasions she had even been my fellow-conspirator, by helping me to -solve some weird puzzles in multiplication, imposed on me by her -daughter. I had often sat at her table and had spent many hours, made -pleasant by her, in the cosy home. However, all this did not seem -sufficient to screw my courage up to the required pitch. Many -particularly ticklish situations in my past life had been met by me -without flinching, but I actually trembled when I was obliged to face -this sweet lady with my portentous information and request. - -If I had trembled with fear before telling her, I trembled with joy -after it. - -I could hardly believe my senses when I did not hear one word of regret -or reproach from her lips. And when she said quietly, and, therefore, -most impressively: "I have no fear for Marie's future," I became her -bonded slave right on the spot, and hold myself in bondage to her to -this very day. - -Richard, my brave, crippled Dick--my "other" pal--was most effusive in -his congratulations, but, he admitted to me his was a selfish reason, -for now I was his big brother in "dead earnest." - -Naturally, all this gave me an increased impetus to earn more money, and -I put so much zeal into my work that my wages were several times -increased. Nevertheless, I was still nothing more or less than a -"baggage smasher." However, all of it, courtship and the rest, was so -entirely out of the ordinary that a little thing like this did not cause -us any worry. And if one happens to be a "baggage-smasher," it does not -follow that one must always remain one. Besides, the queen did not mind -it, and as to the cat, well--there is no use in talking to you if you -cannot imagine what the cat thought about it. - - - - - *AMBASSADOR BILL.* - - - - *CHAPTER XVI.* - - *AMBASSADOR BILL.* - - -One who has been somewhat neglected in the few preceding pages is my old -pal, my Bill. His soul, heart, instinct, call it what you will, was -undergoing severe trials. - -Mamie Rose was the cause of it. - -With her coming into our lives, she sowed the seed of jealousy between -me and Bill. - -Bill found a new joy in trotting beside my teacher at times when he -should have been at my side. He seemed the proudest dog in all the -world and hardly deigned to notice me. - -This I resented. - -On the other hand, at times when Mamie Rose and I would sit close -together, Bill could not rest until, with all his mighty prowess, he had -squirmed himself between us. - -For a long time he did not know whom of his two friends he should love -the best. But, with coming weeks and months, he decided to share his -affection evenly, and then we understood one another's feelings and -respected our relative positions. - -Would that I could take a peep into Bill's doggish brain and read the -memory of those heavenly days! - -A man who is born to coarseness and brutality will sometimes lose -control of his acquired attainments. There came a day, long forgiven -and forgotten by her, but not yet sufficiently atoned by me, when I -permitted the subdued brute within me to assert itself for one brief -moment. I saw immediately what I had done, and realized that my -rowdyism could not be forgiven. - -Then was a lapse in deepest shadows. Regrets, reproaches, -self-accusations--what good were they? They could not lead me back to -paradise. The room became a place of silent brooding, and not as -regularly shared by Bill as formerly. Bill had taken no part in our -estrangement. Emotional dog as he was, he never forgot to take care of -the inner dog whenever an opportunity presented itself. From the very -beginning he had industriously cultivated the acquaintance of my little -girl's mother. First, becomingly modest, he had, in the course of time, -insisted on being a regular guest at the dinner-table. I meant to break -him of this habit, but the mother told me in confidence that Bill had -whispered to her, quite plainly: "I think you are the very best cook in -the world." Few women can resist such a compliment. - -For two long days I had not seen her--had not heard her voice. She -lived just around the corner, and, from the window of my tenement, I -could see the walls that sheltered my treasure, that I thought forever -lost. I sat and sat and stared at the cruel bricks that seemed to cry, -"Halt!" Small wonder that the lesser things of life had lost their -importance to me! Even Bill had, for the nonce, but little space in my -thoughts; but he lost no time in bringing himself most forcibly to my -notice. - -I was at the window, and the door way slightly ajar. All was quiet, -very quiet, until a slow patter on the stairs told of my partner's -home-coming. My most casual glance was his share on entering the room. -He was very anxious to avail himself of this, and made quickly for the -sheltering shadows under the bed. But my careless glance had quickly -changed to one of concern on beholding him, and, after much coaxing, he -crawled out to face me. - -My valiant knight had met his conqueror. The hero of many a battle sat -wounded and bandaged before me. His left eye was swathed in linen. He -tried to pass over the matter lightly; he wagged his tail, but only -once, for that, too, was bandaged. Then he threw himself on my mercy. - -It behooved me, as his partner, to investigate the extent of the damage, -and I carefully untied the bandage that covered his eye. It was only a -trifling scratch, suspiciously like one made by a cat. I also noticed -that his badge of honor--his collar--was missing. On the point of -throwing aside the bandage, a handkerchief, my eye fell on a well-known -monogram in its corner, and--I cannot exactly recall how it -happened--but, in the very next minute, my Bill and I were descending -the rickety stairs, two steps at a time. - -Just as we turned the corner, a belligerent-looking tabby made herself -exceedingly conspicuous. Somehow, Bill found the other side of the -street preferable. At her door he joined me again, and my queen's -ambassador led the way upstairs. - -There I stood before her, and stammered uncouth phrases of apology. I -mentioned Bill's collar. A dainty hand took it from the mantel and -handed it to me; our fingers met and--all the world was singing again -the sweet refrain which for days had been silent. The impudence of that -dog beggars all description. He had the unblushing nerve to claim all -the credit for having brought love's jangle into tune again, and, in his -excitement, rapped his damaged caudal appendage three times on the floor -before he tried to bite it. - -Then our happiness began once more. - - - - - *MY DEBUT IN SOCIETY.* - - - - *CHAPTER XVII.* - - *MY DEBUT IN SOCIETY.* - - -Had our future plans depended on my inclinations, or rather my impulses, -our wedding would have taken place very soon after our engagement. All I -deemed necessary to insure our future happiness was our love. All else -was of no importance. Now I know that her judgment was the better. - -I had sense enough to admit her wisdom. I was still very much entangled -in the forest of ignorance. It could not have been right for me to force -myself on her, refined and cultured as she was--until, at least -approximately I was on the same level. I had still much, very much, to -learn before considering myself capable to class myself with the -non-illiterate. There were years of study before me, yet, with such a -prize dancing before me, I threw myself into my task with true -enthusiasm. - -So, though I often grumbled at my fate, I fully understood that it would -be many moons before I could justly say to my Mamie Rose: "Now I am -ready." - -We were both human. Sometimes, perhaps, in the hour when the homing of -the sun had come and when the golden wings were folded for the rest of -one more night, we, Mamie Rose and I, in field or rural quiet, felt the -intoned, unison song of our hearts, which sung to us that we were one, a -unit, and not two different personalities, and then we often came very -near to throwing aside all previous sagacious resolves and felt -ourselves fired by the desire to end to-morrow this two-fold existence. -These periods never lasted long. The morrow came and whispered: -"Fools," and we forgot the swerving from our intentions, in hard work. - -Since that time I have had many days of very hard labor, but I never -worked as I did then. Corporations are not in the habit of paying -liberal salaries unless every cent of them is earned by the sweat of -your brow. For one in my humble position I was receiving exceedingly -high wages--and, to be candid, I had to earn them by my sweat. Often I -was given an opportunity to work "over time" at extra pay. It was -always welcome, because it meant so much more added to my deposit in the -Savings Bank, but it simply "played me out." - -From the pier I would hurry to Mamie Rose's house to report or to -receive a lesson, although, sometimes, besides the lessons, other things -were discussed. Then home and to other work. - -I had left the attic and had taken a room, from where I could see Mamie -Rose's roof. Arrived in the room, Bill would be given his walk and -dinner, and then would be permitted to watch his master "making himself -educated." The Standard Oil Company really ought to give me a discount. -I was a good customer, yet received not all the benefit possible from -the oil. My midnight oil often burned away into morning to no better -purpose than to throw shadows of the sleeping student and his dog. - -I blush with deep shame while making this confession; I invariably fell -asleep over Ralph Waldo Emerson, while I had no trouble in keeping awake -with Alexandre Dumas. It is not intended as a criticism of Emerson, -although he could well afford to be criticised by me, but, generally -speaking, it seems to one as unformed as myself, as if the truths of -life, of thought, of science come to us always on stilts. I have not -been able to learn very much from present day novels, and am, and always -will be, compelled to fall back on old friends to supply me with the -scaffolding for the rather meagre structure of my education. But, in -spite of loving them dearly, I often wish they were better adapted to my -understanding. - -So, with books and work and sweet intercourse with her whom I loved, -time marched along with never-halting step and was recorded by me with -most exact care. My calendars were model chronicles of time, and often -did I wish they were practical statesmen, so that, by the usual means, -they could be speeded. - -With one exception nothing occurred to change the even tenor of our -lives. That one exception has, to this very day left a peculiarly -bitter taste in my mouth. I admit I am biased in the matter, still, I -can be truthful, and so, that I may be better understood, the episode -will be related here. - -Late one Saturday night, I had occasion to call on one of my former -pals, who was lying ill on a cot in a lodging house near Chinatown. On -my way home, I passed the entrance to Chinatown--Pell street, beginning -at the Bowery. I had just greeted a few of the men loafing about the -front of Barney Flynn's place--the palace of the King of the -Bowery--when I was hailed by some one. - -I looked around and saw a party of sightseers coming in my direction. I -had no more to do with that sort of business and intended to proceed on -my way without paying any attention to them, but was called by name by -one of them, whose voice was familiar to me. - -"What do you want?" I asked, and halted. - -"What's the matter, Kil? Don't you remember your friends any more?" - -I looked at the speaker and knew him again as one of my former pupils in -the physical culture line. To mention his name will do no good and I -will only say that he had been my favorite pupil and that I had believed -a mutual liking existed between us. To prevent error, let me say that he -had not been my patient, being neither too fat nor too lean, but had -only taken a course in boxing to learn the manly art of self-defense. I -had never seen him since the closing of my physical culture system and -was overjoyed at this unexpected meeting. - -He insisted that, for this one time only, and to oblige him, I should -take him and the party of his friends through Chinatown and show them -the most interesting sight-places. His friends were all from out of -town, seemed to be more serious than the average sightseer, and were so -strong in their persuasion that I could not refuse to act as their -guide. - -During our journey along the old scenes of my former days, my ex-pupil -inquired into my present welfare and was very glad to hear I was getting -along by other ways than those formerly employed by me. Shortly before -I parted from him, he told me that he had taken very little exercise of -late and wanted me to box with him occasionally. I laughed at his -proposition, told him that I considered myself retired for good, but did -not think it advisable to tell him the true reason for my refusal. He -kept on increasing the terms he was willing to pay me. I could not help -thinking how the additional income would increase my deposit; thereby -bringing me closer to the realization of my fondest dream, and, after -some reflection, I agreed to call on him twice a week in the evening to -"don the mitts" with him. - -I had called on him several times before I told him how completely my -life had been changed. In this Mamie Rose was not left out, and, you -can rest assured, my accounts of her sweetness, devotion and beauty were -given in the most glowing colors. My regard for this man was sincere -and I supposed that all I told him was received in the proper spirit. I -am not garrulous, but when it came to talking about my Mamie Rose, I -knew no limits. My heart simply glowed with love, and I never grew tired -to praise her, who was the truest and best. - -My man never omitted to inquire after her and even sent her a few -presents through me. Mamie Rose warned me against this, but the things -were beyond my means and added to her charm, and I would not listen to -her. - -At the end of one of our sessions, my ex-pupil extended an invitation to -me. He had told his mother about me and she was very anxious to know -me. At a certain date I was expected to call at his mother's -residence--he, himself, lived in bachelor quarters--to meet a few -friends there. - -In this invitation Mamie Rose was also included. I was bubbling over -with excitement when telling her about the honor fallen to us. The -quiet way in which she received my news disappointed me. - -"Aren't you glad?" I asked. "Doesn't this prove that my friend is of -the right calibre and wishes to honor both you and me by this invitation -to his mother's house?" - -"I wish I could feel quite sure on that point," said my little adviser, -"but I am afraid that this invitation instead of bringing us pleasure, -will bring just the opposite." - -"Oh, girl o' mine," I coaxed, "I know this fellow and you don't. He is -as good as gold and you may believe me that the invitation was extended -in good faith." - -I prevailed, and, on the appointed day, we invaded the most fashionable -quarters of the city to enjoy the hospitality of our friends, the -swells. - -After we had passed the scrutiny of the man at the door, who had -evidently been told of our coming, we were ushered into a drawing room. -The only one I knew among the people was my ex-pupil, who quickly came -forward to greet us and, then, to introduce us. - -In spite of my lack of familiarity with the customs of the upper -classes, I saw at a glance that the crowd had been expectant and was now -disappointed. - -To explain this disappointment, I should mention that my wearing apparel -consisted of a black suit of good material and workmanship. My necktie -was not colored in imitation of the rainbow and I had no occasion to -look for a convenient spot for my expectorations. To carry the -disappointment further, I acted contrarily to expectations at the dinner -table. I neglected to carry the food to my mouth at the point of my -knife and forgot to dip my finger into the salt-cellar. - -My Mamie Rose was, as always, becomingly and properly gowned, and -carried herself with a tact which fortified me against giving full reins -to my temper. - -Before entering the dining-room, the two freaks from the Bowery were -made the centre of much curiosity. The men got around me, expecting to -hear choice stories of a certain kind, which contrary to accepted ideas, -are not original in the Bowery, but are brought there by these pioneers -of refined civilization. Their faces fell when I proved a decided -failure at that sort of story-telling. - -While in their midst, I did not forget Mamie Rose, who was the centre of -the female freak-hunters. I compared her poise, her naturalness, to the -artificial sprightliness of the society ladies, and found it so -admirable and sufficient, that I could well afford to laugh at the winks -and sneers exchanged behind her back. - -One old woman, who with her gray hair, made a reverential picture of old -age, deliberately surveyed my Mamie Rose through her lorgnette, as if -the sweetest girl there or elsewhere were an escaped beast from the -jungle. I could not bear this and started toward my girl. But she felt -my coming, turned to me and showed in her eye the competency to -withstand the illy veiled sneers and insults of that horde of her -sisters. - -A few minutes before dinner was announced, I had an opportunity to -entreat Mamie Rose to have us leave. - -"I did not want to come, but now we are here and here we stay," was her -spirited dictum. - -The ceremonial style of the meal and the conversation during it -impressed me very little. The emptiness, the superficiality and the -desire to "show off" was too palpable. I had not then--or now--reached -that altitude of social perfection to make a meal the most important -function of my day's work. After we, the gentlemen, (I am afraid I was -not included), had had our smoke and bout with the decanters, we joined -the ladies in the drawing room. One of them had evidently been "laying -for me," and captured me as soon as I entered. I was led to a settee -and there we had a very, very serious talk. - -She asked me this and she asked me that; if the dives were really as -horrible as pictured; if it was quite safe to visit them; if I would -consent to act as guide, for a generous compensation; if I had ever -witnessed any "interesting" scenes down on the Bowery; and--spare me -telling the rest. - -My answers were not what were desired and, at last, I had a sample of -frank truthfulness. - -"Do you know, Mr. Kildare," said my resplendent companion, "you are a -decided disappointment as a Bowery type, and not at all the entertaining -chap we had been led to believe you to be." - -"I am sure that is more the fault of time than of me," I replied. -"Years often make us lose our entertaining qualities and, also, our -attractiveness." - -Our serious talk ended with this, still, she was a surprisingly well -made-up woman. - -At last the time for our departure came and I said my adieus. Our visit -having proved more or less of a fiasco, one of the more intimate friends -of the family chose this moment to make an attempt to save the -"entertainment" from becoming an absolute fizzle. - -"I say, Kildare," began this worthy young man, who was doubtless -unacquainted with my past performances in the exhibition of my temper, -"you've been in society now, and it would be very appropriate if you -were to tell us your impressions in your own language--mind you, in your -own language." - -For once the pleading in the eye of my Mamie Rose was of no avail, and I -started to give my impressions in "my own language," which proved -sufficient, and did not oblige me to borrow the language of anybody -else. My heart was soured. I did not care a snap of my fingers for the -opinion of these people. To them I was a freak. What they were, what -they are to me, need not be written here. I could have laughed at it -all and would have been the only one really entertained. But to think -that those people, purse and caste-proud, should include my Mamie Rose -in their sport, made my blood run like boiling lava. - -How far I might have gone in my outburst I cannot say. The same little -hand, which had always been my guide, touched my arm, and I followed her -out into the hall. - -Before we departed, mother and son came to us with their sincere -apologies. They were sincere, we felt that and accepted them. The son -accused himself of having misunderstood the situation, in which I agreed -with him. We were most graciously invited to dine with them "en -famille," a few days hence, but while we left in the best understanding, -the invitation was thankfully declined. - -Again out in the air, under God's own heaven, we walked along silently -for quite a while. My, but I felt ashamed, and was ready to hear with -perfect composure my Mamie Rose's "I told you so." - -But it did not come, and I began rehearsing my plea for pardon. - -"Girl o' mine," I pleaded, "won't you forgive me this time, and I -promise never----" - -Ere I could finish, my pardon came with a silvery laugh, and the world -went very well again. - -Less than an hour after that, we were without the pale of society and, -strange though it may seem, we were perfectly happy. My Mamie Rose was -busy with her school-work, the mother was taking a well-earned -rest--perhaps trying to take a little nap in the rocker, and the little -fellow and I were racing about the place to the tune of "The Rocky Road -to Dublin," sung--let me call it that--by me in tones that shook the -rafters. - -Within the last twelve months, I have been honored on several occasions -with invitations to functions of the upper set. They were extended in a -different spirit than the first one, still, I could not see my way clear -to accept them. - -I want to say most emphatically that I am not of anarchistic or -nihilistic tendencies. We all have our work cut out, and my work is not -in the direction of stirring up emotional outbursts of charity in the -drawing rooms of the upper circles. - - - - - *THE JOURNEY HOME.* - - - - *CHAPTER XVIII.* - - *THE JOURNEY HOME.* - - -Time passed on, bringing with it many of the things I was striving for. -To become a learned man, a scientist, was never my desire, and, most -likely, would have been an impossibility had I desired it. What I -wanted was to be able to understand, to acquire a fair amount of mental -balance, and then, to be able to put the acquired knowledge to the best -use. - -With the changing of my life, a changing of aims had also come, and, as -in the old life, I was striving for success in the new life. The best -way to make an ambition possible is to make the ambition reasonable. - -I was still groping and groping, but thank God, I was groping forward. -From whatever darkness still enshrouded me I kept steadily emerging -closer to the light. I felt this and it made me feel that my probation -should be ended. - -Success without thrift is not well possible. My material advancement -had continued. I had again been promoted and had soared way above the -lowly position of a "baggage-smasher." My salary was more than ample -for my needs, and my deposit in the savings bank had grown wondrously. - -Capitalists are proverbially aggressive. I, being one of the order -acted accordingly and began to force matters. Women like to be coaxed -and urged, and I did my proper share of it, because I knew it would -result as it did. - -With the consent of the mother, the date of our wedding was set for -February. - -Again another glorious period began. - -It was over two months until the fixed date on which we were to become -man and wife, and we thought it necessary to inform ourselves concerning -several practical details. As I had now almost succeeded in securing a -mentor for life, we agreed to suspend our evening lecture tours, and -spent most of our time in wandering from store to store. - -The time for buying household goods had not yet come, but it seemed to -delight Mamie Rose to gaze into the shop-windows. At times, we would -even go so far as to enter a store and price the goods. It was then -that my admiration for my little girl increased again. - -I had long ago recognized that of common sense I had only a very small -share, and it was a splendid object-lesson to see my Mamie Rose dealing -with the tradesmen. Calm and collected, she would listen to the smooth -talk, and then act according to her own judgment, which was always -sound. I knew nothing then of the sagacity of women shoppers. - -One night I attempted to show off a little of my business sagacity. I -chose a bad subject to practice on--diamonds. I can still hear her -words ring in my ears. How foolish it was of poor people to stint and -starve themselves for the sake of imitating flashy people by wearing -jewels bought at the expense of something more useful. Diamonds and -jewels were often the means of making the ignorance of the wearers more -conspicuous. A woman who wears jewels knows that she needs other -attractions than those given to her by nature. - -Right here I got the best of my Mamie Rose. - -"That may be all true, but nevertheless, I am going to buy you a ring, -girl o' mine," I said very seriously. - -"No, you will not, because you know I do not want it, and it will only -offend me to have you give me one." - -"What?" I retorted, playing my part with perfection. "Won't you permit -me to buy you a ring for that day in February?" - -"Oh, that is different, and--why are you laughing, Owen Kildare?" - -Oh, girl o' mine, girl o' mine, why had it to be! - -The day was only weeks distant. - - * * * * * - -It was in January, and we were out on one of our nightly rambles in the -shopping district. It was one of those mild winter evenings which make -our climate so uneven. I was glad of it, because my Mamie Rose was a -dainty, delicate little creature, and on cold evenings I was afraid that -she might suffer from the weather. - -We were looking at some furniture displayed in a window, when a shower -fell. We were caught right squarely in it. I wanted her to seek refuge -in a store, or at least, in a doorway, but we were only a short distance -from her home, and she insisted on reaching it before the shower turned -into a downpour. - -I had a heavy overcoat over a stout suit of clothes. "Let me put, at -least, my overcoat over your shoulders," I insisted. - -"No, you foolish boy, no," she laughed in answer. "Why, we're only a -jump from home, and I am dressed warm enough to risk these few drops." - -For once my Mamie Rose was wrong and it was the "once" that counted. - -My misgivings were many when I left her at her home, but she assured me -that she was in no danger of feeling the effects of the dampness. - -I called on the following evening. - -She had been in bed all day. - -Of course it was nothing. "Just a trifling cold," that was all--but the -beginning of the end had come. - -She laughed at us for our fears. - -"Why, I'll be up and about the same as ever to-morrow." - -To-morrow! To-morrow multiplied into dread, fearsome weeks. Yes, for -weeks she painfully lingered on her bed, and I marveled with awe at the -heroic spirit of my little girl. - -The weakness increased until she looked like a dainty statue hewn in -alabaster. - -It was only a trifle more than a week before the date set for our -wedding. The physician stepped from her bed and beckoned me to follow -him into the next room. - -You know what he told me, and you know that I did not believe him. - -"The end coming? Pshaw, what nonsense! Was there not a loving, a -merciful God above us?" - -I could not deny the evidence before me. She was getting worse every -day, but I could not, would not, believe that, which even her mother had -accepted with resignation. - -And next week we were to be married! - -Spells came, during which reason left her, but in all her conscious -moments she spoke to me with the wisdom of another world, and gave me -then her legacy of purest, Godliest love. - -Then came the day! - -The afternoon sun was low when she asked me to lift her to the window. -It was a humble neighborhood, devoid of all picturesqueness. All we saw -in the last sheen of the sun's departing rays was a little girl on the -opposite sidewalk, playing with a kitten. The picture was very simple, -but my beloved one watched with smiling interest until her tired little -head fell on my shoulder. - -She was so light, one did hardly know anything was in his arms, and -without disturbing her reposing position, I carried her back to her -couch. Back in her bed, we clasped hands, as foolish lovers will do, -and, still confident, still hoping, lulled by the quiet and her happy -smile, I fell asleep. - -Suddenly I was awakened. - -Her hand was not in mine. Her mother, weeping, knelt beside the bed. - -"Why----?" - -I understood, and in that same moment the edifice reared by her with -such infinite care shook to its very foundations. - -In the twinkling of an eye I was my old self again. The brute, so long -subdued and partly tamed, arose in me with fury. - -I drove them from the room. No one, except me, had a right there. And -then, alone with her, I reveled in my sorrow, or burst into wild rage. - -There, on the dome above us, were all the glistening orbs, which she had -taught me were radiant evidences of God. - -What mockery! - -I rushed to the casement, and bellowing in delirium, I shook my fist at -moon and stars--and cursed the Mighty Presence. - -Then came an interval. - -For a time I was cool and realized. - -Her soul had flown to the realms above. - -Alone with her, I sat for minutes, hours, eternities, it seemed, and -every lovely feature of my Mamie Rose became forever engraven upon my -mind and heart. My right hand was resting on hers, my left was hanging -motionless by my side. Something rubbed against it. It was Bill, and -all he had been to me was forgotten. No one, not even he, had a right -there. - -Again the beast flared up, and for the first and last time my Bill felt -the brutal force of my wrath. He returned defiantly from the corner -where he had landed and spoke his valid claim: - -"I have a right here, Kil. You loved her, so did I, and I can -understand your sorrow." - -I let him stay, and through that bitter night man and dog kept their -silent vigil beside the bier of her who had loved both. - -Perhaps I was wrong to profane the quiet chamber by the presence of my -Bill, but I know she would have sanctioned it--we three were square, -honest comrades. - -With the coming of the same sun whose going she and I had watched only a -few hours ago, came saner, holier thoughts. A message seemed to float -to me from her sacred lips. - -I knelt and prayed, "Thy will be done." - - * * * * * - -Spare me telling you where, how and when she was buried. What -difference does it make to you how she went her last journey, never to -return in the flesh? Whether we had her buried in mountains of her -favorite flower or sent her away in the pine box of the pauper, is of no -consequence to you. She was nothing to you, she was mine, all mine; in -life or in death, on earth or in heaven. - - * * * * * - - - - - *THE INHERITANCE.* - - - - *CHAPTER XIX.* - - *THE INHERITANCE.* - - -Little more is to be told. - -Time has smoothed the jagged edges, and I have never again dared to -measure my puny wisdom to His. Yet, and there is a forgiveness, no day -passes without the question: "Is what I have learned worth the tuition -fee?" - -True, my knowledge is trifling when compared to yours, but we also -differ in our "Whence." - -To me it is all a miracle. Before it I did not even grope about in the -darkness searching for light. - -I was satisfied. - -Now I know at least that there is a soul, a mind within me, and that -they were given for a purpose. There are limits to my understanding, and -why it was that just as the portals of the better life were slowly -opening to me, my little guide should fall exhausted on the threshold, -is now a mystery to me, but will some day be answered. - -Soon after the funeral the mother and the little brother went West to -the elder son to make their future home with him. That left just Bill -and me. - -We got used to it in time. We had always had the same likes and -hobbies, and we found ways to spend our time with profit to ourselves. - -Down here, where we live, there are few trees and flowers, and even air -is at a premium. Air is necessary, and Bill and I have devised a scheme -to get it as pure as possible under the circumstances. - -The roaring bustle of lower Broadway turns into deadly silence with the -fall of evening. For miles, excepting a watchman or policeman, you will -scarcely see a living being. That is where Bill and I enjoy our -pleasant pastime. After the day's work is ended we travel through the -quiet streets until we reach our stoop in the yawning dark canon of the -skyscrapers. We do not talk much; there is better intercourse. - -From where we sit we gaze up at the skies and greet the merry twinkle of -our glistening friends. Then through the dancing myriads of celestial -bodies our vision winds its way on through the mazes, and does not stop -until it sees the most beloved spirit in all the glory of the heavenly -home. Every star reflects her face in brilliants, and from behind the -hazy veilings of the cloud-smile her eyes shine radiantly. Bill and I -go home, not lonely, not sad or soured, for we have spent the hours in -the anteroom of heaven and have learned another lesson in the quiet -night. - -The firmament and the stars are for all of us; their glories shine for -all mankind. You, gentle reader, may learn to know them--to own -them--but, alas! you cannot own my Bill. Perhaps you would not care for -him. He never was handsome, and now he is getting old and might not be -to you a pleasant companion. But he has traveled with me along life's -highway; he has never told a lie; he has been loyal and true, and -there's not in all this world another dog like my good old pal. - -For some time after the going-home of my Mamie Rose I was ill, but found -my position still open for me after regaining my health. I was not so -strong as I had been, but did not wish to neglect my work, and, -overtasking myself, an accident permanently incapacitated me for that -kind of employment. I had to submit to an operation--to be repeated -later--and the expense of it, with the long and enforced idleness, soon -exhausted the remainder of my savings. - -It was then that the old past crooned the tempter's lay. But for only a -very short time was I near the brink, from which it would have been easy -to drop back into the black abyss from whence I had come. - -I overcame my temptation, and, since then, have had no fear that I would -revert to my former ways of wickedness. I have learned to understand -life, feel mind and soul within me, and I want to go on, not back. - -And, besides, there is the legacy of her who has taught and inspired me. - -Some who will approve of my determination to go on might disapprove of -the immediate methods employed by me. - -I had to go to work and was compelled to accept the first opportunity -offered to me. I became a dishwasher in a downtown lunchroom at three -dollars a week. - -It was unsavory work, but it was work, and left me time in the evenings -and on Sundays to live in my books. - -Bill and I were again reduced to the attic. It did not affect us very -much, as we were both in a mood in which we did not care for the nicety -of our environment. - -One day I heard that a man I knew wanted to see me to tell me about a -better job, which, however, was in the dishwashing line, too. He was -staying at a lodging house. He was not in when I called there, and I -sat down in the reading room to wait for him. The tables were covered -with daily papers which are furnished free by the lodging house keepers, -and I took one to while the time away. - -It was the Evening Journal. I glanced through the news columns and then -meant to drop the paper. The only page which had absolutely no interest -for me was the women's page. Once, indeed, it had helped to built -castles in Spain, and the patterns of gay frocks and dresses had made -our "dreams to come true" more enjoyable, but now--it was all different. - -Throwing the paper to the table it happened that just that women's page -was uppermost. I did not read it, but every once in a while my glance -would sweep the page in rambling look. At the bottom of it there was a -caption in big type: "The Evening Journal's True Love Story Contest." -The caption was so conspicuous that my eye could not help meeting it -every time I looked at the page. My wait was long. I did not care to -go over the news columns again, and at last I began reading the True -Love Story. - -It was not a bad story, still the features of it were not very -extraordinary. I finished it, and then soliloquized. - -"If the story of this man is worth printing, why not mine? All there is -to his story is that he and the girl had a quarrel before the marriage -eventually took place. Neither one of them had to undergo a -self-sacrifice. Would it be sacrilegious to tell the story of my Mamie -Rose? Or would it not rather inspire greater unselfishness in those who -are in love?" - -I discussed this question with myself for some time, and then came to -the conclusion that the memory of my little girl would not be profaned -by having the story of our love told. To this very day I am not sure -whether I did right in giving way to my inclination. Perhaps I acted -indelicately, but on the other hand I am not refined or cultured, and -the dictates of my heart are generally decisive in a question of this -kind. - -I did not have a scrap of paper in my pocket, but saw a piece of yellow -wrapping paper on the floor. I examined its cleanliness, and, finding it -fairly clean, began to write my story. The conditions were rather -severe for an amateur author. The story had to be told in less than -seven hundred and fifty words. - -After the last line was written I hurried to the office of the Evening -Journal, not trusting the stability of my impulse. A very imposing -young man condescended to receive my contribution, and, instead of -reading it immediately, threw it carelessly aside. - -"That is a story for the 'Prize Contest,'" I whispered, falteringly. - -"Is it? I thought it was an editorial on the relative positions of -England and Russia in Manchuria. Anyway, don't let it worry you, it -won't worry us. We haven't anything to do with that kind of stuff; it -goes up to the editor of the women's page." - -If that young man could have read my thoughts he would have been -surprised to find how near he was to trouble. The story of my only -blessing called "stuff" by that young whippersnapper! - -Not until many months later did I understand that "stuff" meant anything -and everything from an essay to a two-line joke. - -I firmly believe that I was the first buyer of the Evening Journal on -the following day. I turned to the women's page, but did not find my -story. The following day brought the same experience, and I felt certain -then that my "stuff" had found its way into the waste basket. - -On the third day I saw the name, Owen Kildare, for the first time in -print. I had won the prize and received my check. My elation knew no -bounds, and when, after a few days, letters full of sympathy reached me, -I was certain that I had not done wrong in writing that little story. - -My thoughts found something new to think about. If this story, written -under adverse circumstances and without any preparation, could win a -prize, why could I not write other stories about the men and women I had -known, and about the things and scenes I had seen and am still seeing? -If, as in some of the stories which I had read in reputable magazines, -untruths and deliberate misrepresentations can find a place in print, -the truth about us--the people of the slums--should surely be also -worthy of publication. - -My mind was full of incidents witnessed by me through the many years I -spent in slummery, and, without any difficulty, I wrote a story of the -life I know best. - -I sent the story to McClure's Magazine. It was accepted and partly paid -for, but later returned to me because it was a trifle "too true." I -sold it three days later to the Sunday Press, and the editor, Mr. -William Muller, invited me to become a contributor. The invitation was -gladly accepted, and short stories, editorials and special articles, all -treating of my peculiar phase, have since then been written by me for -that paper. - -During my connection with the Press I learned much from Andrew McKenzie, -who succeeded William Muller as Sunday editor, and who never tired of -pruning my "copy" with kind care. There also I met one of the finest -men that it has ever been my pleasure to know, Hilary Bell, who, besides -being the critic of the paper, was an artist and literateur of high -degree, and so devoted to his work that the zeal with which he pursued -his studies brought him to a much too early end. Bright, staunch, manly, -Hilary Bell is no more, but his memory will live forever in my grateful -heart. In the fall of 1901 the Sunday Herald published a story, "How To -Be a Gentleman on Ten Thousand a Year." I happened to read it and, -providing one has the other and more essential qualities, thought it no -hard matter to keep from starvation on that amount. The story was -written in a spirit of complaint, reciting how difficult it was to be a -"somebody" in society on that figure. Down here on the Bowery and East -Side we have gentlemen, though some may doubt it, and they manage to -retain their claim to the title on very much less than ten thousand. -The contrast was so wide that I could not refrain from writing about it -and submitting it to the Herald. - -Mr. Dinwiddie, the Sunday editor, sent me a letter asking me to call. I -had called the story "How To Be a Gentleman on Three Dollars a Week." -The editor thought my story a trifle exaggerated, and it took some time -to convince him that the truth had not been stretched. But at last the -story was printed, and I followed it up with other stories about my -people. - -In January, 1902, Mr. Hartley Davis, the editor of the Sunday News, -invited me to become a steady contributor to that paper. The News had -always been the paper of the Fourth Ward, and you can easily imagine -what a stir it created among some of my old friends when they saw my -name so frequently at the bottom of a story. In the "front rooms" of -many humble homes down there I have seen some of my stories hang -proudly, and framed, in the place of honor on the wall. And it has made -me feel good. Not so much because of the self-satisfaction, although -let me be frank and state that very often when I know and feel I have -written a fairly good story, I cannot hide my pride in my work and glory -in it, for it proves to me that all was not in vain--but because it -shows that even these poor people whom you think so vile, so -demoralized, are glad to recognize it with sincerity, when one from -among them succeeds in climbing a few steps on the ladder of useful -decency and manhood. - -During my connection with the Sunday News I had a chat with Hartley -Davis which was the starting point of this book. I had returned to the -office from an assignment, and, after reporting to the editor, made a -few comments on the scenes just left by me. We fell into a discussion -on the slums, and Hartley Davis congratulated me on my escape from them. -My origin was not known to my readers at the time. This point was -accentuated by Davis. - -"Kildare, if the readers of the Sunday News knew how you were developed -from a seller of the paper on the streets to a writer for it, they would -have greater faith in your stories of your people and in you. A chance -was offered to you and you took advantage of it. When a man is a Bowery -tough at thirty, unable to read, and at thirty-seven starts in to earn -his living by writing, it is worth the telling." - -I said: "It was not a chance, it was a miracle." - -There was a difference of opinion. To settle the difference and to -adopt the suggestion made, I wrote my story for the Sunday News and was -surprised at the sympathetic response it awakened. - -Below, you will find a copy of the epitome written by Hartley Davis at -the publication of my story: - - - NEW YORK SUNDAY NEWS. - - February 2, 1902. - - AN EPITOME OF THE CAREER OF OWEN KILDARE. - -That a man should, with the aid of a good woman, raise himself from the -depths of brutish degradation to an honest manhood and regard for things -pure and holy is a fine thing. - -That a man should reach the age of thirty without being able to read and -write, and then, within a few years, with the aid of this woman and -through his own indomitable will and energy, gain such mastery over the -art of writing as to be able to tell such a story as is here presented, -is so strange, so unprecedented as to warrant unbelief. - -Owen Kildare is a real man and that is his real name. He is widely -known on the Bowery, where he lives. The writer of this knew him when -he was a bartender in Steve Brodie's saloon and when he was a "bouncer" -in the frightful dive to which he refers. - -His article is printed as it was written, with no more editing than the -"copy" of the average trained writer would receive, and it has a power -that is rare in these days. Glance at this epitome of his life, and -wonder. - -1864--Born in Catharine street. Orphaned in his infancy and adopted by -a childless couple. - -1870--Became a newsboy in the gang of which Timothy D. Sullivan was the -leader, and fended for himself. - -1880--A "beer slinger" in a tough Bowery dive and a pugilist. His -fighting capacity and brutishness made him a bouncer in one of the most -infamous resorts New York has ever known. - -1894--Met the little school teacher through protecting her from insult, -who taught him to read and write and who made a man of him. Gave up -working in dives, where he made sixty dollars a week, more or less -dishonestly, to work for eight dollars a week. - -1900--Death of the little school teacher one month before they were to -be married. - -1902--From a newsboy, selling the Daily News, he became a writer for -this newspaper. - - -In no profession are the changes as frequent as in journalism, and not -long after the appearance of my story, I became a writer on the staff of -the Evening World. While there I "ran" a series of sketches on the -editorial page of the paper. They were written in language closely -resembling the real idiom of the Bowery. I called the series "The -Bowery Girl Sketches," and their indorsement by the readers was -exceedingly flattering. - -My experiment in Bowery language attracted the attention of William -Guard, editor of The Sunday Telegraph, who made me a very favorable -proposition. My stories in that paper were written in Bowery "slang," -which is not slang at all, but merely the primitive way of expression my -fellows use. The stories were signed by "The Bowery Kipling," a -sobriquet which my old and good friend, John J. Jennings, of the Evening -World, had given me. At no time during my work for the Telegraph had -the "other" Kipling occasion to sue me for libel or infringement. - -This newspaper experience has been of great value to me, but it is not -the career I would care to pursue for the rest of my life. In it reward -is too often the consequence of accident, instead of being the logical -sequel of merit and striving. The constant physical and mental strain -affords many excuses for stimulants, and absolutely temperate newspaper -men are among the rarities. As said before, the changes are many in -editorial offices, and at every shifting of editors, the staffs are also -included and obliged to decamp. There seems to be no stability as far -as permanent employment is concerned, unless a contract is signed. But -contracts are only signed with the stars of journalism and the "small -fry" is always in fear and trembling about their jobs. Still, -personally, throughout my short stay in newspaperdom, I have had many -kindnesses and courtesies extended to me, and the schooling was -appreciated and digested by me. - -In January, 1903, I was asked by the Success Magazine to write my story -for that publication. While preparing the story I had the pleasure of -making the acquaintance of Hall Caine, the distinguished novelist from -the Isle of Man. He has often been made the subject of much criticism, -but, this being a story of facts and not a critical essay, I can only -say that Hall Caine is a man worth knowing, and I value very highly the -letter he sent me after reading the story for Success in manuscript. - -I herewith append the letter: - - -"My Dear Mr. Kildare: I have read your story, and I have been deeply -touched by it. Nothing more true or human has come my way for many a -day. It is a real transcript from life, and that part of it which deals -with the little lady who was so great and so ennobling an influence in -your life, brought tears to my eyes and the thrill to my heart. I am -not using the language of flattery when I say that no great writer would -be ashamed of the true delicacy and reserve with which you have dealt -with the more solemn and sacred passages of your life. - -"It was a true pleasure to me to meet you personally, and no -conversation I have had on this side of the ocean has moved me to more -sympathy. I wish you every proper success, and I feel sure that such a -life as yours has been, and such a memory as brightens and solemnizes -your past, can only lead you from strength to strength, from good to -better. - -"That this may be so will be my earnest wish for you long after I have -left your American shores. - -"With kindest greetings, HALL CAINE." - - -The story was published in the February number of Success, and the -response was--I do not know how to describe it--astounding, amazing, -yes, almost embarrassing. Over four thousand letters reached me from -all parts of the country, and the editor received letters from ministers -informing him that the story had been read by them from the pulpit in -place of the regular sermon. My heart throbbed when I saw how the -miracle performed by my Mamie Rose in the name of God had moved the -many, and again had I cause to thank my Maker for having sent her to -me--if even for so short a time. - -Through Mr. Powlison I was invited to speak before several branches of -the Y.M.C.A., and, though my delivery and elocution are very much at -variance with oratorical methods, the story of the miracle proved again -that our God is the same God, the God of old and of new. - -I believe that I can see my path before me. I shall write. Brilliancy, -elegance of diction and a choice vocabulary will not be found in my -stories and articles, but the truth is there, as I have seen it, as I -have lived it, and that is something. - -This is the direction in which my ambition lies. I want to be a writer -with a clearly defined purpose. I want to tell the plain truth about men -and things as I know them and see them every day in the homes of the -tenements, in those abodes of friendless, hopeless men, many of whom -were once as good and respectable as any of you. I want to dedicate my -pen, no matter how ungifted, to their service, that others may know, as -I know, of the places and conditions where fellow-beings begin to rail -against their God and men because they deem themselves forgotten. I -want to show that often their hearts hunger most and not their stomachs, -and want to ask you to believe that they, as well as others, cannot only -feel hunger and cold, but can also love and despair. - -I feel that there is work in this field for me, and it is my ambition to -become successful in it and worthy of it, as a living testimony that one -of God's sweetest daughters has not lived and died in vain. - -This is the story of the miracle wrought by my Mamie Rose. - - - - - THE END. - - - - - * * * * * * * * - - - - - *FAMOUS COPYRIGHT BOOKS - IN POPULAR PRICED EDITIONS* - - -Re-issues of the great literary successes of the time. Library size. -Printed on excellent paper--most of them with illustrations of marked -beauty--and handsomely bound in cloth. Price, 75 cents a volume, -postpaid. - - -LAVENDER AND OLD LACE. By Myrtle Reed. - -A charming story of a quaint corner of New England where bygone romance -finds a modern parallel. 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Illustrated. - -The _London Morning Post_ says: "It would be hard to find better reading -* * * the book is so varied, so full of color and life from end to end, -that few who read the first two or three stories will lay it down till -they have read the last--and the last is a veritable gem * * * contains -some of the best of his highly vivid work * * * Kipling is a born -story-teller and a man of humor into the bargain." - - -ELEANOR LEE. By Margaret E. Sangster. With a frontispiece. - -A story of married life, and attractive picture of wedded bliss * * * an -entertaining story of a man's redemption through a woman's love * * * no -one who knows anything of marriage or parenthood can read this story -with eyes that are always dry * * * goes straight to the heart of every -one who knows the meaning of "love" and "home." - - -THE COLONEL OF THE RED HUZZARS. By John Reed Scott. Illustrated by -Clarence F. 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By Louis Tracy. - -A story of love and the salt sea--of a helpless ship whirled into the -hands of cannibal Fuegians--of desperate fighting and tender romance, -enhanced by the art of a master of story telling who describes with his -wonted felicity and power of holding the reader's attention * * * filled -with the swing of adventure. - - -A MIDNIGHT GUEST. A Detective Story. By Fred M. White. With a -frontispiece. - -The scene of the story centers in London and Italy. The book is -skilfully written and makes one of the most baffling, mystifying, -exciting detective stories ever written--cleverly keeping the suspense -and mystery intact until the surprising discoveries which precede the -end. - - -THE HONOUR OF SAVELLI. A Romance. By S. Levett Yeats. With cover and -wrapper in four colors. - -Those who enjoyed Stanley Weyman's _A Gentleman of France_ will be -engrossed and captivated by this delightful romance of Italian history. -It is replete with exciting episodes, hair-breath escapes, magnificent -sword-play, and deals with the agitating times in Italian history when -Alexander II was Pope and the famous and infamous Borgias were tottering -to their fall. - - -SISTER CARRIE. By Theodore Drieser. With a frontispiece, and wrapper -in color. - -In all fiction there is probably no more graphic and poignant study of -the way in which man loses his grip on life, lets his pride, his -courage, his self-respect slip from him, and, finally, even ceases to -struggle in the mire that has engulfed him. * * * There is more tonic -value in _Sister Carrie_ than in a whole shelfful of sermons. - - -BARREL OF THE BLESSED ISLES. By Irving Bacheller. With illustrations by -Arthur Keller. - -"Barrel, the clock tinker, is a wit, philosopher, and man of mystery. -Learned, strong, kindly, dignified, he towers like a giant above the -people among whom he lives. It is another tale of the North Country, -full of the odor of wood and field. Wit, humor, pathos and high -thinking are in this book."--_Boston Transcript_. - - -D'RI AND I: A Tale of Daring Deeds in the Second War with the British. -Being the Memoirs of Colonel Ramon Bell, U. S. A. By Irving Bacheller. -With illustrations by F. C. Yohn. - -"Mr. Bacheller is admirable alike in his scenes of peace and war. D'ri, -a mighty hunter, has the same dry humor as Uncle Eb. He fights -magnificently on the 'Lawrence,' and was among the wounded when Perry -went to the 'Niagara.' As a romance of early American history it is -great for the enthusiasm it creates."--_New York Times_. - - -EBEN HOLDEN: A Tale of the North Country. By Irving Bacheller. - -"As pure as water and as good as bread," says Mr. Howells. "Read 'Eben -Holden'" is the advice of Margaret Sangster. "It is a forest-scented, -fresh-aired, bracing and wholly American story of country and town life. -* * * If in the far future our successors wish to know what were the -real life and atmosphere in which the country folk that saved this -nation grew, loved, wrought and had their being, they must go back to -such true and zestful and poetic tales of 'fiction' as 'Eben Holden,'" -says Edmund Clarence Stedman. - - -SILAS STRONG: Emperor of the Woods. By Irving Bacheller. With a -frontispiece. - -"A modern Leatherstocking. Brings the city dweller the aroma of the -pine and the music of the wind in its branches--an epic poem * * * -forest-scented, fresh-aired, and wholly American. A stronger character -than Eben Holden."--_Chicago Record-Herald_. - - -VERGILIUS: A Tale of the Coming of Christ. By Irving Bacheller. - -A thrilling and beautiful story of two young Roman patricians whose -great and perilous love in the reign of Augustus leads them through the -momentous, exciting events that marked the year just preceding the birth -of Christ. - -Splendid character studies of the Emperor Augustus, of Herod and his -degenerate son, Antipater, and of his daughter "the incomparable" -Salome. A great triumph in the art of historical portrait painting. - - -BARBARA WINSLOW, REBEL. By Elizabeth Ellis. - -With illustrations by John Rae, and colored inlay cover. - -The following, taken from story, will best describe the heroine: A -TOAST: "To the bravest comrade in misfortune, the sweetest companion in -peace and at all times the most courageous of women."--_Barbara -Winslow_. "A romantic story, buoyant, eventful, and in matters of love -exactly what the heart could desire."--_New York Sun_. - - -SUSAN. By Ernest Oldmeadow. With a color frontispiece by Frank -Haviland. Medalion in color on front cover. - -Lord Riddington falls helplessly in love with Miss Langley, whom he sees -in one of her walks accompanied by her maid, Susan. Through a -misapprehension of personalities his lordship addresses a love missive -to the maid. Susan accepts in perfect good faith, and an epistolary -love-making goes on till they are disillusioned. It naturally makes a -droll and delightful little comedy; and is a story that is particularly -clever in the telling. - - -WHEN PATTY WENT TO COLLEGE. By Jean Webster. With illustrations by C. -D. Williams. - -"The book is a treasure."--_Chicago Daily News_. "Bright, whimsical, -and thoroughly entertaining."--_Buffalo Express_. "One of the best -stories of life in a girl's college that has ever been written."--_N. Y. -Press_. "To any woman who has enjoyed the pleasures of a college life -this book cannot fail to bring back many sweet recollections; and to -those who have not been to college the wit, lightness, and charm of -Patty are sure to be no less delightful."--_Public Opinion_. - - -THE MASQUERADER. By Katherine Cecil Thurston. With illustrations by -Clarence F. Underwood. - -"You can't drop it till you have turned the last page."--_Cleveland -Leader_. "Its very audacity of motive, of execution, of solution, -almost takes one's breath away. The boldness of its denouement is -sublime."--_Boston Transcript_. "The literary hit of a generation. The -best of it is the story deserves all its success. A masterly -story."--_St. Louis Dispatch_. "The story is ingeniously told, and -cleverly constructed."--_The Dial_. - - -THE GAMBLER. By Katherine Cecil Thurston. With illustrations by John -Campbell. - -"Tells of a high strung young Irish woman who has a passion for -gambling, inherited from a long line of sporting ancestors. She has a -high sense of honor, too, and that causes complications. She is a very -human, lovable character, and love saves her."--_N. Y. Times_. - - -THE AFFAIR AT THE INN. By Kate Douglas Wiggin. With illustrations by -Martin Justice. - -"As superlatively clever in the writing as it is entertaining in the -reading. It is actual comedy of the most artistic sort, and it is -handled with a freshness and originality that is unquestionably -novel."--_Boston Transcript_. "A feast of humor and good cheer, yet -subtly pervaded by special shades of feeling, fancy, tenderness, or -whimsicality. A merry thing in prose."--_St. Louis Democrat_. - - -ROSE O' THE RIVER. By Kate Douglas Wiggin. With illustrations by -George Wright. - -"'Rose o' the River,' a charming bit of sentiment, gracefully written -and deftly touched with a gentle humor. It is a dainty book--daintily -illustrated."--_New York Tribune_. "A wholesome, bright, refreshing -story, an ideal book to give a young girl."--_Chicago Record-Herald_. -"An idyllic story, replete with pathos and inimitable humor. As -story-telling it is perfection, and as portrait-painting it is true to -the life."--_London Mail_. - - -TILLIE: A Mennonite Maid. By Helen R. Martin. With illustrations by -Florence Scovel Shinn. - -The little "Mennonite Maid" who wanders through these pages is something -quite new in fiction. Tillie is hungry for books and beauty and love; -and she comes into her inheritance at the end. "Tillie is faulty, -sensitive, big-hearted, eminently human, and first, last and always -lovable. Her charm glows warmly, the story is well handled, the -characters skilfully developed."--_The Book Buyer_. - - -LADY ROSE'S DAUGHTER. By Mrs. Humphry Ward. With illustrations by -Howard Chandler Christy. - -"The most marvellous work of its wonderful author."--_New York World_. -"We touch regions and attain altitudes which it is not given to the -ordinary novelist even to approach."--_London Times_. "In no other -story has Mrs. Ward approached the brilliancy and vivacity of Lady -Rose's Daughter."--_North American Review_. - - -THE BANKER AND THE BEAR. By Henry K. Webster. - -"An exciting and absorbing story."--_New York Times_. "Intensely -thrilling in parts, but an unusually good story all through. There is a -love affair of real charm and most novel surroundings, there is a run on -the bank which is almost worth a year's growth, and there is all manner -of exhilarating men and deeds which should bring the book into high and -permanent favor."--_Chicago Evening Post_. - - -BEVERLY OF GRAUSTARK. By George Barr McCutcheon. With Color -Frontispiece and other illustrations by Harrison Fisher. Beautiful -inlay picture in colors of Beverly on the cover. - -"The most fascinating, engrossing and picturesque of the season's -novels."--_Boston Herald_. "'Beverly' is altogether charming--almost -living flesh and blood"--_Louisville Times_. "Better than -'Graustark'."--_Mail and Express_. "A sequel quite as impossible as -'Graustark' and quite as entertaining."--_Bookman_. "A charming love -story well told."--_Boston Transcript_. - - -HALF A ROGUE. By Harold MacGrath. With illustrations and inlay cover -picture by Harrison Fisher. - -"Here are dexterity of plot, glancing play at witty talk, characters -really human and humanly real, spirit and gladness, freshness and quick -movement. 'Half a Rogue' is as brisk as a horseback ride on a glorious -morning. It is as varied as an April day. It is as charming as two -most charming girls can make it. Love and honor and success and all the -great things worth fighting for and living for the involved in 'Half a -Rogue.'"--_Phila. Press_. - - -THE GIRL FROM TIM'S PLACE. By Charles Clark Munn. With illustrations -by Frank T. Merrill. - -"Figuring in the pages of this story there are several strong -characters. Typical New England folk and an especially sturdy one, old -Cy Walker, through whose instrumentality Chip comes to happiness and -fortune. There is a chain of comedy, tragedy, pathos and love, which -makes a dramatic story."--_Boston Herald_. - - -THE LION AND THE MOUSE. A story of American Life. By Charles Klein, and -Arthur Hornblow. With illustrations by Stuart Travis, and Scenes from -the Play. - -The novel duplicated the success of the play; in fact the book is -greater than the play. A portentous clash of dominant personalities -that form the essence of the play are necessarily touched upon but -briefly in the short space of four acts. All this is narrated in the -novel with a wealth of fascinating and absorbing detail, making it one -of the most powerfully written and exciting works of fiction given to -the world in years. - - - * * * * * - - - *PRINCESS MARITZA* - - A NOVEL OF RAPID ROMANCE. - - BY PERCY BREBNER - - With Harrison Fisher Illustrations in Color. - - -Offers more real entertainment and keen enjoyment than any book since -"Graustark." Full of picturesque life and color and a delightful -love-story. The scene of the story is Wallaria, one of those mythical -kingdoms in Southern Europe. Maritza is the rightful heir to the throne, -but is kept away from her own country. The hero is a young Englishman -of noble family. It is a pleasing book of fiction. Large 12 mo. size. -Handsomely bound in cloth. White coated wrapper, with Harrison Fisher -portrait in colors. Price 75 cents, postpaid. - - - * * * * * - - - Books by George Barr McCutcheon - - -BREWSTER'S MILLIONS - -Mr. Montgomery Brewster is required to spend a million dollars in one -year in order to inherit seven millions. He must be absolutely -penniless at that time, and yet have spent the million in a way that -will commend him as fit to inherit the larger sum. How he does it forms -the basis for one of the most crisp and breezy romances of recent years. - - -CASTLE CRANEYCROW - -The story revolves around the abduction of a young American woman and -the adventures created through her rescue. The title is taken from the -name of an old castle on the Continent, the scene of her imprisonment. - - -GRAUSTARK: A Story of a Love Behind a Throne. - -This work has been and is to-day one of the most popular works of -fiction of this decade. The meeting of the Princess of Graustark with -the hero, while travelling incognito in this country, his efforts to -find her, his success, the defeat of conspiracies to dethrone her, and -their happy marriage, provide entertainment which every type of reader -will enjoy. - - -THE SHERRODS. With illustrations by C. D. Williams - -A novel quite unlike Mr. McCutcheon's previous works in the field of -romantic fiction and yet possessing the charm inseparable from anything -he writes. The scene is laid in Indiana and the theme is best described -in the words, "Whom God hath joined, let no man put asunder." - - - * * * * * - - - _*NEW POPULAR EDITIONS OF*_ - - *MARY JOHNSTON'S NOVELS* - - -TO HAVE AND TO HOLD - -It was something new and startling to see an author's first novel sell -up into the hundreds of thousands, as did this one. The ablest critics -spoke of it in such terms as "Breathless interest," "The high water mark -of American fiction since Uncle Tom's Cabin," "Surpasses all," "Without -a rival," "Tender and delicate," "As good a story of adventure as one -can find," "The best style of love story, clean, pure and wholesome." - - -AUDREY - -With the brilliant imagination and the splendid courage of youth, she -has stormed the very citadel of adventure. Indeed it would be -impossible to carry the romantic spirit any deeper into fiction.--_Agnes -Repplier_. - - -PRISONERS OF HOPE - -Pronounced by the critics classical, accurate, interesting, American, -original, vigorous, full of movement and life, dramatic and fascinating, -instinct with life and passion, and preserving throughout a singularly -even level of excellence. - - - * * * * * - - - _GET THE BEST OUT-DOOR STORIES_ - - *Stewart Edward White's - Great Novels of Western Life.* - - GROSSET & DUNLAP EDITIONS - - -THE BLAZED TRAIL - -Mingles the romance of the forest with the romance of man's heart, -making a story that is big and elemental, while not lacking in sweetness -and tenderness. It is an epic of the life of the lumberman of the great -forest of the Northwest, permeated by out of door freshness, and the -glory of the struggle with nature. - - -THE SILENT PLACES - -A powerful story of strenuous endeavor and fateful privation in the -frozen North, embodying also a detective story of much strength and -skill. The author brings out with sure touch and deep understanding the -mystery and poetry of the still, frost-bound forest. - - -THE CLAIM JUMPERS - -A tale of a Western mining camp and the making of a man, with which a -charming young lady has much to do. The tenderfoot has a hard time of -it, but meets the situation, shows the stuff he is made of, and "wins -out." - - -THE WESTERNERS - -A tale of the mining camp and the Indian country, full of color and -thrilling incident. - - -THE MAGIC FOREST: A Modern Fairy Story. - -"No better book could be put in a young boy's hands," says the New York -_Sun_. It is a happy blend of knowledge of wood life with an -understanding of Indian character, as well as that of small boys. - - - * * * * * - - - _THE GROSSET AND DUNLAP SPECIAL - EDITIONS OF POPULAR NOVELS THAT - HAVE BEEN DRAMATIZED._ - - -BREWSTER'S MILLIONS: By George Barr McCutcheon. - -A clever, fascinating tale, with a striking and unusual plot. With -illustrations from the original New York production of the play. - - -THE LITTLE MINISTER: By J. M. Barrie. - -With illustrations from the play as presented by Maude Adams, and a -vignette in gold of Miss Adams on the cover. - - -CHECKERS: By Henry M. Blossom, Jr. - -A story of the Race Track. Illustrated with scenes from the play as -originally presented in New York by Thomas W. Ross who created the stage -character. - - -THE CHRISTIAN: By Hall Caine. - -THE ETERNAL CITY: By Hall Caine. - -Each has been elaborately and successfully staged - - -IN THE PALACE OF THE KING: By F. Marion Crawford. - -A love story of Old Madrid, with full page illustrations. Originally -played with great success by Viola Allen. - - -JANICE MEREDITH: By Paul Leicester Ford. - -New edition with an especially attractive cover, a really handsome book. -Originally played by Mary Mannering, who created the title role. - - -MISTRESS NELL, A Merry Tale of a Merry Time. (Twixt Fact and Fancy.) -By George Hazelton. - -A dainty, handsome volume, beautifully printed on fine laid paper and -bound in extra vellum cloth. A charming story, the dramatic version of -which, as produced by Henrietta Crosman, was one of the conspicuous -stage successes of recent years. With a rare portrait of Nell Gwyn in -duotone, from an engraving of the painting by Sir Peter Lely, as a -frontispiece. - - -BY RIGHT OF SWORD, By Arthur W. Marchmont. - -With full page illustrations, by Powell Chase. - -This clever and fascinating tale has had a large sale and seems as -popular to-day as when first published. It is full of action and -incident and will arouse the keen interest of the reader at the very -start. The dramatic version was very successfully produced during -several seasons by Ralph Stuart. - - -CAPE COD FOLKS: By Sarah P. McLean Greene. - -Illustrated with scenes from the play, as originally produced at the -Boston Theatre. - - -IF I WERE KING: By Justin Huntly McCarthy. - -Illustrations from the play, as produced by E. H. Sothern. - - -DOROTHY VERNON OF HADDON HALL: By Charles Major. - -The Bertha Galland Edition, with illustrations from the play. - - -WHEN KNIGHTHOOD WAS IN FLOWER: By Charles Major. - -Illustrated with scenes from the remarkably successful play, as -presented by Julia Marlowe. - - -THE VIRGINIAN: By Owen Wister. - -With full page illustrations by A. I. Kelley. - -Dustin Farnum has made the play famous by his creation of the title -role. - - -THE MAN ON THE BOX: By Harold MacGrath. - -Illustrated with scenes from the play, as originally produced in New -York, by Henry E. Dixey. A piquant, charming story, and the author's -greatest success. - - - * * * * * - - - HERETOFORE PUBLISHED AT $1.50 - - *BOOKS BY JACK LONDON* - - 12 MO., CLOTH, 75 CENTS EACH, POSTPAID - - -THE CALL OF THE WILD: - -With illustrations by Philip R. Goodwin and Charles Livingston Bull. -Decorated by Charles Edward Hooper. - -"A big story in sober English, and with thorough art in the construction -... a wonderfully perfect bit of work. The dog adventures are as -exciting as any man's exploits could be, and Mr. London's workmanship is -wholly satisfying."--_The New York Sun_. - - -THE SEA WOLF: Illustrated by W. J. Aylward. - -"This story surely has the pure Stevenson ring, the adventurous glamour, -the vertebrate stoicism. 'Tis surely the story of the making of a man, -the sculptor being Captain Larsen, and the clay, the ease-loving, -well-to-do, half-drowned man, to all appearances his helpless -prey."--_Critic_. - - -THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS: - -A vivid and intensely interesting picture of life, as the author found -it, in the slums of London. Not a survey of impressions formed on a -slumming tour, but a most graphic account of real life from one who -succeeded in getting on the "inside." More absorbing than a novel. A -great and vital book. Profusely illustrated from photographs. - - -THE SON OF THE WOLF: - -"Even the most listless reader will be stirred by the virile force, the -strong, sweeping strokes with which the pictures of the northern wilds -and the life therein are painted, and the insight given into the soul of -the primitive of nature."--_Plain Dealer, Cleveland_. - - -A DAUGHTER OF THE SNOWS: - -It is a book about a woman, whose personality and plan in the story are -likely to win for her a host of admirers. The story has the rapid -movement, incident and romantic flavor which have interested so many in -his tales. The illustrations are by F. C. Yohn. - - - * * * * * - - - _POPULAR PRICED EDITIONS OF BOOKS BY_ - - *LOUIS TRACY* - - 12mo, cloth, 75 cents each, postpaid - -Books that make the nerves tingle--romance and adventure of the best -type--wholesome for family reading - - -THE PILLAR OF LIGHT - -"Breathless interest is a hackneyed phrase, but every reader of 'The -Pillar of Light' who has red blood in his or her veins, will agree that -the trite saying applies to the attention which this story -commands."--_New York Sun_. - - -THE WINGS OF THE MORNING - -"Here is a story filled with the swing of adventure. There are no -dragging intervals in this volume: from the moment of their landing on -the island until the rescuing crew find them there, there is not a dull -moment for the young people--nor for the reader either."--_New York -Times_. - - -THE KING OF DIAMONDS - -"Verily, Mr. Tracy is a prince of story-tellers. His charm is a little -hard to describe, but it is as definite as that of a rainbow. The -reader is carried along by the robust imagination of the author."--_San -Francisco Examiner_. - - - - GROSSET & DUNLAP, NEW YORK - - - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MY MAMIE ROSE *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45684 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the -General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and -distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works to protect the -Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a -registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, -unless you receive specific permission. 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