Jr. Horatio Alger

“ He felt sorry to have Jerry leave him so abruptly. The boot-black had already imparted to him considerable information about New York, which he saw was likely to be of benefit to him. Besides, he felt that any society was better than solitude, and a sudden feeling of loneliness overpowered him, as he felt that among the crowd of persons that jostled him as he stood at the corner, there was not one who felt an interest in him, or even knew his name. ”

“ He, like Ben, had come to the city in search of employment, and before he secured it had suffered more hardships and privations than he liked to remember. He was now earning a modest income, sufficient to provide for his wants, and leave a surplus over. He had seen much of suffering and much of crime in his daily walks about the city, but his heart had not become hardened, nor his sympathies blunted. He gave more in proportion to his means than many rich men who have a reputation for benevolence. ”

“ Ben scrambled upon the pier, and took a cross street up towards Broadway. He had slept off his fatigue, and the natural appetite of a healthy boy began to assert itself. It was rather uncomfortable to reflect that he was penniless, and had no means of buying a breakfast. He had meant to ask Jerry's advice, as to some occupation by which he could earn a little money, and felt disappointed that his companion had gone away before he waked up. His appetite was the greater because he had been limited to a single apple for supper. ”

“ Brandon was sitting at the window with her work in her hand; but it had fallen listlessly in her lap, and on her face was a look of painful preoccupation. Opposite her sat her daughter Mary, Ben's only sister, already referred to.
"Don't worry so, mother," said Mary; "you will make yourself sick."
"I cannot help it, Mary," said Mrs. Brandon. "I can't help worrying about Ben. He has been gone a week now, and Heaven knows what he has suffered. He may be dead."
"No, mother," said Mary, who had more of her father's strength than her mother's gentleness. "He is not dead, you may depend upon that." ”

“ One place was as good as another. It was a strange sensation to Ben to feel the cravings of appetite, with nothing to satisfy it. All his life he had been accustomed to a good home, where his wants were plentifully provided for. ”

“ They had been school-mates in Cedarville, and passed many a merry hour together in boyish sport. In fact Charles had been Ben's favorite playmate, as well as cousin, and many a time, when he lay awake in such chance lodgings as the street provided, he had thought of his cousin, and wished that he might meet him again. Now they had met most strangely; no longer on terms of equality, but one with all the outward appearance of a young gentleman, the other, a ragged and ignorant street boy. ”

“ How long have you been a 'baggage-smasher,' as you call it?"
"Six years," said Ben.
"You must have begun young. How old are you now?"
"Sixteen."
"You'll soon be a man. What do you intend to do then?"
"I haven't thought much about it," said Ben, with truth.
"You don't mean to carry baggage all your life, do you?"
"I guess not," answered Ben. "When I get to be old and infirm, I'm goin' into some light, genteel employment, such as keepin' a street stand." ”

“ It is not surprising that the street-boys like the Old Bowery, and are willing to stint their stomachs, or run the risk of a night in the streets, for the sake of the warm room and the glittering illusions of the stage, introducing them for the time being to the society of nobles and ladies of high birth, and enabling them to forget for a time the hardships of their own lot, while they follow with rapt interest the fortunes of Lord Frederic Montressor or the Lady Imogene Delacour. ”

“ You came from Philadelphia this morning, and your name is 'Sly Bill.' You are a noted burglar, and I shall take you into immediate custody."
"You're mistaken," said Bill. "You've got hold of the wrong man."
"That will soon be seen. Have the kindness to accompany me to the station-house, and I'll take a look into that valise of yours."
Bill was physically a stronger man than the detective, but he succumbed at once to the tone of quiet authority with which he spoke, and prepared to follow, though by no means with alacrity.
"Here, my lad," said the detective, beckoning Ben, who came up. ”

“ Occasionally he paused in his business to wonder whether he had done well to expose a ragged street boy to such a temptation; but he was a large-hearted man, inclined to think well of his fellow-men, and though in his business life he had seen a good deal that was mean and selfish in the conduct of others, he had never lost his confidence in human nature, and never would. ”

“ As Ben rode down town in the horse-cars, he [Pg 202] thought of the six years which he had spent as a New York street boy; and he could not help feeling that the time had been wasted, so far as any progress or improvement was concerned. Of books he knew less than when he first came to the city. He knew more of life, indeed, but not the best side of life. He had formed some bad habits, from which he would probably have been saved if he had remained at home. Ben realized all at once how much he had lost by his hasty action in leaving home. ”

“ A dollar may not be a very large sum; I hope that to you, my young [Pg 239] reader, it is a very small one, and that you have never been embarrassed for the want of it; but it is enough to lift a ragged street boy from the position of a penniless vagabond to that of a thrifty capitalist. After seeing it, the dealer would almost have felt safe in trusting Ben with the papers without demanding a deposit of their value. Still it was better and safer to require a deposit, and he therefore took the dollar from Ben, returning twenty-five cents in change. ”

“ Mr. Brandon seems to have changed greatly. He is no longer stern and hard, but gentle and forbearing, and is evidently proud of Ben, who would run a chance of being spoiled by over-indulgence, if his hard discipline as a street boy had not given him a manliness and self-reliance above his years. He is gradually laying aside the injurious habits which he acquired in his street life, and I confidently hope for him a worthy and useful manhood.
From time to time Ben visits New York, and renews his intimacy with his Cousin Charles, who returns his warm affection. ”

“ Ben did not confine himself to any particular pier or railway depot, but stationed himself now at one, now at another, according as the whim seized him, or as the prospect of profit appeared more or less promising. One afternoon he made his way to the pier at which the Albany boats landed. He knew the hour of arrival, not only for the river-boats, but for most of the inward trains, for this was required by his business.
He had just finished smoking a cheap cigar when the boat arrived. The passengers poured out, and the usual bustle ensued. Now was the time for Ben to be on the alert. ”

“ Jerry, of course, did not mind the surroundings. He was too well used to them to care.
They brought out opposite the pier.
"There it is," said Jerry.
Ben saw a pile of cotton-bales heaped up on the wharf in front. Just behind them was a gate, and over it the sign of the New Orleans Company.
"I should think somebody would steal the bales," said Ben. "Are they left out here all night?"
"There's a watchman round here somewhere," said Jerry. "He stays here all night to guard the bales."
"Will he let us sleep here?"
"I don't know," said Jerry. "We'll creep in, when he isn't looking." ”

“ Barney got part way down the ladder, when a head was protruded from below, and a voice demanded, "Who's there?"
"It's I,—Barney Flynn."
"Come along, then."
"I've got a fellow with me," continued Barney.
"Who is it?"
"It's Ben, the baggage-smasher. He wants to stop here to-night."
"All right; we can trust him."
"Come along, Ben," Barney called up the ladder.
Ben quickly commenced the descent. Barney was waiting for him, and held out his hand to help him off. Our hero stepped from the ladder upon the lower flooring of the wharf, and looked about him with some curiosity. ”

“ Still, in spite of his friendless condition, his spirits were very good. The sun shone brightly; all looked animated and cheerful. Ben saw numbers of men at work about him, and he thought, "It will be a pity if I cannot make a living."
He did not care to linger about the wharf, for the captain might be led to doubt his story. Accordingly he crossed the street, and at a venture turned up a street facing the wharf.
Ben did not know much about New York, even by report. But he had heard of Broadway,—as who has not?—and this was about all he did know. ”

“ Jim immediately purchased a cigar with a portion of his dishonest gains, and, procuring a light, walked [Pg 59] about in a state of high enjoyment, puffing away as coolly as a man of twice his years.
Meanwhile Ben continued to sleep, happily unconscious of the loss of his entire personal possessions. In his dreams he was at home once more, playing with his school companions. Let him sleep! He will waken soon enough to the hard realities of a street life, voluntarily undertaken, it is true, but none the less likely to bear heavily upon him. ”

“ Such is the strange fascination which their lawless and irresponsible mode of life oftentimes exerts upon the minds of these young Arabs of the street.
When Ben parted from the passenger by the Albany boat, he did not immediately seek another job. Accustomed as he was to live from "hand to mouth," he had never troubled himself much about accumulating more than would answer his immediate needs. Some boys in the Lodging House made deposits in the bank of that institution; but frugality was not one of Ben's virtues. ”

“ The gentleman looked a little surprised, not at the idea of a boy of ten looking out for himself, for such cases are common enough in New York, but at the idea of such a well-dressed lad as Ben being in that situation.
"How long have you been your own man?" he inquired.
"I've only just begun," Ben admitted.
"Are your parents dead?"
"No, sir; they're alive."
"Then I advise you to go back to them. We don't receive any boys into our employment, who do not live with their parents."
The gentleman returned to his writing, and Ben saw that his case was hopeless. ”

“ After considerable thought he decided to buy a supply of weekly papers, which he could sell while waiting for a job. One advantage in selecting weekly papers rather than daily was this, that the latter must be sold within a few hours, or they prove a dead loss. A daily paper of yesterday is as unsalable as a last year's almanac. As Ben was liable to be interrupted in his paper business at any time by a chance to carry luggage, it was an important consideration to have a stock which would remain fresh for a few days. ”

“ He had already decided to ask for his cousin, preferring to make himself known to him first.
"Is Charles Marston in?" he inquired.
"Yes, sir," said the servant. "Won't you come in?"
She threw open the door of the parlor, and Ben, entering, seated himself in an arm-chair, holding his hat in his hand.
"I wonder if she'd asked me in here if I'd come in my rags?" he asked himself, with a smile.
The servant went upstairs, where she found Charles in his own room, writing a French exercise.
"Master Charles," she said, "one of your school-mates is in the parlor. He wants to see you." ”

“ I do not defend Ben in this. He was clearly wrong. The best of parents may be unintentionally unjust at times, and this is far from affording an adequate excuse for a boy to leave home. But Ben had a great deal of pride, and I am only telling you how he felt.
Our young adventurer did not at first realize the loss which he had sustained. It was at least five minutes before he thought of his bundle at all. ”

“ Having been brought up in a comfortable home, he had a prejudice in favor of clean hands and unsoiled clothes,—a prejudice of which his street life speedily cured him.
"I think I should rather sell papers, or go into a store," said Ben.
"You can't make so much money sellin' papers," said his new acquaintance. "Then you might get 'stuck'" [Pg 30] .
"What's that?" inquired Ben, innocently.
"Don't you know?" asked the boot-black, wonderingly. "Why, it's when you've got more papers than you can sell. That's what takes off the profits. I was a newsboy once; but it's too hard work for the money. ”

“ Ben saw no one as small as himself, and that led him to doubt whether his size might not be an objection.
"Well, sonny, what do you want?" asked a clerk.
"Don't you want to hire a boy?" asked our young adventurer, plunging into his business. ”

“ There was a brief pause, then Mrs. Brandon said, "Can you think of any place, Mary, where Ben would be likely to go?"
"Yes, I suppose he went to Philadelphia. When a boy runs away from home, he naturally goes to the nearest city." ”

“ He knew very well that he was ignorant; but he must trust to the future to remedy that deficiency. It would be a work of time, as he well knew. Meanwhile he had his cousin's assurance that he would be glad to meet him again, and renew the old, affectionate intimacy which formerly existed between them.
While these thoughts were passing through Ben's mind, as I have said, they reached the house.
"Have you had any breakfast?" asked Charles as they ascended the steps.
"Not yet," answered Ben. "It isn't fashionable to take breakfast early." ”

“ There's a great fight, and a feller gets killed on the stage. It's a stunnin' old play."
"Then let us go," said Ben, who, as well as his companion, liked the idea of witnessing a stage fight, which was all the more attractive on account of having a fatal termination.
As the theatre tickets would cost but fifteen cents each, the boys felt justified in purchasing each a cheap cigar, which they smoked as they walked leisurely up Chatham Street. ”