CHILD OF THE FREE HEMISPHERE.

Kumara Times, Issue 973, 12 November 1879, Page 3

CHILD OF THE FREE HEMISPHERE.

" Now, you must skip out !" said a burly deck-hand in the ladles' cabin of a Fulton ferry-boat, as he caught a thinlyclad, shivering, bare-footed boy by the ear and marched him toward the door. " Get out on deck—lively now !" : The little follow bad been asking for cents, and the man caught him at it. " Oh, please don't," screamed the child as the deck-hand twisted his ear—■'l'll go—l will!" A fashionably-dressed woman stepped forward, and her silks rustled and her eyes flashed fire as she said, " What has he done? Why do you treat the child so harshly T " He's a young beggar, mum ; and the rules does'nt allow beggars in the boats, mum." " Let him stay here," said she. " It's cold outside. He is barefooted, and so young to—why, he can't be more than five or six years old !'* "He can stay here if he behaves himself. He must'nt beg—it's against the rules, muni;" and the big man let go the little one's ear and stood watching him. " Poor little fellow,'' mused the lady, scanning the boy's pale, pinched face closely, " you look tired and hungry. I've a mind to give you something." It's for rum if you give him a cent, mum; his folks will take it all away from him before his foot's put ashore three minutes," declared the deckhand. But the kind lady handed the shivering child one of Uncle Sism's crisp fiftycent promises to pay hereafter, saying, " He certainly needs shoes and some-' thing to eat." "Mistaken charity" persisted the employee. "We know 'em all—he'll get no good of the money." " He's welcome to the little I gave him," she answered, and, noticing that the passengers were regarding her with interest, she added "and I believe that every peison in this cabin believes I am right and that most of them are willing to • give the boy a penny or two." The passengers did agree with h<?v, and they began dropping money into the little fellow's hat Until the episode proved his gold-mine. boat touched the pier. The boy on shore and across the street to Fnkon Maiket. The reporter followed him round into Eeekman street, him wait at a corner; two mifmtes later he saw a well-dressed lady approach from the other side of the market, saw the boy empty the money into her gloved palm, and, passing the pair, heard her say cheerfully, "Well, Dick, I f, wsa w " e 'll try the Roosevelt street boat now."—American paper. For remainder of news see last page.