The Boot Black At Saratoga

ÏLo lati'bt interviewing vue done at Stirutoga wiion Donn Piatt iiterviewed ,he boot blückf, and tbis is the rcsult : "Where do jou boys belong ?" "New York, fir." "Why, it mu-t cost ycu moreto get ïere than jou trake V" ''Don t cost us a cent, sir." "How bo f ' "Whv, we jist aten] on tbc boate." "T?it tl.cy cutch you at t." " A Ut re, afior gtartin', Htd they cuss lud kuk uk arour.d B'ine, and thtn they nake us pack rmgt;are. That's all." "And at Allauy f" "Sonietinies we steal into freight raiua, but tbe ltet game ia to bide on ■be exjiress. That ctou't stop often, s vhun they kick usotl we pet a goodish ïay. 'J hen we get on the next train, ind they kick ns uil ag;iin, and the last ilace they kick us off is Saratoga. ïhen vo put our fingers up uid give three :heers and a tiger." "How do you ivo here ?" '■We put lip generally at the Union md tlic Congress.1' "Union aud Congreso!" "Wel!, you sec, we alip in quiet liko it the back v:iy, whcu they briug out he broken wi'tles. A most too many )oys tho'. It'g gettin' crowded and hey dou't like it. Too many boys here uiy way. Lot of boys ring in froni the lountry rouud, and fiom Troy and Al)any." I gazed at tlieir tliin, eunning, bun ;ry faeee and feit sorry. Of couree I lad heard but half the story. 'And where do you nleep t "In tables and store boxen, and someimea uudt-r the treoa wheo it dou't aiD." "And you black boots ; don't you alo piek up a few thiugs laying around oose f" "We're all good littlo boys," said tho pt-aker, putting big thunib to bis nose, md giviug the oihers the wink. "We j'loug te Sunday school, we do - and .heD we find aujthicg we keep it for a ewiird, and wlien no reward is offered vo tiiko it home to give our Sunday ichool teaoher for the niissionaries - we lo ; don't we boys f" "Uv eouree we do. We look out for he tnistjiouaries all the time - ehine 'em jp - thine 'em up - only ten oents." 'I say, boys, why dou't you go out (VestY There's doraand for bojs at he West, and a society in New York hat seuds them out free of expouse. - jo thoreand make men of yourselvee." "Ob, go to tbundcr ! I know'd a aoy that tried that, and they put him in a eorn-field and worked him like a Tiule with nothlng to eat and no clothes. ie stok' a leather aprun ar.d put it in ,he seat of bis broeehes, aud was kicked housuijile uv miles before be got home fhej just wore that apurn out a kickin'. Fooi who ?:' Good advice was quite thruwti away in this littlo man of a bad world. He lad been up both tbose apple trees iuown as the Tree of Knowledge aud ;he Tree of Life. I should have feit leeply grieved, but that I aaw huudridn round mo - chüdren of a larger growth - no better, if more decent, thau those little fellows - and all driving down the road to perdition ; and whether we roll there iu carriajes, or travel ragged and foot-gore iu our shoes, matters little - When tbe journey's end is rcaohed it will be bard to diftinguish old Coupon from the little waif 1 ohaffed with on the corner.