Identifier: streetarabsgutte00need (find matches)
Title: Street Arabs and gutter snipes. The pathetic and humorous side of young vagabond life in the great cities, with records of work for their reclamation
Year: 1884 (1880s)
Authors: Needham, Geo. C. (George Carter), 1840-1902
Subjects: Child welfare Poor
Publisher: Boston : D. L. Guernsey
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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their shell-prison, the pip may pop themoff, or the hawk may hasten their death. So with youngvagabonds. They are very disappointing, for, even where in-tention is right, habit is strong, and, like an uncertain horse,they may stumble at any time, or break rein and dash away.It will never do to trust every boy on first acquaintance;although your purse is not left to his guardianship, hemay possibly make more familiar with your pocket than isagreeable. Nor is it wise to impress them that you havethem under sharp surveillance. It will make it worse, ifthey suspect that your intentions toward them are not honor-able. Lose a boy once through a false estimate of his WAYS THAT ABE DABK. 115 character, and you will find it difficult to win him backagain. Some boys must be mastered by the force of will;others — the greater number — are won by love, andelevated by kindly counsel. The typical Arab is sharp and sly. With a seriouslysad face he will detail his grievances while his hand is busy
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•.Si DW« A PICKPOCKET STILL. with your watch. They are quick terriers and will smell apoliceman at a great distance. At times they grow impu-dent towards him. I heard of one, eight years old, whowould skin a bobby with his rasping tongue. Horse-carconductors and omnibus-drivers are often goaded into furyby their antics. Shopkeepers are raided upon, and, evenwhen hunger is not prompting, they cannot keep their handsfrom picking and stealing, for the very mischief of doing it. 116 STREET ARABS AND GUTTER SNIPED. Graver crimes and depredations are frequently committedby juvenile offenders. Reference to the police reports willreveal many a strange tale of childish villainy. One is charged with maliciously causing the death of hisbrother by drowning him ; one (a girl) with being drunk andincapable; five with robbing their employers in the capacityof errand-boys; three with digging up a diseased cow for thesake of stripping it of its fat; one with aggravated assault;two with making- off

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