章节正文
that should been given in part to instruction, and partly to such
recreation as the youthful heart craves, were devoted to a
pursuit that did nothing to prepare them for the duties of life.
And this white slavery--for it merits no better name--is
permitted by the law of two great nations. Italy is in fault in
suffering this traffic in her children of tender years, and
America is guilty as well in not interfering, as she might, at
all events, to abridge the long hours of labor required of these
boys, and forcing their cruel guardians to give them some
instruction.
One by one the boys straggled in. By midnight all had returned,
and the boys were permitted to retire to their beds, which were
poor enough. This, however, was the least of their troubles.
Sound are the slumbers of young however hard the couch on which
it rests, especially when, as with all the young Italian boys,
the day has been one of fatigue.
CHAPTER VIII
A COLD DAY
The events thus far recorded in the life of our young hero took
place on a day toward the middle of October, when the temperature
was sufficiently mild to produce no particular discomfort in
those exposed to it. We advance our story two months, and behold
Phil setting out for his day's wandering on a morning in
December, when the keen blasts swept through the streets, sending
a shiver through the frames even of those who were well
protected. How much more, then, must it be felt by the young
street musician, who, with the exception of a woolen tippet, wore
nothing more or warmer than in the warmer months! Yet, Phil,
with his natural vigorous frame, was better able to bear the
rigor of the winter weather than some of his comrades, as
Giacomo, to whom the long hours spent in the streets were laden
with suffering and misery.
The two boys went about together when they dared to do so, though
the padrone objected, but for what reason it did not seem
manifest, unless because he suspected that two would plan
something prejudicial to his interests. Phil, who was generally
more successful than Giacomo, often made up his smaller
comrade's deficiencies by giving him a portion of his own gains.
It was a raw day. Only those who felt absolutely obliged to be
out were to be seen in the streets; but among these were our two
little fiddlers. Whatever might be the weather, they were
compelled to expose themselves to its severity. However the boys
might suffer, they must bring home the usual amount. But at
eleven o'clock the prospects seemed rather discouraging. They
had but twenty-five cents between them, nor would anyone stop to
listen to their playing.
"I wish it were night, Filippo," said Giacomo, shivering with
cold.
"So do I, Giacomo. Are you very cold?"
"Yes," said the little boy, his teeth chattering. "I wish I were
back in Italy. It is never so cold there."
"No, Giacomo; you are right. But I would not mind the cold so
much, if I had a warm overcoat like that boy," pointing out a boy
clad in a thick overcoat, and a fur cap drawn over his ears,
while his hands were snugly incased in warm gloves.
He, too, looked at the two fiddlers, and he could not help
noticing how cold they looked.
"Look here, you little chaps, are you cold? You look as if you
had just come from Greenland."
"Yes," said Phil. "We are cold."
"Your hands look red enough. Here is an old pair of gloves for
one of you. I wish I had another pair. They are not very thick,
but they are better than none."
He drew a pair of worsted gloves from his pocket, and handed them
to Phil.
"Thank you," said Phil; but having received them, he gave them to
Giacomo.
"You are colder than I am, Giacomo," he said. "Take them."
"But you are cold, too, Filippo."
"I will put my hands in my pockets. Don't mind me."
Of course this conversation took place in Italian; for, though
Phil had learnedconsiderable English, Giacomo understood but a
few words of it.
The gloves afforded some protection, but still both boys were
very cold. They were in Brooklyn, having crossed the ferry in
the morning. They had wandered to a part not closely built up,
where they were less sheltered, and experienced greater
discomfort.
"Can't we go in somewhere and get warm? pleaded Giacomo.
"Here is a grocery" target="_blank" title="n.食品杂货店">grocery store. We will go in there."
Phil opened the door and entered. The shopkeeper, a
peevish-looking man, with lightish hair, stood behind the counter
weighing out a pound of tea for a customer.
"What do you want here, you little vagabonds?" he exclaimed,
harshly, as he saw the two boys enter.
"We are cold," said Phil. "May we stand by your stove and get
warm?"
"Do you think I provide a fire for all the vagabonds in the
city?" said the grocer, with a brutaldisregard of their evident
suffering.
Phil hesitated, not knowing whether he was ordered out or not.
"Clear out of my store, I say!" said the grocer, harshly. "I
don't want you in here. Do you understand?"
At this moment a gentleman of prepossessing appearance entered
the store. He heard the grocer's last words, and their
inhumanity made him indignant.
"What do these boys want, Mr. Perkins?" he said.
"They want to spend their time in my shop. I have no room for
such vagabonds."
"We are cold," said Phil. "We only want to warm ourselves by the
fire."
"I don't want you here," said the grocer, irritably.
"Mr. Perkins," said the gentleman, sharply, "have you no
humanity? What harm can it do you to let these poor boys get
warm by your fire? It will cost you nothing; it will not
diminish your personal comfort; yet you drive them out into the
cold."
The grocer began to perceive that he was on the wrong tack. The
gentleman who addressed him was a regular and profitable
customer, and he did not like to incur his ill will, which would
entail loss.
"They can stay, Mr. Pomeroy," he said, with an ill grace, "since
you ask it."
"I do not ask it. I will not accept, as a personal favor, what
you should have granted from a motive of humanity, more
especially as, after this exhibition of your spirit, I shall not
trade here any longer."
By this time the grocerperceived that he had made a mistake.
"I hope you will reconsider that, Mr. Pomeroy," he said,
abjectly. "The fact is, I had no objections to the boys warming
themselves, but they are mostlythieves, and I could not keep my
eyes on them all the time."
"I think you are mistaken. They don't look like thieves. Did
you ever have anything stolen by one of this class of boys?"
"Not that I know of," said the grocer, hesitatingly; "but it is
likely they would steal if they got a chance."
"We have no right to say that of anyone without good cause."
"We never steal," said Phil, indignantly; for he understood what
was said.
"Of course he says so," sneered the grocer. "Come and warm
yourselves, if you want to."
The boys accepted this grudging invitation, and drew near the
stove. They spread out their hands, and returning warmth proved
very grateful to them.
"Have you been out long?" asked the gentleman who had interceded
in their behalf, also drawing near the stove.
"Since eight, signore."
"Do you live in Brooklyn?"
"No; in New York."
"And do you go out every day?"
"Si, signore."
"How long since you came from Italy?"
"A year."
"Would you like to go back?"
"He would," said Phil, pointing to his companion. "I would like
to stay here, if I had a good home."
"What kind of a home have you? With whom do you live?"
"With the padrone."
"I suppose that means your guardian?"
"Yes, sir," answered Phil.
"Is he kind to you?"
"He beats us if we do not bring home enough money."
"Your lot is a hard one. What makes you stay with him? Don't
the boys ever run away?"
"Sometimes."
"What does the padrone do in that case?"
"He tries to find them."
"And if he does--what then?"
"He beats them for a long time."
"Evidently your padrone is a brute. Why don't you complain to
the police?"
Phil shrugged his shoulders, and did not answer. He evidently
thought the suggestion an impracticable one. These boys are wont
to regard the padrone as above all law. His power seems to them
absolute, and they never dream of any interference. And, indeed,
there is some reason for their cherishing this opinion. However
brutal his treatment, I know of no case where the law has stepped
in to rescue the young victim. This is partly, no doubt, because
the boys, few of whom can speak the English language, do not know
their rights, and seldom complain to outsiders--never to the
authorities. Probably, in some cases, the treatment is less
brutal than I have depicted; but from the best information I can
obtain from trustworthy sources, I fear that the reality, if
anything, exceeds the picture I have drawn.
"I think I should enjoy giving your padrone a horsewhipping,"
said the gentleman, impetuously. "Can such things be permitted
in the nineteenth century?"
"I have no doubt the little rascals deserve all they get," said
the grocer, who would probably have found in the Italian padrone
a congenial spirit.
Mr. Pomeroy deigned no reply to this remark.
"Well, boys," he said, consulting his watch, "I must leave you.
Here are twenty-five cents for each of you. I have one piece of
advice for you. If your padrone beats you badly, run away from
him. I would if I were in your place."
"Addio, signore," said the two boys.
"I suppose that means 'good-by.' Well, good-by, and better luck."
CHAPTER IX
PIETRO THE SPY
Though from motives of policy the grocer had permitted the boys
to warm themselves by his fire, he felt only the more incensed
against them on this account, and when Mr. Pomeroy had gone
determined to get rid of them.
"Haven't you got warm yet?" he asked. "I can't have you in my
way all day."
"We will go," said Phil. "Come, Giacomo."
He did not thank the grocer, knowing how grudgingly permission
had been given.
So they went out again into the chill air, but they had got
thoroughly warmed, and were better able to bear it.
"Where shall we go, Filippo?" asked the younger boy.
recreation as the youthful heart craves, were devoted to a
pursuit that did nothing to prepare them for the duties of life.
And this white slavery--for it merits no better name--is
permitted by the law of two great nations. Italy is in fault in
suffering this traffic in her children of tender years, and
America is guilty as well in not interfering, as she might, at
all events, to abridge the long hours of labor required of these
boys, and forcing their cruel guardians to give them some
instruction.
One by one the boys straggled in. By midnight all had returned,
and the boys were permitted to retire to their beds, which were
poor enough. This, however, was the least of their troubles.
Sound are the slumbers of young however hard the couch on which
it rests, especially when, as with all the young Italian boys,
the day has been one of fatigue.
CHAPTER VIII
A COLD DAY
The events thus far recorded in the life of our young hero took
place on a day toward the middle of October, when the temperature
was sufficiently mild to produce no particular discomfort in
those exposed to it. We advance our story two months, and behold
Phil setting out for his day's wandering on a morning in
December, when the keen blasts swept through the streets, sending
a shiver through the frames even of those who were well
protected. How much more, then, must it be felt by the young
street musician, who, with the exception of a woolen tippet, wore
nothing more or warmer than in the warmer months! Yet, Phil,
with his natural vigorous frame, was better able to bear the
rigor of the winter weather than some of his comrades, as
Giacomo, to whom the long hours spent in the streets were laden
with suffering and misery.
The two boys went about together when they dared to do so, though
the padrone objected, but for what reason it did not seem
manifest, unless because he suspected that two would plan
something prejudicial to his interests. Phil, who was generally
more successful than Giacomo, often made up his smaller
comrade's deficiencies by giving him a portion of his own gains.
It was a raw day. Only those who felt absolutely obliged to be
out were to be seen in the streets; but among these were our two
little fiddlers. Whatever might be the weather, they were
compelled to expose themselves to its severity. However the boys
might suffer, they must bring home the usual amount. But at
eleven o'clock the prospects seemed rather discouraging. They
had but twenty-five cents between them, nor would anyone stop to
listen to their playing.
"I wish it were night, Filippo," said Giacomo, shivering with
cold.
"So do I, Giacomo. Are you very cold?"
"Yes," said the little boy, his teeth chattering. "I wish I were
back in Italy. It is never so cold there."
"No, Giacomo; you are right. But I would not mind the cold so
much, if I had a warm overcoat like that boy," pointing out a boy
clad in a thick overcoat, and a fur cap drawn over his ears,
while his hands were snugly incased in warm gloves.
He, too, looked at the two fiddlers, and he could not help
noticing how cold they looked.
"Look here, you little chaps, are you cold? You look as if you
had just come from Greenland."
"Yes," said Phil. "We are cold."
"Your hands look red enough. Here is an old pair of gloves for
one of you. I wish I had another pair. They are not very thick,
but they are better than none."
He drew a pair of worsted gloves from his pocket, and handed them
to Phil.
"Thank you," said Phil; but having received them, he gave them to
Giacomo.
"You are colder than I am, Giacomo," he said. "Take them."
"But you are cold, too, Filippo."
"I will put my hands in my pockets. Don't mind me."
Of course this conversation took place in Italian; for, though
Phil had learnedconsiderable English, Giacomo understood but a
few words of it.
The gloves afforded some protection, but still both boys were
very cold. They were in Brooklyn, having crossed the ferry in
the morning. They had wandered to a part not closely built up,
where they were less sheltered, and experienced greater
discomfort.
"Can't we go in somewhere and get warm? pleaded Giacomo.
"Here is a grocery" target="_blank" title="n.食品杂货店">grocery store. We will go in there."
Phil opened the door and entered. The shopkeeper, a
peevish-looking man, with lightish hair, stood behind the counter
weighing out a pound of tea for a customer.
"What do you want here, you little vagabonds?" he exclaimed,
harshly, as he saw the two boys enter.
"We are cold," said Phil. "May we stand by your stove and get
warm?"
"Do you think I provide a fire for all the vagabonds in the
city?" said the grocer, with a brutaldisregard of their evident
suffering.
Phil hesitated, not knowing whether he was ordered out or not.
"Clear out of my store, I say!" said the grocer, harshly. "I
don't want you in here. Do you understand?"
At this moment a gentleman of prepossessing appearance entered
the store. He heard the grocer's last words, and their
inhumanity made him indignant.
"What do these boys want, Mr. Perkins?" he said.
"They want to spend their time in my shop. I have no room for
such vagabonds."
"We are cold," said Phil. "We only want to warm ourselves by the
fire."
"I don't want you here," said the grocer, irritably.
"Mr. Perkins," said the gentleman, sharply, "have you no
humanity? What harm can it do you to let these poor boys get
warm by your fire? It will cost you nothing; it will not
diminish your personal comfort; yet you drive them out into the
cold."
The grocer began to perceive that he was on the wrong tack. The
gentleman who addressed him was a regular and profitable
customer, and he did not like to incur his ill will, which would
entail loss.
"They can stay, Mr. Pomeroy," he said, with an ill grace, "since
you ask it."
"I do not ask it. I will not accept, as a personal favor, what
you should have granted from a motive of humanity, more
especially as, after this exhibition of your spirit, I shall not
trade here any longer."
By this time the grocerperceived that he had made a mistake.
"I hope you will reconsider that, Mr. Pomeroy," he said,
abjectly. "The fact is, I had no objections to the boys warming
themselves, but they are mostlythieves, and I could not keep my
eyes on them all the time."
"I think you are mistaken. They don't look like thieves. Did
you ever have anything stolen by one of this class of boys?"
"Not that I know of," said the grocer, hesitatingly; "but it is
likely they would steal if they got a chance."
"We have no right to say that of anyone without good cause."
"We never steal," said Phil, indignantly; for he understood what
was said.
"Of course he says so," sneered the grocer. "Come and warm
yourselves, if you want to."
The boys accepted this grudging invitation, and drew near the
stove. They spread out their hands, and returning warmth proved
very grateful to them.
"Have you been out long?" asked the gentleman who had interceded
in their behalf, also drawing near the stove.
"Since eight, signore."
"Do you live in Brooklyn?"
"No; in New York."
"And do you go out every day?"
"Si, signore."
"How long since you came from Italy?"
"A year."
"Would you like to go back?"
"He would," said Phil, pointing to his companion. "I would like
to stay here, if I had a good home."
"What kind of a home have you? With whom do you live?"
"With the padrone."
"I suppose that means your guardian?"
"Yes, sir," answered Phil.
"Is he kind to you?"
"He beats us if we do not bring home enough money."
"Your lot is a hard one. What makes you stay with him? Don't
the boys ever run away?"
"Sometimes."
"What does the padrone do in that case?"
"He tries to find them."
"And if he does--what then?"
"He beats them for a long time."
"Evidently your padrone is a brute. Why don't you complain to
the police?"
Phil shrugged his shoulders, and did not answer. He evidently
thought the suggestion an impracticable one. These boys are wont
to regard the padrone as above all law. His power seems to them
absolute, and they never dream of any interference. And, indeed,
there is some reason for their cherishing this opinion. However
brutal his treatment, I know of no case where the law has stepped
in to rescue the young victim. This is partly, no doubt, because
the boys, few of whom can speak the English language, do not know
their rights, and seldom complain to outsiders--never to the
authorities. Probably, in some cases, the treatment is less
brutal than I have depicted; but from the best information I can
obtain from trustworthy sources, I fear that the reality, if
anything, exceeds the picture I have drawn.
"I think I should enjoy giving your padrone a horsewhipping,"
said the gentleman, impetuously. "Can such things be permitted
in the nineteenth century?"
"I have no doubt the little rascals deserve all they get," said
the grocer, who would probably have found in the Italian padrone
a congenial spirit.
Mr. Pomeroy deigned no reply to this remark.
"Well, boys," he said, consulting his watch, "I must leave you.
Here are twenty-five cents for each of you. I have one piece of
advice for you. If your padrone beats you badly, run away from
him. I would if I were in your place."
"Addio, signore," said the two boys.
"I suppose that means 'good-by.' Well, good-by, and better luck."
CHAPTER IX
PIETRO THE SPY
Though from motives of policy the grocer had permitted the boys
to warm themselves by his fire, he felt only the more incensed
against them on this account, and when Mr. Pomeroy had gone
determined to get rid of them.
"Haven't you got warm yet?" he asked. "I can't have you in my
way all day."
"We will go," said Phil. "Come, Giacomo."
He did not thank the grocer, knowing how grudgingly permission
had been given.
So they went out again into the chill air, but they had got
thoroughly warmed, and were better able to bear it.
"Where shall we go, Filippo?" asked the younger boy.
- instruction [in´strʌkʃən]
n.教育；训练；指导 (初中英语单词) - partly [´pɑ:tli] ad.部分地；不完全地 (初中英语单词)
- youthful [´ju:θfəl] a.年轻的；青年的 (初中英语单词)
- traffic [´træfik] n.交通，运输 (初中英语单词)
- guilty [´gilti] a.有罪的；心虚的 (初中英语单词)
- midnight [´midnait] n.午夜；漆黑 (初中英语单词)
- retire [ri´taiə] v.撤退；退职；退休 (初中英语单词)
- italian [i´tæliən] a.意大利 n.意大利人 (初中英语单词)
- sufficiently [sə´fiʃəntli] ad.充分地，足够地 (初中英语单词)
- shiver [´ʃivə] v.&n.(使)颤抖；碎片 (初中英语单词)
- exception [ik´sepʃən] n.例外；反对，异议 (初中英语单词)
- suffering [´sʌfəriŋ] n.痛苦；灾害 (初中英语单词)
- portion [´pɔ:ʃən] n.嫁妆；命运 vt.分配 (初中英语单词)
- absolutely [´æbsəlu:tli] ad.绝对地；确实 (初中英语单词)
- whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)
- expose [ik´spəuz] vt.揭露，暴露；陈列 (初中英语单词)
- amount [ə´maunt] n.总数；数量 v.合计 (初中英语单词)
- considerable [kən´sidərəbəl] a.重要的；值得重视 (初中英语单词)
- protection [prə´tekʃən] n.警戒；护照；通行证 (初中英语单词)
- knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)
- sharply [´ʃɑ:pli] ad.锋利地；剧烈地 (初中英语单词)
- perceive [pə´si:v] vt.察觉；看出；领悟 (初中英语单词)
- motive [´məutiv] n.动机；主题 a.运动的 (初中英语单词)
- humanity [hju:´mæniti] n.人类；人性；仁慈 (初中英语单词)
- mostly [´məustli] ad.主要地；多半；通常 (初中英语单词)
- stolen [´stəulən] steal 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- invitation [,invi´teiʃən] n.邀请；请帖；吸引 (初中英语单词)
- warmth [wɔ:mθ] n.温暖；热情；激动 (初中英语单词)
- grateful [´greitful] a.感谢的；令人愉快的 (初中英语单词)
- companion [kəm´pæniən] n.同伴；同事；伴侣 (初中英语单词)
- complain [kəm´plein] vi.抱怨，叫屈；控诉 (初中英语单词)
- suggestion [sə´dʒestʃən] n.建议，提议；暗示 (初中英语单词)
- treatment [´tri:tmənt] n.待遇；对待；治疗 (初中英语单词)
- rescue [´reskju:] vt.&n.救援；挽救 (初中英语单词)
- victim [´viktim] n.牺牲者；受害者 (初中英语单词)
- reality [ri´æliti] n.现实(性)；真实；逼真 (初中英语单词)
- deserve [di´zə:v] v.应受；值得 (初中英语单词)
- account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)
- musician [mju:´ziʃən] n.音乐家，作曲家 (高中英语单词)
- vigorous [´vigərəs] a.精力旺盛的；健壮的 (高中英语单词)
- overcoat [´əuvəkəut] n.大衣 (高中英语单词)
- learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)
- grocery [´grəusəri] n.食品杂货店 (高中英语单词)
- grocer [´grəusə] n.食品商，杂货商 (高中英语单词)
- exhibition [eksi´biʃ(ə)n] n.展览；显示；表演 (高中英语单词)
- mistaken [mis´teikən] mistake的过去分词 (高中英语单词)
- behalf [bi´hɑ:f] n.利益 (高中英语单词)
- interference [,intə´fiərəns] n.干涉，干扰，妨碍 (高中英语单词)
- devoted [di´vəutid] a.献身...的，忠实的 (英语四级单词)
- setting [´setiŋ] n.安装；排字；布景 (英语四级单词)
- woolen [´wulən] a.毛线的；毛织品的 (英语四级单词)
- severity [si´veriti] n.严厉；严重；苛刻 (英语四级单词)
- experienced [ik´spiəriənst] a.有经验的；熟练的 (英语四级单词)
- brutal [´bru:tl] a.兽性的；残暴的 (英语四级单词)
- disregard [,disri´gɑ:d] vt.&n.不顾；漠视 (英语四级单词)
- thieves [θi:vz] thief的复数 (英语四级单词)
- drawing [´drɔ:iŋ] n.画图；制图；图样 (英语四级单词)
- congenial [kən´dʒi:niəl] a.意气相投的；合适的 (英语四级单词)
- policy [´pɔlisi] n.政策；权谋；保险单 (英语四级单词)
- discomfort [dis´kʌmfət] n.不适；不安；困难 (英语六级单词)
- shopkeeper [´ʃɔp,ki:pə] n.(小店)店主 (英语六级单词)
- harshly [´hɑ:ʃli] ad.粗糙地，冷酷地 (英语六级单词)
- indignantly [in´dignəntli] ad.愤慨地，义愤地 (英语六级单词)
- impracticable [im´præktikəbəl] a.不切实际的 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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