Page images
PDF
EPUB

LIFE IN NEW YORK,

IN DOORS AND OUT OF DOORS.

ILLUSTRATED BY FORTY ENGRAVINGS

BY THE LATE

WILLIAM BURNS.

NEW YORK:

BUNCE & BROTHER, PUBLISHERS

134 NASSAU STREET.

1853.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1851, by

BUNCE & BROTHER,

in the Clerks Office of the District Court, for, and in the Southern District

ef New York.

[graphic][merged small]

A charming occupation! exclaim some of our lady readers, the children of ease and affluence, who to kill time pursue their elaborate embroidery in elegant frames, and copying from costly patterns.

O, yes! very charming indeed is it to fashion these pretty wreaths and bunches of flowers, as a recreative employment, but it is labor, tedious, monotonous, unremitting labor, to those who depend upon it for their breadno more attractive as an occupation, pursued of necessity, than the fitting of dresses or the stitching of shirts. The flowers are artificial, without fragrance, as are the lives of too many of the friendless, hardworking poor.

But we have one of the class, a rather pretty, hopeful and cheerful girl, to introduce, and she will help us to furnish the sketch which the picture of herself requires.

Unlike most of the heroines of humble life, she has neither a widowed mother, nor an infirm father, nor little brothers and sisters, early orphaned, to support.. No, she is quite alone, and there is enough of mystery conearning her origin to furnish three or four

chapters of a modern romance. She has not an idea of where she was born, or who were her parents. She knows a very plain, matter of fact man, named Thompson, we believe-a carman, who said to her one day, three years ago

66

Nelly, you are now fourteen years old Twelve years ago two respectable looking persons, a man and a woman, came to my house and said- Mr. Thompson, you are an honest man, your wife is an excellent woman, and has just presented you with a fine baby'—all of which I did not deny. Then they said that they wanted my wife to take charge of another baby, and to bring it up, and protect it till it was twelve years old, when it would be claimed. We talked the matter over, and at last agreed upon the terms. The next day, the baby-that was you, Nelly-was brought, and with it one thousand dollars, which I was to have for taking care of you for the twelve years, up two years ago. But you'll not be claimed, Nelly, I know, for the man and woman, who must have been your parents, showed no sign of

THE ARTIFICIAL FLOWER MAKER.

feeling when they laid you down in my wife's lap, handed me the money, and then disappeared. I expected to see the woman kiss you, or press your little hands, and it would have been only natural, had she dropped a tear on the helpless innocent she was leaving among strangers. She did neither, but hurried away as fast as she could, which makes me think that she'll be in no hurry to come back again."

Nelly, as she told us herself, not long since, wept bitterly when the honest carman had got thus far in his story, but he continued without appearing to notice her emotion:

"The thousand dollars are not all gone yet there are good four hundred left, which belong to you, Nelly, as I think, though by the bargain they are mine. It never struck me until a year ago that I should have put the money to interest-but it's too late now. Well, it is time you should be doing something. The only mother you ever knew, is gone, Nelly-there's a new wife at the old board, and a new brood of children gathered round it. You know what I mean you feel it, Nelly, and so I wont say another word " Nelly understood the carman, as well as though he had spoken an hour longer. She thought with him, that her parents, not having claimed her when the twelve years expired, were either dead or had forgotten her. She dried her tears, and resolved to learn a trade.

"And I chose this," she said to us, holding up a bunch of flowers she was at work upon, and smiling faintly as she spoke, "I chose this, because I love flowers, and even these their poor counterfeits beget very pleasant thoughts."

"How do you get along?" we asked. "Much better than most of the poor girls who follow the same business, for honest Mr. Thompson paid me the four hundred dollars when I left his house, and from that I draw thirty dollars a year to clothe me. The rest is in the bank in Chambers street. All that

I earn I spend for food, fuel, and rent?"" "And how much do you earn a day?" we enquired.

"A good day's work nets me three shillings-that's two dollars and a quarter a week: buy a year ago I didn't make half that, and the first year I was cheated wickedly. Shall I tell you how they cheat poor girls in this artificial flower business?"

"Yes, do."

66

Why they advertise in the papers for girls to learn to make artificial flowers, describing it as good business. The girls apply and are told that they must work six months for nothing. Then they will have learned the trade, and afterwards can make good wages. I engaged on these terms. It is simple enough to make flowers-I knew all about it in a week, but I was faithful to the agreement and worked steadily for six months." "What then?"

"The man told me that he had no more work for me-that when he had, he would send for me, and he turned away and engaged six new apprentices before my very face. understood the trick in a moment."

I

"That was rascally, but do you mean to say that all in the business pursue such a system?"

66

"O no," she replied, "if they did I could earn nothing. But I'll tell you what they all do systematically-they all pay very low wages. You don't know how frightened I was at first, to see my four hundred dollars diminish so fast-but I do very well now, all things considered."

"But tell me, Nelly," we asked, "how you manage to pay rent, and buy fuel and food, with two dollars and a quarter a week?"

"O very easy-I pay seventy-five cents a week for this room, and the kind people down stairs allow me to wash out my few things on their wash day. I burn coke, which costs four dollars a caldron-it's a cheap and nice fire. I never eat meat-but once or twice a week I treat myself to fish, a few oysters or clams. My principal food is bread, raisins, figs--sometimes tapioca, which is very nutritious, and of which I am very fond. My principal drink is water-the Croton is delicious, but now and then I make a dish of black tea, and invite the lady down stairs to gossip with me for an hour or two."

"But you could board very comfortably for two dollars a week," we said.

"I tried that, but soon grew weary of it," the flower maker replied, and the blood man. tling in her cheek, as she spoke, told of some painful remembrance connected with her experience of boarding-house life. After a moment's pause she continued,

"A poor girl, with no protection, had bet ter live secluded and alone, than in a board ing-house in a city like this. At first I was delighted with my boarding-house-it was quite genteel, and the young men were very polite to me. But after awhile it became unpleasant."

"What made it so?" we asked.

The girl hesitated, her fingers trembled among the flowers she was fashioning, and her face, at first crimson, grew pallid. She spoke tremulously and slowly,

"I found that those who addressed me so politely, and who flattered me, did not respect me, and something told me, that such people I ought to shun.”

"But you might have been mistaken." "So I thought myself, and tried to think, but—”

"Well ?"

[blocks in formation]

THE ARTIFICIAL FLOWER MAKER.

"Mr. Vickar?' said the honest, big fisted workman, looking enquiringly at my com

666

Yes,' replied the gentleman, rising with evident embarrassment. 'Yes, my name is Vickar-what do you wish?”

"Why my intention is, if you have no objection, to kick you down these three flights of stairs,' answered the workman with most insulting gravity.

ow us, and he has a beautiful daughter of
about your own age. Has the young man in-
troduced you to his sister? I saw the pur-panion.
port of the question, but I was obliged to an-
swer that I was not acquainted with Miss
Vickar. The old gentleman took my hand
kindly, as he said- If Mr. Vickar respected
you, my poor child, he would have made you
acquainted with his sister." They need to be
cautious, who are not strong. I almost ran to
Mr. Thompson's house to beg that he would
allow me to board with him, but the carman
was packing up his furniture and preparing
to go West and settle. So I sought me out
this room, which is comfortable, and in a
house occupied by poor and plain but good
people."

"Coming here, you were no longer annoyed, I suppose ?"

"For a little time," the girl answered, "I was alone and saw none of my former acquaintances. But one day Mr. Vickar presented himself. I expressed my surprise at seeing him. He told me that he had hunted over half the town to find me. Remembering what the old gentleman had told me, or rather the intimation conveyed in his words, I coldly replied that I could not understand the cause of his anxiety. Then the gentleman became warm and passionate in his expressions, and once or twice swore what I dare say are esteemed very beautiful oaths under such circumstances !"

"Well ?"

"He then began to enlarge upon the narrowness of the limits of my life, and talked sentimentally about the shabbiness of my room. Then he grew eloquent on my beauty and at last told me that he loved me."

"And wished you to marry him?"

"Vickar grew pallid and his voice trembled in spite of himself, as he said

"But suppose I do not wish to be kicked down stairs, and have the weapons on my person to protect me from the proposed indignity?

"in that case,' said my champion, laughing loudly as he spoke in that case, I'll throw you out of this window-it's the shortest cut-and he seized the young gallant, as though he would execute his threat.

"Vickar begged for mercy piteously. "Ask that young lady's pardon,' demand ed the now enraged workman. "I will willingly spare Mr. Vickar that humiliation,' I interposed, if he will relieve me of his presence.'

"Beg her pardon,' repeated the workman turning the young gentleman round towards me, in his powerful grasp.

"I beg your pardon, miss,' faltered out Mr. Vickar.

"And swear you will insult her no more with your presence,' continued the workman, compressing his fingers around the young man's throat.

"I swear most solemnly,' he gasped out. "Now go,' and the workman spun him round for a moment like à top, and kicked him through the door. I heard the kicks repeated, as the party made their way down stairs, and the jeering laugh of my landlady, who called out at last.

"Give him one good kick more, husband, for luck's sake.'

[ocr errors]

"O no, he simply wished to take me from that wretched garret' and place me in apartments suitable to my beauty and youth." He implored me not to remain a day longer in such a hovel-but fly with him. And after saying all this he attempted to put his arms "The kick was given I suppose, the street around my waist. I quietly avoided the em- door was slammed violently to, and I saw no brace, and speaking as calmly as I do now, in- more of my lover. But still poverty must put formed him that he had made a decided up with the insolence of wealth. I have been mistake, that I was not the girl he took me followed home, again and again, and again and to be. He tried to interrupt me with a few again being importuned in a similar manner. more extravagances, but I stopped him by There appears to be a large class of young saying that I was tired of that kind of display, men in this city, who have nothing to do but and wished to be alone. He left me and I stare impudently at all women, rich and poor, passed the rest of the day in tears. But his and follow to their abodes, those whom persecutions did not cease. He came several they think have no protectors. I suppose times, each time renewing his insulting of- they call this gallantry, and I have been the fers, until I was obliged to inform the good object of enough of it. My good friends down woman down stairs of the whole matter. She stairs have three or four times taken the promised that my elegant friend, Mr. Vickar, trouble to inform these unknown admirers should not trouble me but once more. That that I am not quite friendless. It is singular, once came a few nights afterward. Mr. Vic- the effect which a glimpse of that honest kar walked into my room, without the cere- workman's big fists, has upon these fine galmony of knocking, and seating himself by my side, began to talk in the usual way, but with a little more insolence than he had heretofore exhibited I was meditating how best to reply, when the door opened, and the husband of my landlady presented himself. Over his broad shoulders I could see his wife peeping uriously.

lants. They vanish, as it were, from the doorway, and although my landlady invariably runs to the door, she declares that she can never get a sight of them. They turn a sharp corner so skilfully and fleetly that her quick eyes cannot follow them.

"And have you no friends?"

"No, only one-the bird in the cage yon

« PreviousContinue »