Homeless Children to the Office—The Feeling at its Foundation—Its
Objects—To Found Reading-rooms, Industrial Schools, Lodging-houses, and
Provide Homes for the Homeless—Dens of Misery and Crime—Thieves'
Lodging-houses—"Rotten Row"—"Poverty Lane"—Haunts of the Young
Wood-stealers—Hopes of the New Work—Workshops—Want of
Success—Causes—Necessity of General Education, rather than Industrial,
for Street-children … … … … … … … … … … … … … … pp. 84–96
CHAPTER IX.
HOMELESS BOYS—THE NEWSBOYS' LODGING-HOUSE.
Their Relation to the World, like that of the Indians to
Civilization—Life of the Street-boy—His Lightheartedness—His Moral
Code—His Religion—Few Addicted to Drinking—Their
Generosity—Policy-tickets—Choice of Night Resting-places—Necessity to
treat them as Independent Dealers—First Lodging-house for Newsboys In
the World—Mr. Tracy—Plans of the Boys for a Scrimmage—Their
Defeat—Remarks about their Beds—Origin of the Night-school—And the
Sunday Meeting—Surprise at the Golden Rule—Belief in Miracles—Pathos
of their songs—The Savings'-bank—Breaking up of Gambling and Money
Wasting—Mr. and Mrs. O'Connor—Their Fitness for the Work—Immense
Number of Lodgers—The Influence of the House—Payments by the
Lads—Description of Rooms—The New Building—Extracts from Journal
Statistics … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … pp. 97–113
CHAPTER X.
STREET-GIRLS—THEIR SUFFERING AND CRIME.
Hard Lot of A Girl-vagrant—Sexual Vice—Dark Questions—Girls' Vices More Degrading than the Boys'—Effect on her Habits and Character—Great Difficulty of Reform—History of Prostitutes not Romantic—Their lives the Fruit of Neglect in Early Childhood, and of Lazy Habits—Their Good Qualities—Remedies for the Social Evil—Sad Incident of a Young Girl in the Tombs … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … pp. 114–122
CHAPTER XI.
LEGAL TREATMENT OF PROSTITUTES.
Should License be Allowed?—The Views of Physicians—Foolish Arguments
on the Other Side—Duties of a Physician Purely Medical—Objections to
License under the Moral Aspect—Bitter Misery of this Class of
Women—Effect of License to Encourage the Crime—The Recognition by
Law—Prostitution can be Checked—Condition of this Class in New York
Terrible—Necessity of Hospitals or Dispensaries for this Class in the
City—The Absurdity of the Berlin License Laws—Non-licensing a Terror
to Evil-doers—This Not a Proper Object for Legislators—Effect of
License in Paris—Superiority of New York to other Great Cities in this
Matter Partly Due to Non-licensing … … … … … … … . … .pp. 123–131
CHAPTER XII.
THE BEST PREVENTIVE OF VICE AMONG CHILDREN—INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.
Public Schools not Reaching the Poorer Children—Numbers of Vagrant Children Twenty Years Ago—Foundation of the Wilson School—The Rookeries of the Fourth Ward—Dance-saloons—Crime of the Ward—Numbers of Wild Children—Efforts to Form an Association among the Rich to connect the Two Ends of Society—All Sects, and those of no Sect, Invited—Foundation of Fourth-ward Industrial School—Description of the Children—Influence of Volunteer Teachers—Their Self-sacrifice—Description of some of the Ladies Engaged—Effects of the Work on Crime in the Fourth Ward—Marked Improvement—Dr. Robert Ray's Services—Remarkable Diminution of Vagrancy in the Ward—Instance from our Journal—Average Expense of the School … … … … pp. 139–146
CHAPTER XIII.
GERMAN RAG-PICKERS.
Their Quarters on the Eastern Side—Number in the Eleventh
Ward—Formation of an Association for their Benefit—Its Moving
Spirit—Social Influences in the School—Its Effect on the
Rag-pickers—Aid from the German Merchants—A Devoted Teacher—Dutch
Hill and the Swill-gatherers—Description of the Squatters'
Village—Character of the People—Drunkenness—Faith of the
Children—Personal Efforts—Discouraging Features of the Work—Influence
of Roman Catholicism—Difficulties of a Protestant—Influence of the
Priests—Formation of an Association of Ladies on Murray
Hill—Foundation of East River Industrial School—Mrs. Hurley—Her
Devoted Labors for Seventeen Years—Attachment of Children to
Her—Reform among the Children—Influence of Volunteer
Teachers—Incidents among the Poor—A Heroic Girl—Happy Changes of
Fortune—Remarkable Success among Two Thousand Children—"Our
Failures"—The Beggar's Family … … … … … … … … … … pp. 147–164
CHAPTER XIV.
SCENES AMONG THE POOR.
The Street-child—Effects of Drunkenness—A Mother Fleeing her
Daughter-The Dying Sewing-woman—Severe Labor—Christian Faith—Changes
of Fortune—Discouragement—The Iron-worker's Wife—A Little
Beggar—Religious Trouble—The Swill-gatherer's Child—Danger of Ruin—A
Reform—Present Condition of East River School … … … . … .pp. 165–173
CHAPTER XV.
THE PROTESTANT POOR AND STREET-ROVERS.
Formation of an Association of Ladies on the West Side—Hudson River Industrial School—Perseverance of Volunteer Teachers—Protestant Poor no Better than Catholic—"Muscular Orphans"—Wild Boys near East Thirty fourth Street—Skillful Thieves—Efforts of the School—Transference to Eleventh Street—Dock Pilferers—Success of our Efforts—Need of Lodging-house in Thirty-fourth Street … … … … … … . … .pp. 174–180
CHAPTER XVI.
NEW METHODS OF TEACHING.
Generous Proposal of a Benevolent Lady—Her Labors among the Poor—Miss
Andrew's Teaching—Pestalozzi's System—Old Systems too Mechanical and
too much Memorizing—Effects in Loose