Phil, the Fiddler

street, accompanying himself on a violin which, from its

t olive, with the dark eyes peculiar to his race, and his hair black. In spite of the dirt, his face was strikingly handsome, especially when lighted up by a

hard usage and antiquity. His shoes, which appeared to be wholly unacquainted with blacking, were, like his

iar with Italian names, had left the miserable home in Crosby Street, where he and forty other boys lived in charge of a middle-aged Italian, k

im somewhat uneasy, for he knew that at night he must carry home a satisfactory sum to the padrone, or he would

him from a window of some of the fine houses before which he played, but he seemed likely to be disappointed, for he played ten minutes without apparently attracting any attention. He was about to change his position, when the basement door

e in," said th

e?" (1) said Ph

at do y

an rubbish," said the girl. "Y

e other hand, they pick up French readily, and as many of them, en route for America, spend some weeks, or months, in the French metropolis, it is common to find

he asked, a lit

play on your fiddle," said the serv

one of the first English phras

along,

fiddler, who had never before been invited into a fine house, looked with admiration at the handsome furniture, and especially

kness, and contrasted vividly with the brilliant brown face of the little Italian boy, who seemed the perfect picture of health. Sitting be

the other, uncertain w

English?" ask

a little," ans

d would like to hea

added the sick

sten to the boys of his class, with the refrain, "Viva Garibaldi." His voice was clear and melodious, and

evident pleasure, for he,

Italian," he said, "I thi

some English song,"

g in English

mon street ditty, "Shoe fly, don't bouder me," givin

asked Henry Leigh, whe

said Phil, sh

ht to le

said Phil, "but I k

lay som

up "Yankee Doodle," which he playe

he name of tha

hook h

Yankee D

the words in his mouth had a d

re you?" a

ve ye

e quite as o

he seems to be," said Mrs. Leigh, sighi

d a cold, which had attacked his lungs, and had gradually increased until there seemed lit

e you been in

an

ong is

know that, because 'annus

r, a year,

e do you

Napo

from Naples,

sig

re they are purchased from their parents, for a fixed sum, or rate of annual payment. But it is usual for them when questione

ive with," co

the pa

is the

of me-he bring

kind

gged his

sometimes,"

you? Wh

ing litt

beat yo

or, with

d man," said Hen

ney must you

dol

ault, if people will

orta. He

to be beat

be punished for his cruelty had never dawned upon him. Knowing nothing of any law that would protect him, he submitted to it as a necessity, fr

, and gave him fifty cents. Phil took his fiddle under his arm, and, followin