Phil, the Fiddler

o play. This time, however, he was not as fortunate as before. While in the midst of a tune one of the men employed on the boat entere

noise, bo

looke

I not

y wants to

e padrone, and could afford to stop. He took a seat, and waited quietly till the boat landed. One of the lady passengers, as she passed him on her wa

e," he thought. "I shall

the streets all day, that he remained on the boat for two more tr

Newsboys and bootblacks are their own masters, and, whether their earnings are little or great, reap the benefit of them themselves. They can stop work at six if they like, or earlier; but the little Italian

wer part of the city. As he was passing a

tune, boy

er showed that he drank very liberally, and the atmosphere was filled with the fumes of bad cigars and bad liquor. The men

fiddle, you little

t the service of the public, and what he chiefly

l I play?"

t's all the same to me. I don'

d that he could hardly avoid coughing. He was anxious to get out into the street, but he did not wish to refuse playing

Phil. Noticing that the boy kept his place, the

land, but he did not care for the poison

thirsty,

e, give this boy a

want it,"

n I'll make you;" and he brought down his fist so heavily upon the counter as to make the gl

lor was too quick for him. Overtaking Phil, he dragged him back with a rough gra

d a fellow sailor. "If he don't

is potations, and swore that Phil sho

l not," said

nt it?" demanded

wil

down your throat, too,"

ough to drink. But the boy shan

ted the first sai

ss which had just been filled with brandy; he was about to pour it down his th

ran to the door, and, emerging into the street, ran away till he had placed a considerable distance between himself and the disorderly and drunken party in the barroom. The fight the

but he cared little for that, as the money would have done him no good. He would only have been compelled to pass it over to the padrone. These boys, even at a tender age, are necessarily made fam

with him; only it is to be said that this was a favorable specimen. He had been more fortunate in collecting money than usu

king on the Bowery, he met Giaco

ew too well how he would be received by the padrone. Yet his face lighted up as he saw Phil. Often before Phil had encouraged him when he was d

, Filippo?

. What luck h

an a dollar. I am so tired; but I don't

t must be considerably more than two dollars, Why should he not give some to h

ck," he said. "I have

ys luckier th

o. It does not tire me

not sing very much, and I

w much money you

ts," said Giacomo, after counti

ing. The result of his count was that he

id. "I will give you eno

you will b

and five cents left. Then ne

you are,

ch, or the padrone will expect me to bring as much every d

eard the clock strike eleven. It was now so late that they determined to r