128
 

THE POOR IN GREAT  CITIES
 

The teacher cut the explanation short, and ordering up another
boy, bade him sx3ell " nerve."    He did it.

" What is nerve ? " demanded the teacher ; " what does it mean ? "

" Cheek! don't you knoAv," said
the boy, and at that moment I
caught Buffalo blacking my sleep¬
ing pedler's face with ink, just in
time to prevent his waking him
up. Then it was that I heard the
disturber's story. He was a char¬
acter, and no mistake. He had
run aAvay from Buffalo, Avhence his
name, " beating " his way down on
the trains until he reached Ncav
York. He " shined " around until
he got so desperately hard up
that he had to sell his kit. Just
about then he Avas discovered by
an artist, who paid him to sit for
him in his aAvful rags, with his
tousled hair that had not known
the restraint of a cax3 for months.
" Oh! it was a daisy job," sighed
Buffalo, at the recollection. He
had only to sit still and crack
jokes. Alas! Buffalo's first effort
at righteousness upset him. He
had been taught in the lodging-
house that to be clean was the first
requisite of a gentleman, and on his first pay-day he went bravely,
eschcAving " craps," and bought himself a new coat and had his hair
cut. When, beaming Avith pride, he presented himself at the
studio in his new character, the artist turned him out as no longer
of any use to him.    I am afraid that Buffalo's ambition to be " like
 

^a>'iAiJ
 

Buffalo.