CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE CHILD VAGRANT.
Passion for Roving Among Children—A Rover Reformed—Sent to the West,
and Wanders over the Woods and Mountains—The Habits of Little
Street-Vagrants—Unaccountable Preference for Particular
Lodging-houses—Greatest Number in the Spring—Different Class of Boys
in each House—Mystery of what Becomes of a Great Number of
Them—Down-town Boys Sharper than the Up-town—Influence of Theatres
upon them—The Salvation of New York its Climate—A Corrective—A
License should be Required of each Street-trader—A License to be
Accompanied by a School Certificate—Such a Law could be
Executed—Success of similar Boston Laws—School-training Preventing
Vagrancy and Pauperism—Truant-schools not Needed—Compulsory
Education—Half-time Schools—Such a Law not Needed Formerly, Now
Required Everywhere—Statistics of Illiteracy—The Ignorant Form the
Dangerous Classes in this City—The Power of Prussia in the Compulsory
Law—An Approach to in the Legislation in the Different States on
Factory children……………………………………..pp. 339-352