Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. HOW BEN COMMENCED HIS STREET LIFE. One pleasant morning, sis years before the date at which this story commences, a small coasting-vessel drew up at a North Eiver pier in the lower part of the city. It was loaded with freight, but there was at least one passenger on board. A boy of ten, dressed in a neat jacket and pants of gray-mixed cloth, stood on deck, watching with interest the busy- city which they had just reached. " Well, "bub, here we are," said the captain as he passed. " I suppose you know your way home." " Yes, sir." " Are you going on shore now ? " Yes, sir." " Well, good luck to you, my lad. If you are ever down this way, when I'm in port, I shall be glad to see you." " Thank you, sir ; good-by." " Good-by." Bon clambered over the side, and stepped upon the wharf. In the great city he knew no one, and he was an utter stranger to the streets, never before having visited it. He was about to begin life for himself at the age of ten. He had voluntarily undertaken to support himself, leaving behind him a comfortable home, where he had been well cared for. I must explain how this came about. Ben had a pleasant face, and would be considered good-looking. But there was a flash in his eye, when aroused, which showed that he had a quick temper, and there was an expression of firmness, unusual to one so young, which might have been read by an experienced physiognomist. He was quick-tempered, proud, and probably obstinate. Yet with these qualities he was pleasant in his manners, and had a sense of humor, which made him a favorite among his companions. His father was a coal-dealer in a town a few miles distant from Philadelphia, of a hasty temper like Ben himself. A week before he had punished Ben severely for a fault which he had ...