"Playing in the Park"

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PLAYING IN THE PARK.—

It is customary for numbers of boys, of pleasant days, to congregate in the Park, and amuse themselves by running races, trundling hoops, playing marbles, and the like. Most of these are poor, ragged little devils, with plenty of dirt, and plenty of signs of poverty about them. They offend nobody, interfere with nobody, and generate no evil to themselves in these innocent and wholesome amusements. Yet it is customary for one or two understrappers who have charge of the Park, to rush into the midst of the squads of youngsters, beat them with rattans, and cuff them, and disperse them. It may be thought a small matter to speak about, but we nevertheless shall take the liberty of saying that it is a useless and brutal proceeding. Because these children are poor, dirty, and ragged, that is no reason why they should be whipped in this manner, and prevented from pursuing their little amusements. On the Battery,¹ and in other public grounds, any quantity of the offspring of the rich and fashionable may be daily seen playing, and no objection made. Such conduct may hardly have the effect of teaching the proper moral to young republicans.