Ben, the Luggage Boy; Or, Among the Wharves

A teenage street porter ekes out a precarious living at piers and railway stations, waiting to carry trunks and valises while his ragged dress and habits mark him as one of the wharves' working boys. Episodic scenes follow his daily efforts, encounters with passengers, friendships and rivalries among other street lads, and small pleasures such as theater outings that briefly lift him above hardship. Observational detail and reported incidents sketch the bustle of the waterfront, the temptations and deprivations of street life, and the character traits—resourcefulness, pride, and occasional generosity—that shape his attempts to better his circumstances.