CHAPTER VII--THE GAMIN SHOULD HAVE HIS PLACE IN THE CLASSIFICATIONS OFINDIA

  The body of street Arabs in Paris almost constitutes a caste. One mightalmost say: Not every one who wishes to belong to it can do so.

  This word _gamin_ was printed for the first time, and reached popularspeech through the literary tongue, in 1834. It is in a little workentitled _Claude Gueux_ that this word made its appearance. The horrorwas lively. The word passed into circulation.

  The elements which constitute the consideration of the gamins for eachother are very various. We have known and associated with one who wasgreatly respected and vastly admired because he had seen a man fall fromthe top of the tower of Notre-Dame; another, because he had succeeded inmaking his way into the rear courtyard where the statues of the domeof the Invalides had been temporarily deposited, and had "prigged" somelead from them; a third, because he had seen a diligence tip over; stillanother, because he "knew" a soldier who came near putting out the eyeof a citizen.

  This explains that famous exclamation of a Parisian gamin, a profoundepiphonema, which the vulgar herd laughs at without comprehending,--_Dieu de Dieu! What ill-luck I do have! to think that I have never yetseen anybody tumble from a fifth-story window! _ (_I have_ pronounced_I'ave_ and _fifth_ pronounced _fift'_.)

  Surely, this saying of a peasant is a fine one: "Father So-and-So, yourwife has died of her malady; why did you not send for the doctor?""What would you have, sir, we poor folks _die of ourselves_." But ifthe peasant's whole passivity lies in this saying, the whole of thefree-thinking anarchy of the brat of the faubourgs is, assuredly,contained in this other saying. A man condemned to death is listeningto his confessor in the tumbrel. The child of Paris exclaims: "He istalking to his black cap! Oh, the sneak!"

  A certain audacity on matters of religion sets off the gamin. To bestrong-minded is an important item.

  To be present at executions constitutes a duty. He shows himself at theguillotine, and he laughs. He calls it by all sorts of pet names: TheEnd of the Soup, The Growler, The Mother in the Blue (the sky), The LastMouthful, etc., etc. In order not to lose anything of the affair, hescales the walls, he hoists himself to balconies, he ascends trees, hesuspends himself to gratings, he clings fast to chimneys. The gamin isborn a tiler as he is born a mariner. A roof inspires him with no morefear than a mast. There is no festival which comes up to an executionon the Place de Grève. Samson and the Abbé Montès are the truly popularnames. They hoot at the victim in order to encourage him. They sometimesadmire him. Lacenaire, when a gamin, on seeing the hideous Dautin diebravely, uttered these words which contain a future: "I was jealous ofhim." In the brotherhood of gamins Voltaire is not known, but Papavoineis. "Politicians" are confused with assassins in the same legend.They have a tradition as to everybody's last garment. It is known thatTolleron had a fireman's cap, Avril an otter cap, Losvel a round hat,that old Delaporte was bald and bare-headed, that Castaing was all ruddyand very handsome, that Bories had a romantic small beard, that JeanMartin kept on his suspenders, that Lecouffé and his mother quarrelled."Don't reproach each other for your basket," shouted a gamin to them.Another, in order to get a look at Debacker as he passed, and being toosmall in the crowd, caught sight of the lantern on the quay and climbedit. A gendarme stationed opposite frowned. "Let me climb up, m'sieu legendarme," said the gamin. And, to soften the heart of the authoritieshe added: "I will not fall." "I don't care if you do," retorted thegendarme.

  In the brotherhood of gamins, a memorable accident counts for a greatdeal. One reaches the height of consideration if one chances to cutone's self very deeply, "to the very bone."

  The fist is no mediocre element of respect. One of the things that thegamin is fondest of saying is: "I am fine and strong, come now!" To beleft-handed renders you very enviable. A squint is highly esteemed.