Left Behind; Or, Ten Days a Newsboy

A wandering youth arrives in the bustling streets of New York with a wild tale of a family’s ill‑fated transatlantic voyage. He meets two streetwise boys at the corner of Cortlandt and West, and they quickly gauge whether his story is truth or exaggeration. Intrigued by the city’s energy, he decides to stay, swapping his ragged coat for the crisp stack of newspapers that will become his livelihood.

In the next ten days he learns the rhythm of delivering headlines, from the clatter of horse‑drawn wagons to the roar of crowds at Coney Island. Along the way he befriends a colorful cast—printer apprentices, theater impresarios, and other fledgling newsboys—each offering a glimpse of the city’s hidden corners. As he navigates the bustling avenues, the boy discovers both the hardships and the unexpected kindness that come with making a new life on the streets.