Cleanliness
As bootblacks, Dick and Henry have hands that are almost permanently covered in stains from the blacking they use every day. The homeless boys are used to dirty surroundings, so the lack of cleanliness in the first room they rent does not bother them. As they move up in the world, they develop an appreciation for clean things and an aversion to dirt. They are careful to not soil their new clothing, particularly since clean and well maintained clothing is necessary for the new jobs the boys want.
Dining
Initially Dick gets his meals in a cheap restaurant and has a taste for oyster stew as a treat. However once he is given a new set of clothes he tries meals in a restaurant attached to a hotel. After he meets Mr. Greyson and becomes acquainted with him, he is invited to dinner in the Greyson home, and meets the rest of the family. The circumstances in which food is presented, and the quality of the food, become increasingly select over the course of the story.
Gifts
Throughout the book, Dick receives gifts from other people in the form of clothing or cash. Mr. Whitney, who gives Dick five dollars for escorting his son around town, is Dick's first benefactor. By the end of the story, Dick is receiving a very fancy set of clothes and a new job offer from a wealthy man whose son he has rescued.
Dick is also a generous young man who shares freely with others. He starts out by treating his friends to oyster stew when he has the means. Later, he gives Henry Fosdick his savings to put toward new clothing so that Henry can earn a job as a shopboy. Finally, he gives five dollars to Tom Wilkins and his struggling family. Over the course of the book the value of the gifts he gives increases, but when he gives the five dollars to Tom Wilkins it occurs to Dick that the giving has come full circle, and that he is doing exactly as his benefactor did and repaying the money by giving it to someone else who is in need.
The Written Word
At the start of the book Dick is almost illiterate, however after being tutored by Henry Fosdick for several months he learns to read, write, and calculate. Seeing his name in print (when he receives a letter) pleases him very much.
Dick receives a letter from his friend Frank Whitney, which to Dick is a sign of status and respect, and for the first time in his life he is able to reply in kind. Being written to, and being able to write back, allows Dick to participate in an aspect of middle class society previously closed to him.
Words, newspapers, letters, and handwritten notes are signs of power in this book. Indeed, before Henry Fosdick can be hired as a store clerk, he must show that his handwriting is acceptable. Dick likewise must demonstrate good penmanship before being hired as a clerk in a counting-office.
