paul the peddler-第12章

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work　long。〃



〃There　are　fewer　things　for　me　to　do；〃　said　his　mother；　〃but

perhaps　you　can　think　of　something。　　I　shall　go　out　this

afternoon；　and　try　my　luck　once　more。　　If　I　do　not　succeed；　I

will　consult　with　you　this　evening。〃



〃Suppose　I　tell　you　that　I　have　work　for　you；　enough　to　last　for

two　or　three　weeks；　that　will　pay　five　times　as　well　as　the　work

you　have　been　doing；　what　would　you　say　to　that？〃　asked　Paul；

smiling。



〃Are　you　in　earnest；　Paul？〃　asked　his　mother；　very　much

surprised。



〃Quite　in　earnest；　mother。　　There's　a　gentleman　up…town　that

wants　a　dozen　shirts　made；　and　is　willing　to　pay　ten　shillings

apiece。〃



〃Ten　shillings！　　Why；　that's　a　dollar　and　a　quarter。〃



〃Of　course　it　is。　　I　told　him　I　thought　you　would　accommodate

him。〃



〃You　are　sure　I　can　get　the　work　to　do？〃



〃Certainly。　　I　am　to　go　up　to　his　house　this　evening　and　get　the

pattern　and　an　order　for　the　materials。〃



〃It　seems　too　good　to　be　true；〃　said　his　mother。　　〃Why；　I　can

earn　at　least　a　dollar　a　day。〃



〃Then　you　will　be　doing　as　well　as　I　am。〃



〃Tell　me　how　you　heard　of　it；　Paul；〃　said　Mrs。　Hoffman。



Paul　told　the　story　of　the　manner　in　which　he　formed　Mr。

Preston's　acquaintance。



〃It's　lucky　you　ran　into　him；　Paul；〃　said　Jimmy。



〃He　didn't　think　so　at　the　time；〃　said　Paul；　laughing。　　〃He　said

I　nearly　knocked　the　breath　out　of　him。〃



〃You　won't　go　out　this　afternoon；　mother；　will　you？〃　asked

Jimmy。



〃No；　it　will　not　be　necessary　now；　I　didn't　think　this　morning

that　such　a　piece　of　good　luck　was　in　store　for；　me。〃







CHAPTER　X



ANOTHER　LOSS



After　supper　Paul　brushed　his　clothes　carefully　and　prepared　to

go　to　the　address　given　him　by　Mr。　Preston。　　He　decided　to　walk

one　way；　not　wishing　to　incur　the　expenses　of　two　railroad　fares。



The　distance　was　considerable；　and　it　was　nearly　eight　o'clock

when　he　arrived　at　his　destination。



Paul　found　himself　standing　before　a　handsome　house　of　brown

stone。　　He　ascended　the　steps；　and　inquired；　on　the　door　being

opened；　if　Mr。　Preston　was　at　home。



〃I'll　see；〃　said　the　servant。



She　returned　in　a　short　time；　and　said：　〃He　says　you　may　come

upstairs。〃



Paul　followed　the　servant；　who　pointed　out　a　door　at　the　head　of

the　first　staircase。



Paul　knocked；　and；　hearing　〃Come　in〃　from　within；　he　opened　the

door　and　entered。



He　found　himself　in　a　spacious　chamber；　handsomely　furnished。　

Mr。　Preston；　in　dressing…gown　and　slippers；　sat　before　a

cheerful；　open　fire。



〃Come　and　sit　down　by　the　fire；〃　he　said；　sociably。



〃Thank　you；　sir；　I　am　warm　with　walking；〃　and　Paul　took　a　seat

near　the　door。



〃I　am　one　of　the　cold　kind；〃　said　Mr。　Preston；　〃and　have　a　fire

earlier　than　most　people。　　You　come　about　the　shirts；　I　suppose？〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



〃Will　your　mother　undertake　them？〃



〃With　pleasure；　sir。　　She　can　no　longer　get　work　from　the　shop。〃



〃Business　dull；　I　suppose？〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



〃Then　I　am　glad　I　thought　of　giving　her　the　commission。　　How's

business　with　you　to…day；　eh？〃



〃Pretty　good；　sir。〃



〃How　many　neckties　did　you　sell？〃



〃Nineteen；　sir。〃



〃And　how　much　do　you　get　for　that？〃



〃Nine　shillings　and　a　halfa　dollar　and　eighteen　cents。〃



〃That's　pretty　good　for　a　boy　like　you。　　When　I　was　of　your　age　I

was　working　on　a　farm　for　my　board　and　clothes。〃



〃Were　you；　sir？〃　asked　Paul；　interested。



〃Yes；　I　was　bound　out　till　I　was　twenty…one。　　At　the　end　of　that

time　I　was　to　receive　a　hundred　dollars　and　a　freedom　suit　to

begin　the　world　with。　　That　wasn't　a　very　large　capital；　eh？〃



〃No；　sir。〃



〃But　the　death　of　my　employer　put　an　end　to　my　apprenticeship　at

the　age　of　eighteen。　　I　hadn't　a　penny　of　money　and　was　thrown

upon　my　own　resources。　　However；　I　had　a　pair　of　good　strong

arms；　and　a　good　stock　of　courage。　　I　knew　considerable　about

farming；　but　I　didn't　like　it。　　I　thought　I　should　like　trade

better。　　So　I　went　to　the　village　merchant；　who　kept　a　small

dry…goods　store；　and　arranged　with　him　to　supply　me　with　a　small

stock　of　goods；　which　I　undertook　to　sell　on　commission　for　him。　

His　business　was　limited；　and　having　confidence　in　my　honesty；　he

was　quite　willing　to　intrust　me　with　what　I　wanted。　　So　I　set　out

with　my　pack　on　my　back　and　made　a　tour　of　the　neighboring

villages。〃



Paul　listened　with　eager　interest。　　He　had　his　own　way　to　make；

and　it　was　very　encouraging　to　find　that　Mr。　Preston；　who　was

evidently　rich　and　prosperous；　was　no　better　off　at　eighteen　than

he　was　now。　



〃You　will　want　to　know　how　I　succeeded。　　Well；　at　first　only

moderately；　but　I　think　I　had　some　tact　in　adapting　myself　to　the

different　classes　of　persons　with　whom　I　came　in　contact；　at　any

rate；　I　was　always　polite；　and　that　helped　me。　　So　my　sales

increased；　and　I　did　a　good　thing　for　my　employer　as　well　as

myself。　　He　would　have　been　glad　to　employ　me　for　a　series　of

years；　but　I　happened　to　meet　a　traveling　salesman　of　a　New　York

wholesale　house；　who　offered　to　obtain　me　a　position　similar　to

his　own。　　As　this　would　give　me　a　larger　field　and　larger

profits；　I　accepted　gladly；　and　so　changed　the　nature　of　my

employment。　　I　became　very　successful。　　My　salary　was　raised　from

time　to　time；　till　it　reached　five　thousand　dollars。　　I　lived

frugally　and　saved　money；　and　at　length　bought　an　interest　in　the

house　by　which　I　had　been　so　long　employed。　　I　am　now　senior

partner；　and；　as　you　may　suppose；　very　comfortably　provided　for。



〃Do　you　know　why　I　have　told　you　this？〃　asked　Mr。　Preston；

noticing　the　eagerness　with　which　Paul　had　listened。



〃I　don't　know；　sir；　but　I　have　been　very　much　interested。〃



〃It　is　because　I　like　to　give　encouragement　to　boys　and　young　men

who　are　now　situated　as　I　used　to　be。　　I　think　you　are　a　smart

boy。〃



〃Thank　you；　sir。〃



〃And；　though　you　are　poor；　you　can　lift　yourself　to　prosperity；

if　you　are　willing　to　work　hard　enough　and　long　enough。〃



〃I　am　not　afraid　of　work；〃　said　Paul；　promptly。



〃No；　I　do　not　believe　you　are。　　I　can　tell　by　a　boy's　face；　and

you　have　the　appearance　of　one　who　is　willing　to　work　hard。　　How

long　have　you　been　a　street　peddler？〃



〃About　a　year；　sir。　　Before　that　time　my　father　was　living；　and　I

was　kept　at　school。〃



〃You　will　find　the　street　a　school；　though　of　a　different　kind；

in　which　you　can　learn　valuable　lessons。　　If　you　can　get　time　in

the　evening；　however；　it　will　be　best　to　keep　up　your　school

studies。〃



〃I　am　doing　that　now；　sir。〃



〃That　is　well。　　And　now；　about　the　shirts。　　Did　your　mother　say

how　long　it　would　take　her　to　make　them？〃



〃About　three　weeks；　I　think；　sir。　　Will　that　be　soon　enough？〃



〃That　will　do。　　Perhaps　it　will　be　well；　however；　to　bring　half

the　number　whenever　they　are　finished。〃



〃All　right；　sir。〃



〃I　suppose　your　mother　can　cut　them　out　if　I　send　a　shirt　as　a

pattern？〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



Mr。　Preston　rose；　and；　going　to　a　bureau；　took　therefrom　a　shirt

which　he　handed　to　Paul。　　He　then　wrote　a　few　lines　on　a　slip　of

paper；　which　he　also　handed　our　hero。



〃That　is　an　order　on　Barclay　&　Co。；〃　he　explained；　〃for　the

requisite　materials。　　If　either　you　or　your　mother　presents　it；

they　will　be　given　you。〃



〃Very　good；　sir；〃　said　Paul。



He　took　his　cap；　and　prepared　to　go。



〃Good…evening；　Mr。　Preston；〃　he　said。



〃Good…evening。　　I　shall　expect　you　with　the　shirts　when　they　are

ready。〃



Paul　went　downstairs　and　into　the　street；　thinking　that　Mr。

Preston　was　very　sociable　and　agreeable。　　He　had　fancied　that

rich　men　were　generally　〃stuck　up；〃　but　about　Mr。　Preston　there

seemed　an　absence　of　all　pretense。　　Paul's　ambition　was　aroused

when　he　thought　of　the　story　he　had　heard；　and　he　wondered

whether　it　would　be　possible　for　him　to　raise　himself　to　wealth

and　live　in　as　handsome　a　house　as　Mr。　Preston。