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第12章

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。

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