paul the peddler-第2章

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to　pass。



〃We　must　look　for　the　prize　by　all　means；〃　said　the　gentleman。　

〃What　is　this？　　One　cent？〃



〃Yes　sir〃；　and　Paul　held　out　a　cent　to　his　customer。



〃Never　mind　about　that！　　You　may　keep　the　prize。〃



〃I　want　it；　pa；〃　interposed　Alfred；　with　his　mouth　full　of　candy。



〃I'll　give　you　another；〃　said　his　father；　still　declining　to

accept　the　proffered　prize。



Paul　now　found　himself　in　the　enviable　position　of　one　who；　at

eleven　o'clock；　had　succeeded　in　disposing　of　his　entire　stock　in

trade；　and　that　at　an　excellent　profit；　as　we　soon　shall　see。　

Business　had　been　more　brisk　with　him　than　with　many　merchants　on

a　larger　scale；　who　sometimes　keep　open　their　shops　all　day

without　taking　in　enough　to　pay　expenses。　　But；　then；　it　is　to　be

considered　that　in　Paul's　case　expenses　were　not　a　formidable

item。　　He　had　no　rent　to　pay；　for　one　thing；　nor　clerk　hire；

being　competent　to　attend　to　his　entire　business　single…handed。　

All　his　expense；　in　fact；　was　the　first　cost　of　his　stock　in

trade；　and　he　had　so　fixed　his　prices　as　to　insure　a　good　profit

on　that。　　So；　on　the　whole；　Paul　felt　very　well　satisfied　at　the

result　of　his　experiment；　for　this　was　his　first　day　in　the

prize…package　business。



〃I　guess　I'll　go　home；〃　he　said　to　himself。　　〃Mother'll　want　to

know　how　I　made　out。〃　　He　turned　up　Nassau　street；　and　had

reached　the　corner　of　Maiden　lane；　when　Teddy　O'Brien　met　him。



〃Did　you　sell　out；　Johnny？〃　he　asked。



〃Yes；〃　answered　Paul。



〃How　many　packages　did　you　have？〃



〃Fifty。〃



〃That's　bully。　　How　much　you　made？〃



〃I　can't　tell　yet。　　I　haven't　counted　up；〃　said　Paul。



〃It's　better'n　sellin'　papers；　I'll　bet。　　I've　only　made　thirty

cents　the　day。　　Don't　you　want　to　take　a　partner；　Johnny？〃



〃No；　I　don't　think　I　do；〃　said　Paul；　who　had　good　reason　to　doubt

whether　such　a　step　would　be　to　his　advantage。



〃Then　I'll　go　in　for　myself；〃　said　Teddy；　somewhat　displeased　at

the　refusal。



〃Go　ahead！　　There's　nobody　to　stop　you；〃　said　Paul。



〃I'd　rather　go　in　with　you；〃　said　Teddy；　feeling　that　there　would

be　some　trouble　in　making　the　prize　packages；　but　influenced

still　more　by　the　knowledge　that　he　had　not　capital　enough　to

start　in　the　business　alone。



〃No；〃　said　Paul；　positively；　〃I　don't　want　any　partner。　　I　can　do

well　enough　alone。〃



He　was　not　surprised　at　Teddy's　application。　　Street　boys　are　as

enterprising；　and　have　as　sharp　eyes　for　business　as　their

elders；　and　no　one　among　them　can　monopolize　a　profitable

business　long。　　This　is　especially　the　case　with　the　young　street

merchant。　　When　one　has　had　the　good　luck　to　find　some　attractive

article　which　promises　to　sell　briskly；　he　takes　every　care　to

hide　the　source　of　his　supply　from　his　rivals　in　trade。　　But　this

is　almost　impossible。　　Cases　are　frequent　where　such　boys　are

subjected　to　the　closest　espionage；　their　steps　being　dogged　for

hours　by　boys　who　think　they　have　found　a　good　thing　and　are

determined　to　share　it。　　In　the　present　case　Paul　had　hit　upon　an

idea　which　seemed　to　promise　well；　and　he　was　determined　to　keep

it　to　himself　as　long　as　possible。　　As　soon　as　he　was　subjected

to　competition　and　rivalry　his　gains　would　probably　diminish。







CHAPTER　II



PAUL　AT　HOME



Paul　went　up　Centre　street　and　turned　into　Pearl。　　Stopping

before　a　tenement…house；　he　entered；　and；　going　up　two　flights　of

stairs；　opened　a　door　and　entered。



〃You　are　home　early；　Paul；〃　said　a　woman　of　middle　age；　looking

up　at　his　entrance。



〃Yes；　mother；　I've　sold　out。〃



〃You've　not　sold　out　the　whole　fifty　packages？〃　she　asked；　in

surprise。



〃Yes；　I　have。　　I　had　capital　luck。〃



〃Why；　you　must　have　made　as　much　as　a　dollar；　and　it's　not　twelve

yet。〃



〃I've　made　more　than　that；　mother。　　Just　wait　a　minute；　till　I've

reckoned　up　a　little。　　Where's　Jimmy？〃



〃Miss　Beckwith　offered　to　take　him　out　to　walk　with　her；　so　I　let

him　go。　　He'll　be　back　at　twelve。〃



While　Paul　is　making　a　calculation；　a　few　words　of　explanation

and　description　may　be　given；　so　that　the　reader　may　understand

better　how　he　is　situated。



The　rooms　occupied　by　Paul　and　his　mother　were　three　in　number。　

The　largest　one　was　about　fourteen　feet　square；　and　was　lighted

by　two　windows。　　It　was　covered　with　a　neat；　though　well…worn；

carpet；　a　few　cane…bottomed　chairs　were　ranged　at　the　windows；

and　on　each　side　of　the　table。　　There　was　a　French　clock　on　the

mantel；　a　rocking　chair　for　his　mother；　and　a　few　inexpensive

engravings　hung　upon　the　walls。　　There　was　a　hanging　bookcase

containing　two　shelves；　filled　with　books；　partly　school　books；

supplemented　by　a　few　miscellaneous　books；　such　as　〃Robinson

Crusoe；〃　〃Pilgrim's　Progress；〃　a　volume　of　〃Poetical　Selections；〃

an　odd　volume　of　Scott；　and　several　others。　　Out　of　the　main　room

opened　two　narrow　chambers；　both　together　of　about　the　same　area

as　the　main　room。　　One　of　these　was　occupied　by　Paul　and　Jimmy；

the　other　by　his　mother。



Those　who　are　familiar　with　the　construction　of　a　New　York

tenement…house　will　readily　understand　the　appearance　of　the

rooms　into　which　we　have　introduced　them。　　It　must；　however；　be

explained　that　few　similar　apartments　are　found　so　well

furnished。　　Carpets　are　not　very　common　in　tenement…houses；　and

if　there　are　any　pictures；　they　are　usually　the　cheapest　prints。　

Wooden　chairs；　and　generally　every　object　of　the　cheapest；　are　to

be　met　with　in　the　dwellings　of　the　New　York　poor。　　If　we　find

something　better　in　the　present　instance；　it　is　not　because　Paul

and　his　mother　are　any　better　off　than　their　neighbors。　　On　the

contrary；　there　are　few　whose　income　is　so　small。　　But　they　have

seen　better　days；　and　the　furniture　we　see　has　been　saved　from

the　time　of　their　comparative　prosperity。



As　Paul　is　still　at　his　estimate；　let　us　improve　the　opportunity

by　giving　a　little　of　their　early　history。



Mr。　Hoffman；　the　father　of　Paul；　was　born　in　Germany；　but　came　to

New　York　when　a　boy　of　twelve；　and　there　he　grew　up　and　married；

his　wife　being　an　American。　　He　was　a　cabinetmaker；　and；　being　a

skillful　workman；　earned　very　good　wages；　so　that　he　was　able　to

maintain　his　family　in　comfort。　　They　occupied　a　neat　little

cottage　in　Harlem；　and　lived　very　happily；　for　Mr。　Hoffman　was

temperate　and　kind；　when　an　unfortunate　accident　clouded　their

happiness；　and　brought　an　end　to　their　prosperity。　　In　crossing

Broadway　at　its　most　crowded　part；　the　husband　and　father　was　run

over　by　a　loaded　dray；　and　so　seriously　injured　that　he　lived　but

a　few　hours。　　Then　the　precarious　nature　of　their　prosperity　was

found　out。　　Mr。　Hoffman　had　not　saved　anything；　having　always

lived　up　to　the　extent　of　his　income。　　It　was　obviously

impossible　for　them　to　continue　to　live　in　their　old　home；　paying

a　rent　of　twenty　dollars　per　month。　　Besides；　Paul　did　not　see

any　good　opportunity　to　earn　his　living　in　Harlem。　　So；　at　his

instigation；　his　mother　moved　downtown；　and　took　rooms　in　a

tenement…house　in　Pearl　street；　agreeing　to　pay　six　dollars　a

month　for　apartments　which　would　now　command　double　the　price。　

They　brought　with　them　furniture　enough　to　furnish　the　three

rooms；　selling　the　rest　for　what　it　would　bring；　and　thus

obtaining　a　small　reserve　fund；　which　by　this　time　was　nearly

exhausted。



Once　fairly　established　in　their　new　home；　Paul　went　out　into　the

streets　to　earn　his　living。　　The　two　most　obvious；　and；　on　the

whole；　most　profitable　trades；　were　blacking　boots　and　selling

newspapers。　　To　the　first　Paul；　who　was　a　neat　boy；　objected　on

the　score　that　it　would　keep　his　hands　and　clothing　dirty；　and；

street　boy　though　he　had　become；　he　had　a　pride　in　his　personal

appearance。　　To　selling　papers　he　had　not　the　same　objection；　but

he　had　a　natural　taste　for　trade；　and　this　led　him　to　join　the

ranks　of　the　street　peddlers。　　He　began　with　vending　matches；　but

foun