paul the peddler-第11章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



would　not　actually　suffer。







CHAPTER　IX



A　NEW　PATRON



Mrs。　Hoffman　went　out　in　the　afternoon；　and　visited　several　large

establishments　in　the　hope　of　obtaining　work。　　But　everywhere　she

was　met　with　the　stereotyped　reply；　〃Business　is　so　dull　that　we

are　obliged　to　turn　off　some　who　are　accustomed　to　work　for　us。　

We　have　no　room　for　new　hands。〃



Finally　she　decided　that　it　would　be　of　no　use　to　make　any

further　applications；　and　went　home；　feeling　considerably

disheartened。



〃I　must　find　something　to　do；〃　she　said　to　herself。　　〃I　cannot

throw　upon　Paul　the　entire　burden　of　supporting　the　family。〃



But　it　was　not　easy　to　decide　what　to　do。　　There　are　so　few　paths

open　to　a　woman　like　Mrs。　Hoffman。　　She　was　not　strong　enough　to

take　in　washing；　nor；　if　she　had　been；　would　Paul；　who　was　proud

for　his　mother；　though　not　for　himself；　have　consented　to　her

doing　it。　　She　determined　to　think　it　over　during　the　evening；

and　make　another　attempt　to　get　work　of　some　kind　the　next　day。



〃I　won't　tell　Paul　till　to…morrow　night；〃　she　decided。　　〃Perhaps

by　that　time　I　shall　have　found　something　to　do。



All　that　day；　the　first　full　day　in　his　new　business；　Paul　sold

eighteen　ties。　　He　was　not　as　successful　proportionately　as　the

previous　afternoon。　　Still　his　share　of　the　profits　amounted　to　a

dollar　and　twelve　cents；　and　he　felt　quite　satisfied。　　His　sales

had　been　fifty　per　cent。　more　than　George　Barry's　average　sales；

and　that　was　doing　remarkably　well；　considering　that　the　business

was　a　new　one　to　him。



The　next　morning　about　ten　o'clock；　as　he　stood　behind　his　stand；

he　saw　a　stout　gentleman　approaching　from　the　direction　of　the

Astor　House。　　He　remembered　him　as　the　one　with　whom　he　had

accidentally　come　in　collision　when　he　was　in　pursuit　of　Mike

Donovan。　　Having　been　invited　to　speak　to　him；　he　determined　to

do　so。



〃Good…morning；　sir；〃　said　Paul；　politely。



〃Eh？　　Did　you　speak　to　me？〃　inquired　the　stout　gentleman。



〃Yes；　sir；　I　bade　you　good…morning。〃



〃Good…morning。　　I　don't　remember　you；　though。　　What's　your　name？〃



〃Paul　Hoffman。　　Don't　you　remember　my　running　against　you　a　day

or　two　since？〃



〃Oho！　you're　the　boy；　then。　　You　nearly　knocked　the　breath　out

of　me。〃



〃I　am　very　sorry；　sir。〃



〃Of　course　you　didn't　mean　to。　　Is　this　your　stand？〃



〃No；　sir；　I　am　tending　for　the　owner；　who　is　sick。〃



〃Does　he　pay　you　well？〃



〃He　gives　me　half　the　profits。〃



〃And　does　that　pay　you　for　your　labor？〃



〃I　can　earn　about　a　dollar　a　day。〃



〃That　is　good。　　It　is　more　than　I　earned　when　I　was　of　your　age。〃



〃Indeed；　sir！〃



〃Yes；　I　was　a　poor　boy；　but　I　kept　steadily　at　work；　and　now　I　am

rich。〃



〃I　hope　I　shall　be　rich　some　time；〃　said　Paul。



〃You　have　the　same　chance　that　I　had。〃



〃I　don't　care　so　much　for　myself　as　for　my　mother　and　my　little

brother。　　I　should　like　to　become　rich　for　their　sake。〃　



〃So　you　have　a　mother　and　a　brother。　　Where　do　they　live？〃



Paul　told　him。



〃And　you　help　support　them？〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



〃That's　a　good　boy；〃　said　the　gentleman；　approvingly。　　〃Is　your

mother　able　to　earn　anything？〃



〃Not　much；　sir。　　She　makes　shirts　for　a　Broadway　store；　but　they

only　pay　her　twenty…five　cents　apiece。〃



〃That's　very　small。　　She　can　sew　well；　I　suppose？〃



〃Oh；　yes；　sir；　no　fault　is　ever　found　with　her　work。〃



〃Do　you　think　she　would　make　me　a　dozen　shirts？〃



〃She　would　be　glad　to　do　so；〃　said　Paul；　quickly；　for　he　knew

that　his　new　acquaintance　would　pay　far　more　liberally　than　the

Broadway　firm。



〃I　will　give　the　price　I　usually　payten　shillings　apiece。〃



Ten　shillings　in　New　York　currency　amount　to　a　dollar　and　a

quarter；　which　would　be　five　times　the　price　Mrs　Hoffman　had　been

accustomed　to　receive。　　A　dozen　shirts　would　come　to　fifteen

dollars；　which　to　a　family　in　their　circumstances　would　be　a

great　help。



〃Thank　you；　sir；〃　said　Paul。　　〃My　mother　will　accept　the　work

thankfully；　and　will　try　to　suit　you。　　When　shall　I　come　for　the

cloth？〃



〃You　may　come　to　my　house　this　evening；　and　I　will　give　you　a

pattern；　and　an　order　for　the　materials　on　a　dry　goods　dealer　in

Broadway。〃



〃Where　do　you　live；　sir？〃



〃No。　　Madison　avenue；　between　Thirty…fourth　and　Thirty…fifth

streets。　　My　name　is　Preston。　　Can　you　remember　it？〃



〃Yes；　sir；　but　I　will　put　it　down　to　make　sure。〃



〃Well；　good…morning。〃



〃Good…morning；　sir。　　I　suppose　you　don't　want　a　tie　this

morning？〃　



〃I　don't　think　you　keep　the　kind　I　am　accustomed　to　wear；〃　said

Mr。　Preston；　smiling。　　〃I　stick　to　the　old　fashions；　and　wear　a

stock。〃



The　old　gentleman　had　scarcely　gone；　when　two　boys　of　twelve　or

thirteen　paused　before　the　stand。



〃That's　a　bully　tie；　Jeff！〃　said　George；　the　elder　of　the　two。　

〃I　have　a　good　mind　to　buy　it。〃



〃It　won't　cost　much；〃　said　Jeff。　　〃Only　twenty…five　cents。　　But　I

like　that　one　better。〃



〃If　you　buy　one；　I　will。〃



〃All　right；〃　said　Jeff；　whose　full　name　was　Jefferson。　　〃We　can

wear　them　to　dancing…school　this　afternoon。〃



So　the　two　boys　bought　a　necktie；　and　this；　in　addition　to

previous　sales；　made　six　sold　during　the　morning。



〃I　hope　I　shall　do　as　well　as　I　did　yesterday；〃　thought　Paul。　

〃If　I　can　make　nine　shillings　every　day　I　won't　complain。　　It　is

better　than　selling　prize…packages。〃



Paul　seemed　likely　to　obtain　his　wish；　since　at　twelve　o'clock；

when　he　returned　home　to　dinner；　he　had　sold　ten　ties；　making

rather　more　than　half　of　the　previous　day's　sales。



Mrs。　Hoffman　had　been　out　once　more；　but　met　with　no　better

success　than　before。　　There　seemed　to　be　no　room　anywhere　for　a

new　hand。　　At　several　places　she　had　seen　others；　out　of

employment　like　herself；　who　were　also　in　quest　of　work。　　The

only　encouragement　she　received　was　that　probably　in　a　month　or

six　weeks　business　might　so　far　improve　that　she　could　obtain

work。　　But　to　Mrs。　Hoffman　it　was　a　serious　matter　to　remain　idle

even　four　weeks。　　She　reflected　that　Paul's　present　employment

was　only　temporary；　and　that　he　would　be　forced　to　give　up　his

post　as　soon　as　George　Barry　should　recover　his　health；　which

probably　would　be　within　a　week　or　two。　　She　tried　in　vain　to

think　of　some　temporary　employment；　and　determined；　in　case　she

should　be　unsuccessful　in　the　afternoon；　which　she　hardly

anticipated；　to　consult　Paul　what　she　had　better　do。



Paul　noticed　when　he　came　in　that　his　mother　looked　more　sober

and　thoughtful　than　usual。



〃Have　you　a　headache；　mother？〃　he　inquired。



〃No；　Paul；〃　she　said；　smiling　faintly。



〃Something　troubles　you；　I　am　sure；〃　continued　Paul。



〃You　are　right；　Paul；〃　said　Mrs。　Hoffman；　〃though　I　didn't　mean

to　tell　you　till　evening。〃



〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Paul；　anxiously。



〃When　I　carried　back　the　last　shirts　I　made　for　Duncan　&　Co。；

they　told　me　I　couldn't　have　any　more　for　a　month　or　six　weeks。〃



〃That　will　give　you　some　time　to　rest；　mother；〃　said　Paul；　who

wanted　to　keep　back　his　good　news　for　a　while。



〃But　I　can't　afford　to　rest；　Paul。〃



〃You　forget　that　I　am　earning　money；　mother。　　I　am　sure　I　can

earn　a　dollar　a　day。〃



〃I　know　you　are　a　good；　industrious　boy；　Paul；　and　I　don't　know

how　we　should　get　along　without　you。　　But　it　is　necessary　for　me

to　do　my　part；　though　it　is　small。〃



〃Don't　be　anxious；　mother；　I　am　sure　we　can　get　along。〃



〃But　I　am　not　willing　that　the　whole　burden　of　supporting　the

family　should　come　upon　you。　　Besides；　you　are　not　sure　how　long

you　can　retain　your　present　employment。〃



〃I　know　that；　mother；　but　something　else　will　be　sure　to　turn　up。



If　I　can't　do　anything　else；　I　can　turn　bootblack；　though　I　would

prefer　something　else。　　There　is　no　chance　of　my　being　out　of

work　long。〃



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

perhaps　you　can　t