paul the peddler-第3章

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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

found　so　much　competition　in　the　business；　and　received　so　rough

a　reception　oftentimes　from　those　who　had　repeated　calls　from

others　in　the　same　business；　that　he　gave　it　up；　and　tried

something　else。　　But　the　same　competition　which　crowds　the

professions　and　the　higher　employments　followed　by　men；　prevails

among　the　street　trades　which　are　pursued　by　boys。　　If　Paul　had

only　had　himself　to　support；　he　could　have　made　a　fair　living　at

match　selling；　or　any　other　of　the　employments　he　took　up；　but

his　mother　could　not　earn　much　at　making　vests；　and　Jimmy　was

lame；　and　could　do　nothing　to　fill　the　common　purse；　so　that　Paul

felt　that　his　earnings　must　be　the　main　support　of　the　family；

and　naturally　sought　out　what　would　bring　him　in　most　money。



At　length　he　had　hit　upon　selling　prize　packages；　and　his　first

experience　in　that　line　are　recorded　in　the　previous　chapter。　

Adding　only　that　it　was　now　a　year　since　his　father's　death；　we

resume　our　narrative。



〃Do　you　want　to　know　how　much　I've　made；　mother？〃　asked　Paul；

looking　up　at　length　from　his　calculation。



〃Yes；　Paul。〃



〃A　dollar　and　thirty　cents。〃



〃I　did　not　think　it　would　amount　to　so　much。　　The　prizes　came　to

considerable；　didn't　they？〃



〃Listen；　and　I　will　tell　you　how　I　stand：



　One　pound　of　candy　　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　　　。20　　　　　　

　Two　packs　of　envelopes　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　　。10　　　　　　

　Prize。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　　。90　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　That　makes　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　　1。20



I　sold　the　fifty　packages　at　five　cents　each；　and　that　brought　me

in　two　dollars　and　a　half。　　Taking　out　the　expenses；　it　leaves　me

a　dollar　and　thirty　cents。　　Isn't　that　doing　well　for　one

morning's　work？〃



〃It's　excellent；　but　I　thought　your　prizes　amounted　to　more　than

ninety　cents。〃



〃So　they　did；　but　several　persons　who　bought　wouldn't　take　their

prizes；　and　that　was　so　much　gain。〃



〃You　have　done　very　well；　Paul。　　I　wish　you　might　earn　as　much

every　day。〃



〃I'm　going　to　earn　some　more　this　afternoon。　　I　bought　a　pound　of

candy　on　the　way　home；　and　some　cheap　envelopes；　and　I'll　be

making　up　a　new　stock　while　I　am　waiting　for　dinner。〃



Paul　took　out　his　candy　and　envelopes；　and　set　about　making　up

the　packages。



〃Did　any　complain　of　the　small　amount　of　candy　you　put　in？〃



〃A　few；　but　most　bought　for　the　sake　of　the　prizes。〃



〃Perhaps　you　had　better　be　a　little　more　liberal　with　your　candy；

and　then　there　may　not　be　so　much　dissatisfaction　where　the　prize

is　only　a　penny。〃



〃I　don't　know　but　your　are　right；　mother。　　I　believe　I'll　only

make　thirty　packages　with　this　pound；　instead　of　fifty。　

Thirty'll　be　all　I　can　sell　this　afternoon。〃



Just　then　the　door　opened；　and　Paul's　brother　entered。



Jimmy　Hoffman；　or　lame　Jimmy；　as　he　was　often　called；　was　a

delicate…looking　boy　of　ten；　with　a　fair　complexion　and　sweet

face；　but　incurably　lame；　a　defect　which；　added　to　his　delicate

constitution；　was　likely　to　interfere　seriously　with　his　success

in　life。　　But；　as　frequently　happens；　Jimmy　was　all　the　more

endeared　to　his　mother　and　brother　by　his　misfortune　and　bodily

weakness；　and　if　either　were　obliged　to　suffer　from　poverty；

Jimmy　would　be　spared　the　suffering。



〃Well；　Jimmy；　have　you　had　a　pleasant　walk？〃　asked　his　mother。



〃Yes；　mother；　I　went　down　to　Fulton　Market。　　There's　a　good　deal

to　see　there。〃



〃A　good　deal　more　than　in　this　dull　room；　Jimmy。〃



〃It　doesn't　seem　dull　to　me；　mother；　while　you　are　here。　　How　did

you　make　out　selling　your　prize　packages？〃



〃They　are　all　sold；　Jimmy；　every　one。　　I　am　making　some　more。〃



〃Shan't　I　help　you？〃



〃Yes；　I　would　like　to　have　you。　　Just　take　those　envelopes；　and

write　prize　packages　on　every　one　of　them。〃



〃All　right；　Paul；〃　and　Jimmy；　glad　to　be　of　use；　got　the　pen　and

ink；　and；　gathering　up　the　envelopes；　began　to　inscribe　them　as

he　had　been　instructed。



By　the　time　the　packages　were　made　up；　dinner　was　ready。　　It　was

not　a　very　luxurious　repast。　　There　was　a　small　piece　of　rump

steaknot　more　than　three…quarters　of　a　pounda　few　potatoes；　a

loaf　of　bread；　and　a　small　plate　of　butter。　　That　was　all；　but

then　the　cloth　that　covered　the　table　was　neat　and　clean；　and　the

knives　and　forks　were　as　bright　as　new；　and　what　there　was　tasted

good。



〃What　have　you　been　doing　this　morning；　Jimmy？〃　asked　Paul。



〃I　have　been　drawing；　Paul。　　Here's　a　picture　of　Friday。　　I

copied　it　from　'Robinson　Crusoe。'　〃



He　showed　the　picture；　which　was　wonderfully　like　that　in　the

book；　for　thisthe　gift　of　drawingwas　Jimmy's　one　talent；　and

he　possessed　it　in　no　common　degree。



〃Excellent；　Jimmy！〃　　said　Paul。　　〃You're　a　real　genius。　　I

shouldn't　be　surprised　if　you'd　make　an　artist　some　day。〃



〃I　wish　I　might；〃　said　Jimmy；　earnestly。　　〃There's　nothing　I'd

like　better。〃



〃I'll　tell　you　what；　Jimmy。　　If　I　do　well　this　afternoon；　I'll

buy　you　a　drawing…book　and　some　paper；　to　work　on　while　mother

and　I　are　busy。〃



〃If　you　can　afford　it；　Paul；　I　should　like　it　so　much。　　Some　time

I　might　earn　something　that　way。〃



〃Of　course　you　may；〃　said　Paul；　cheerfully。　　〃I　won't　forget

you。〃



Dinner　over；　Paul　went　out　to　business；　and　was　again　successful；

getting　rid　of　his　thirty　packages；　and　clearing　another　dollar。　

Half　of　this　he　invested　in　a　drawing…　book；　a　pencil　and　some

drawing…paper　for　Jimmy。　　Even　then　he　had　left　of　his　earnings

for　the　day　one　dollar　and　eighty　cents。　　But　this　success　in　the

new　business　had　already　excited　envy　and　competition；　as　he　was

destined　to　find　out　on　the　morrow。







CHAPTER　III



PAUL　HAS　COMPETITORS



The　next　morning　Paul　took　his　old　place　in　front　of　the　post

office。　　He　set　down　his　basket　in　front；　and；　taking　one　of　the

packages　in　his　hand；　called　out　in　a　businesslike　manner；　as　on

the　day　before；　〃Here's　your　prize　packages！　　Only　five　cents！　

Money　prize　in　every　package！　　Walk　up；　gentlemen；　and　try　your

luck！〃



He　met　with　a　fair　degree　of　success　at　first；　managing　in　the

course　of　an　hour　to　sell　ten　packages。　　All　the　prizes　drawn

were　small；　with　the　exception　of　one　ten…cent　prize；　which　was

drawn　by　a　little　bootblack；　who　exclaimed：



〃That's　the　way　to　do　business；　Johnny。　　If　you've　got　any　more

of　them　ten…cent　prizes；　I'll　give　you　ten　cents　a　piece　for　the

lot。〃



〃Better　buy　some　more　and　see；〃　said　Paul。



〃That　don't　go　down；〃　said　the　other。　　〃Maybe　there'd　be　only　a

penny。〃



Nevertheless；　the　effect　of　this　large　prize　was　to　influence　the

sale　of　three　other　packages；　but　as　neither　of　these　contained

more　than　two…cent　prizes；　trade　began　to　grow　dull；　and　for　ten

minutes　all　Paul's　eloquent　appeals　to　gentlemen　to　walk　up　and

try　their　luck　produced　no　effect。



At　this　point　Paul　found　that　there　was　a　rival　in　the　field。



Teddy　O'Brien；　who　had　applied　for　a　partnership　the　day　before；

came　up　with　a　basket　similar　to　his　own；　apparently　filled　with

similar　packages。　　He　took　a　position　about　six　feet　distant　from

Paul；　and　began　to　cry　out；　in　a　shrill　voice：



〃Here's　your　bully　prize　packages！　　Best　in　the　market！　　Here's

where　you　get　your　big　prizes；　fifty　cents　in　some　of　'em。　　Walk

up　boys；　tumble　up；　and　take　your　pick　afore　they're　gone。　　Fifty

cents　for　five！〃



〃That's　a　lie；　Teddy；〃　said　Paul；　who　saw　that　his　rival's

attractive　announcement　was　likely　to　spoil　his　trade。



〃No；　'tisn't；〃　said　Teddy。　　〃If　you　don't　believe　it；　just　buy

one　and　see。〃



〃I'll　tell　you　what　I'll　do；〃　said　Paul；　〃I'll　exchange。〃



〃No；〃　said　Teddy；　〃I　ain't　a…goin'　to　risk　givin'　fifty　cents　for

one。〃



〃More　likely　you'd　get　ten　for　one。　　You're　a　humbug。〃



〃Have　yo