paul the peddler-第9部分

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！





Paul　plodded　his　way　upstairs；　and　found　the　room　without

difficulty。



On　knocking；　the　door　was　opened　by　Mrs。　Barry；　who　looked　at　him

inquiringly。



〃Does　George　Barry　live　here？〃　asked　Paul。



〃Yes。　　Are　you　the　one　he　left　in　charge　of　his　business？〃



Paul　answered　in　the　affirmative；　adding；　〃How　is　he？〃



〃He　seems　quite　feverish。　　I　am　afraid　he　is　going　to　have　a

fever。　　It's　fortunate　he　came　home。　　He　was　not　able　to　attend

to　his　business。〃



〃Can　I　see　him？〃



〃Come　in；〃　said　Mrs。　Barry。



The　room　was　covered　with　a　worn　carpet；　but　looked　neat　and

comfortable。　　There　was　a　cheap　sewing…machine　in　one　corner；　and

some　plain　furniture。　　There　was　a　bedroom　opening　out　of　this

room；　and　here　it　was　that　George　Barry　lay　upon　the　bed。



〃Is　that　Paul　Hoffman；　mother？〃　was　heard　from　the　bedroom。



〃Yes；〃　said　Paul；　answering　for　himself。



〃Go　in；　if　you　like；〃　said　Mrs。　Barry。　　〃My　son　wishes　to　see

you。



〃How　do　you　feel　now；　George？〃　asked　Paul。



〃Not　very　well；　Paul。　　I　didn't　give　up　a　minute　too　soon。　　I

think　I　am　going　to　have　a　fever。〃



〃That　is　not　comfortable；〃　said　Paul。　　〃Still；　you　have　your

mother　to　take　care　of　you。〃



〃I　don't　know　how　I　should　get　along　without　her。　　Can　you　look

after　my　business　as　long　as　I　am　sick？〃



〃Yes；　I　have　nothing　else　to　do。〃



〃Then　that　is　off　my　mind。　　By　the　way；　how　many　ties　did　you

sell　this　afternoon？〃



〃Fifteen。〃



〃What！〃　demanded　Barry；　in　surprise。　　〃You　sold　fifteen？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Why；　I　never　sold　so　many　as　that　in　an　afternoon。〃



〃Didn't　you？〃　said　Paul；　gratified。　　〃Then　you　think　I　did

well？〃



〃Splendidly。　　How　did　you　do　it？〃



〃You　see；　there　was　a　young　man　from　the　country　that　I　persuaded

to　buy　six；　as　he　could　not　get　them　so　cheap　at　home。　　That　was

my　first　sale；　and　it　encouraged　me。〃



〃I　didn't　think　you'd　sell　more　than　six　in　the　whole　afternoon。〃



〃Nor　did　I；　when　I　started；　but　I　determined　to　do　my　best。　　I

don't　expect　to　do　as　well　every　day。〃



〃No；　of　course　not。　　I've　been　in　the　business　more　than　a　year；

and　I　know　what　it　is。　　Some　days　are　very　dull。〃



〃I've　got　the　money　for　you。　　The　fifteen　ties　came　to　three

dollars　and　seventy…five　cents。　　I　keep　one…fourth　of　this　as　my

commission。　　That　leaves　two　dollars　and　eighty…two　cents。〃



〃Quite　correct。　　However；　you　needn't　give　me　the　money。　　You　may

need　to　change　a　bill；　or　else　lose　a　sale。　　It　will　do　if　you

settle　with　me　at　the　end　of　the　week。〃



〃I　see　you　have　confidence　in　me；　George。　　Suppose　I　should　take

a　fancy　to　run　away　with　the　money？〃



〃I　am　not　afraid。〃



〃If　I　do；　I　will　give　you　warning　a　week　beforehand。〃



After　a　little　more　conversation；　Paul　withdrew；　thinking　he

might　worry　the　sick　man。　　He　offered　to　come　up　the　next

evening；　but　George　Barry　said；　〃It　would　be　too　much　to　expect

you　to　come　up　every　evening。　　I　shall　be　satisfied　if　you　come

up　every　other　evening。〃



〃Very　well；〃　said　Paul。　　〃Then　you　may　expect　me　Saturday。　　I

hope　I　shall　have　some　good　sales　to　report；　and　that　I　shall

find　you　better。〃



Paul　descended　to　the　street；　and　walked　slowly　homeward。　　He

couldn't　help　wishing　that　the　stand　was　his　own；　and　the　entire

profits　his。　　This　would　double　his　income；　and　enable　him　to

save　up　money。　　At　present　this　was　hardly　possible。　　His　own

earnings　had　been；　and　were　likely　to　continue；　very　fluctuating。



Still；　they　constituted　the　main　support　of　the　family。　　His

mother　made　shirts　for　an　establishment　on　Broadway　at

twenty…five　cents　each；　which　was　more　than　some　establishments

paid。　　She　could　hardly　average　more　than　one　shirt　a　day；　in

addition　to　her　household　work；　and　in　order　to　accomplish　this；

even；　she　was　obliged　to　work　very　steadily　all　day。　　Jimmy；　of

course；　earned　nothing。　　Not　that　he　was　too　young。　　There　were

plenty　of　little　newsboys　who　were　as　small　as　heperhaps

smaller。　　I　have　seen　boys；　who　did　not　appear　to　be　more　than

four　years　old；　standing　at　the　corners；　crying　the　news　in　their

childish　treble。　　But　Paul　was　not　willing　to　have　Jimmy　sent　out

into　the　streets　to　undergo　the　rough　discipline　of　street　life。　

He　was　himself　of　a　strong；　robust　nature；　and　did　not　shrink

from　the　rough　and　tumble　of　life。　　He　felt　sure　he　could　make

his　way；　and　give　as　well　as　receive　blows。　　But　Jimmy　was　shy

and　retiring；　of　a　timid；　shrinking　nature；　who　would　suffer　from

what　would　only　exhilarate　Paul；　and　brace　him　for　the　contest。　

So　it　was　understood　that　Jimmy　was　to　get　an　education；　studying

at　present　at　home　with　his　mother；　who　had　received　a　good

education；　and　that　Mrs。　Hoffman　and　Paul　were　to　be　the

breadwinners。　　〃I　wish　mother　didn't　have　to　sit　so　steadily　at

her　work；〃　thought　Paul；　many　a　time。　　He　resolved　some　time　to

relieve　her　from　the　necessity；　but　at　present　it　was　impossible。



To　maintain　their　small　family　in　comfort　required　all　that　both

could　earn。



The　next　morning　Paul　started　out　after　breakfast　for　the　street

stand；　wondering　what　success　he　was　destined　to　meet　with。



About　the　middle　of　the　forenoon　Mrs。　Hoffman　prepared　to　go　out。



〃Do　you　think　you　can　stay　alone　for　an　hour　or　two；　Jimmy？〃　she

asked。



〃Yes；　mother；〃　answered　Jimmy；　who　was　deep　in　a　picture　which　he

was　copying　from　one　of　the　drawing…books　Paul　had　bought　him。　

〃Where　are　you　going　mother？〃



〃To　carry　back　some　work；　Jimmy。　　I　have　got　half…a…dozen　shirts

done；　and　must　return　them；　and　ask　for　more。〃



〃They　ought　to　pay　you　more　than　twenty…five　cents　apiece；

mother。　　How　long　has　it　taken　you　to　make　them？〃



〃Nearly　a　week。〃



〃That　is　only　a　dollar　and　a　half　for　a　week's　work。〃



〃I　know　it；　Jimmy；　but　they　can　get　plenty　to　work　at　that　price；

so　it　won't　do　for　me　to　complain。　　I　shall　be　very　glad　if　I　can

get　steady　work；　even　at　that　price。〃



Jimmy　said　no　more；　and　Mrs。　Hoffman；　gathering　up　her　bundle；

went　out。



She　had　a　little　more　than　half　a　mile　to　go。　　This　did　not

require　long。　　She　entered　the　large　door；　and　advanced　to　the

counter　behind　which　stood　a　clerk　with　a　pen　behind　his　ear。



〃How　many？〃　he　said；　as　she　laid　the　bundle　upon　the　counter。



〃Six。〃



〃Name？〃



〃Hoffman。〃



〃Correct。　　I　will　look　at　them。〃



He　opened　the　bundle　hastily；　and　surveyed　the　work　critically。　

Luckily　there　was　no　fault　to　find；　for　Mrs。　Hoffman　was　a

skillful　seamstress。



〃They　will　do；〃　he　said；　and；　taking　from　a　drawer　the　stipulated

sum；　paid　for　them。



〃Can　I　have　some　more？〃　asked　Mrs。　Hoffman；　anxiously。



〃Not　to…day。　　We're　overstocked　with　goods　made　up。　　We　must

contract　our　manufacture。〃



This　was　unexpected；　and　carried　dismay　to　the　heart　of　the　poor

woman。　　What　she　could　earn　was　very　little　but　it　was　important

to　her。



〃When　do　you　think　you　can　give　me　some　more　work？〃　she　asked。



〃It　may　be　a　month　or　six　weeks；〃　he　answered；　carelessly。



A　month　or　six　weeks！　　To　have　her　supply　of　work　cut　off　for　so

long　a　time　would；　indeed；　be　a　dire　misfortune。　　But　there　was

nothing　to　say。　　Mrs。　Hoffman　knew　very　well　that　no　one　in　the

establishment　cared　for　her　necessities。　　So；　with　a　heavy　heart；

she　started　for　home；　making　up　her　mind　to　look　elsewhere　for

work　in　the　afternoon。　　She　could　not　help　recalling；　with

sorrow；　the　time　when　her　husband　was　living；　and　they　lived　in　a

pleasant　little　home；　before　the　shadow　of　bereavement　and

pecuniary　anxiety　had　come　to　cloud　their　happiness。　　Still；　she

was　not　utterly　cast　down。　　Paul　had　proved　himself　a　manly　and　a

helpful　boy；　self…reliant　and　courageous；　and；　though　they　might

be　pinched；　she　knew　that　as　long　as　he　was　able　to　work　they

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。　　〃Per