Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1856-02-23


the independence to be governed by my own
convictions of right
But, my wife, only lhink--you carrying out
butchers stuff. Why, would Sooner 20 and
do il myself
If you will CO. said the wife with SMILE
j will stay at home and take care Of the child
rem
II was bard for Peter Slanwood, bht the
more he thought upon the matter, the more he
saw the justice and right Of The path into which
/ his wife had thus led him. Before he went TO
bed, he promised that he would 60 TO the
butchers in the morning.
And Peter Sianwood went upon his new
business Mr.. Snow greeted him warmly,
praised his faithful wife, and then sent him OF
with two baskets, ono to Mrs. Smiths and
the other to Mrs. Dxall's. And The new
carrier worked all day, and when il came night
he had earned nineiy.seven cents. II had been
a day Of trials, but no one sneered at him,
and all his acquainiances whom he met, greet
ed him the same as usual lie was far bappi-
/ er NOW than he was when he went home Tue
night before, for now he was independent.
On the next day he earned over a dollar
and thus he continued to work for a week, at
the end of which he had FIVE dollars and sew
enIy-fve cents in his pocket besides having
paid for all the food for his family, save some
few pieces Of meat Snow had given them
Saturday evening he met Mark Leeds, another
binder, who had been discharged from work
with himself. Leeds looked careworn and
rusty.
How goes it = asked Peter.
Don't ask me- groaned Mark. My fami-
/ ly are half starved
/ But can't you find anything to do =
! 'Noihing'
Have you tried =
Everywhere but it's no use. lhave pawn
ed all my clothes save those | have on. I've
been to the bindcry to-day, and what do you
suppose he offered me =
What was iii'
why he offered to let me do his hand-cau-
/ ing lie has just turned Off his Niger for
I drunkenness, and offered me the place The
old curmudgeon | had a great mind to pitch
him into the hand cart. and run him 10 the
Well said Peter, If had been in your
I place should have taken up with the offer
Marx mentioned the maine Of the same in
dividual again.
'Why,' resumed Peter, Il have been doing
the work Of a bnieher's boy for a whole week
/ Mark was incredulous, but his companion
convinced him, and then they separated, one
going home happy and conented, and the 9th
er going away from home to find some sort Of
excitement in which TO drown his misery.
One day Peter had a basket Of provisions to
carry TO Mr.. W. II was his furmer EN-
ployer lie took the load upon his arm, and
started OF, and Just as he was entering The yard
Of the customer, he met Mr.. W, coming
out.
'Ab, sianwood, is this you = asked his old
employer kindly.
Yes sir
/ '~hst ore ypa ~P - -s-- y
SIN a butchers boy, sir
a WHAT
you see I've brought provisions for you,
sir, I'm a regular butchers boy.
And how long have you been at work ihusl
This is the tenth day
Nothing comes hard so long as il is honest,
and will furnish my family with bread
And how much can you make day at thsl
Sometimes over dollar, and sometimes not
over fifty cents.
Well. look here, Sianwond, there has been
no less than a dozen Of my old hands hanging
around my counting room for fortnight whn-
ing for work. They are stout, able men, and
yet they lie still because have no work for
them. Las, Saturday took pity on Leeds,
and offered him the job of doing my hand cart
ing told him that would give him dol
lar and quarter day but he turned up his
nose, and asked me not TO insult him. And
yet he owned that his family were suffering
But do you come TO my place tomorrow morn
ing, and you shall have something TO do, If il
is only 10 hold your bench. | honor you for
your manly independence.
Peter grasped the old mans hand with a
Joyous, grateful grip, and blessed him feryenl-
ly.
That night he gave MIR. Snow notice that he
must quit, and on the following morning he
went to the bindery. For two days he had
little 10 do, but on the third day heavy job
came in, and Peter Stanwood had steady work.
lie was hapPy-more happy than ever, for he
had earQed two things first, what noble
wife he had; and second-how much resource
for good he held within his own energies.
Our simple picture has two points 10 its
moral. One is-no man can be lowered by any
kind Of honest labor. The secand--while you
are enjoying the fruits of the present, forget
not to provide for the future; for no man is so
secure but that the day may come when he will
want the squsnderngs Of the past.