The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-11-29
would become responsible for the payment

would become responsible for the payment
he would let it rest"
"Then we've got roof to cover US, and
food for tomorrow. But what next?-
What curse these hard times arc"
Don't despair, Peter, for we shall not
starve. I've got work enough engaged to
keep US alive"
"And what is that?"
| "Why Mr.. Snow has engaged me to carry
small packages, bundles and so forth, to his
rich customers. He has had to give up one
of bis horses"
"What do you mean, Maria ?"
"Jsst what say. When Mr.. Snow came
home to dinner l was there, and asked him
if he ever had light articles which he wished
to send round to his customers. Never mind
all that was said. He did happen to want
just such work done, though he meant to
call upon the idlers that lay about the mar
ket. He promised to give NE all the Work
he could, and I'm to be on hand in the
morning"
butchers boy. You will not do any such
thing"
"Aad why not?"
| 'Because-beca ause-"
"Say because it will lower me in the So
cial circle"
"Well, so it will"
"Thep it is more honorable to lie still and
starve and see ones children starve too than
/ to earn honest work. l tell you, Peter, if
| you cannot find work, l must. We should
/ have been without bread tonight had not
| found work to-day You know that all
kinds Of light, agreeable business are seized
upon by those who have particular friends
engaged in them. And at such a time as
this it is not for US to consider what kind of
work we shall do so long as it is honest. o
! give me the liberty Of living upon my own
deserts, and the independence to be govern
ed by my own convictions of right"
''But my wife, only think-you carrying
out butchers stuff. Why | would sooner
/ 60 and do it myself"
''If you will co. said the wife with a
smile, 81 viii stay at home and take care OF
! the children
| 1t was hard for Peter Stanvood, but the
more he thought upon the matter, the
more he saw the justice Of the path into
which his wife thus led him. Before he
went to bed he promised he would go to the
| butchers in the morning.
| And Peter Stanwood went iute his new
| business. Mr.. Snow greeted him warmly,
praised his faithful wife, and then sent him
4
worked ali day, and when it came night, he
had earned ninety seven cents. 1t had been
day Of trials, but no person sneered at
( him, and all the acqualutanccs whom he
met greeted hiR the same as usual. He was
! far happier now than he was when he went
I home the night before, for he was indepen-
dent.
| On the next day he earned over a dollar :;
and thus ne continued to work for week
/ at the end of which time he had five dollars
/ and seyentyfye cents in his pockets, be
sides having paid for all the food for his IA
mily, save some few pieces Of meat Mr..
( Snow had given him. Saturday evening he
met Mark Leeds another binder who had
been discharged from employment with
himself Leods looked carcworn and rusty.
"Ilow goes it :" asked Peter.
Don't ask ne, groaned Mark, "ny IA
mily are starving"
Cant you find any thing to &c ~
! 'NothIng."
Everywhere, but it's no use. 1 have
pawned all my clot es save those have on.
I've been to the bindery to-day, and wssas
a".s&S'h hal ss.pgWAasff. Wgag {. be offered me
why lie offered to let me do his hand
cartng lie had just turned off his Niger
Z
! old curmudgcon. BY the powers, had a
great mind to pitch him into the cart and
I run him 20 the -"
/ Mark mentioned the name OF AT individu-
al no is supposed to dwell somewhere in a
region some warmer than our tropics.
well" said Peter, ''if ! had been in
your place should have taken the offer"
Mark mentioned the name of the same in
| dividual again.
why" resumed Peter, II have been DO
ing the work Of butcher boy for a whole
week
Mark was incredulous, but his companion
convinced him, and then they separated,
one going home con;entcd and happy, and
the other going away from home to find
some sort Of excitement in which to drown
| his misery.
One day Peter had basket of pr DIVISIONS
to carry to Mr.. W. 1t was his former en-
ployer. He took the load on his arm and
started off, and just as he was entering the
yard Of the customer, Mr. W. was coming
! out.
"Ah, stanwood. is that you - asked his
old employer, kindly.
ayes, Sir"
"What are you up to now ~
I'm butchers boy, sir"
"a what"
"You see havo brought your provisions
for you, sir. am a regular butchers
boy"
"And how long have you been at work
thus 2"
"This is the tenth day"
"But don't it come hard :''
"Nothing comes hard so long as it is no.
nest and viii! furnish my family with
bread"
"And how much can you make day at
this? ?"
Sometimes dollar. and sometimes not
over fifty cents"
''Well look here, Stanwood, there has
been no less than dozen of my old hands
hanging around my counting room for two
weeks whining for work. They are stout,
able men, ano yet they lie still because
have no work for them. Last Saturday
took pity on Leeds, and offered him the job
Of doing my hand-carting. told him that |
would give him dollar and a quarter a
day, but he turned up his nose and asked me
not to insult him. And yet he owned that
his family was suffering. But do you come
to my place tomorrow morning, and you
shall have something to do if it is only to
hold up your bench. l honor you for your
independence"
Peter grasped the old mans hand with a
joyous, grateful grip, and blessed hiai fer
vently.
That night he gave Mr.. Snow notice that
he must quit, and on the following morning
he went to the bindery. For two days he
had but little to do but on the third heavy
job came in, and Peter Stanwood had steady
work. lie was happy-more happy than
ever, for he had learned two things, first,
what noble wife he had, and second, how
much resources for good he had within his
own energies
Our simple picture has two points in its
moral. One is-no man can be lowered by