Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-02-13
|" And why net ,"


"Well, So il will
Then IL is more honorable TO lay still and
| starVe, and ones children starve, too, than TO
gafn n honest bread by honest work. / tell you,
| re'e,, you cannot End work, I must. We
| slould nave been without bread 70 night had
| not found work to-day. You know that all
AlhuS pi ilght, agreeable business are seiIed
| upon oy those who have particular friends,
and engaged In them. Atsuch a time as this
II is not for Us to consider what Kind ~ vort
we VIII DO SO long as il is honest Oh, give
me the liberty of living upon nv own desert,
and the independence to be governed by NV
own convictions Of right -"
But, my wife, only think-you carving
out butchers stuff. Why, would sooner 20
| and do it myself"
off you will go, said the wife with a smile
:! will stay at home and take care of the
children"
1t was hard for Peter Stanwood, but the
more he thought upon the matter. the more be
saw the justice and right Of the path into which
his wife has thus led him Before he went TO
bed, he promised that he would 20 to the
butcher in the morning.
And Peter Stanwood went upon his new
business Mr. Snow greeted him warmly
praised his faithful wife, and then sent him Of
with two baskets, one TO q Mrs. Smiths and
other t" a Mrs Dixal's. And the new car
rier worked all day, and when il came night
he had earned ninety seven cents IL had
oeen day Of trials, but no one sneered at him
and all his acquaintsnces whom he met,
greeted him the same as usual He was far
happier now than he was when he went home
the night before, fox now he was indepen-
dent.
On the next day be earned over a dollar.
and thus he continued 10 work for week, at
the end Of which he had FIVE dollars and sew
enty FIVE cents in his pocket, besides having
paid for all the food for his family, save some
few pieces of meat Snow had given them Sat
urday 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
family are half starved"
!" But can't you find anything, to do,"
Nothing"
Have you trieGo'
" Everywhere; but it's no use 1 have
pawned all my clothes save those / have on
We been 70 the bindery to-day, and what do
you suppose he offered me-"
What was it2''
Why he offered to let me do his hand-cart-
ing. He has Just turned of his niger for
drunkenness, and offered me the place. The
old curmudgeon. L had great mind to pitch
him into the hand-cart, and run him to the
Well" said Peter, IF I had been in your
place L should have taken up with the offer"
Mark mentioned the name Of the same indi-
vidual again.
Why" resumed Peter, Il have been do
ing the work of butchers boy for a whole
week
Mark wa. increduleus, but his companion
convinced him, and then they separated, ono
going home happy and contented, and the
other going away from home 10 find some sort
of excitement in which to drown his misery.
One day Peter had basket Of provisions to
carry to Mr.. W 1t was his former en-
pfoyer. He took the load upon his arm, and
started off, just as he was entering the yard of
the customer, he met Mr.. W-coming out.
"Ah, Stanwood, is this you 7' asked bis old
employer kindly.
Yer, sir.'
What are you up to now.
- I'm butchers boy, sir"
"a what 9''
"You see I've brought provisions for you,
sir. I'm a regular butchers boy"
And how long have you been at work
thusl"
This is the tenth day"
" Nothing comes hard 90 long as il is honest,
and will furnish my family With bread
90 And how much can you make a day at
this?''
Sometimes over dollar, and sometimes
not over fifty cents"
no less than a dozen Of my old hands hanging
around my counting room for a fortnight,
whining fer work. They are stout. able men,
and 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 a
dollar and quarter day; but he turned up
his nose, and asked me not to insult him.
And yet he owned that his family were suffer
ing, But do you come to my place tomorrow
morning, and You shall have something TO do,
if it is only to hold your bench. / honor you
for your manly independence.
Peter grssped the old mans hand with a
joyous, grateful grip, and blessed him fer
venty.
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 lit
tie to do, but on the third day a heavy job
came in, and Peter StanwoOd had steady work
He was happy-more happy than ever, for no
had learned two things; first, what q noble
wife he had and second-how much resource
for good he held within his own energies.
Our simple picture has two points to its
moral. One is-nO man can be lowered by
any kind Of honest labor. The second-while
you are enjoying the fruits of the present, for
get not to provide for the future; for no man
is so secure but that the day may come when
he will want the squsnderings of the past.