Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1862-08-29

not starve. I've got work enough en-
gagged to keep US alive"
''Ah, what is that?''
"Why, Dir. Snow engaged me to carry
small packages, baskets and bundles,
and SO forth, to his rich custom ers-
He has had to give up one of his horses. :"
"What do you mean, Mariar"
''Just what | say. When Mr. Snow
came to his dinner, I was there, and
asked him if he ever had light articles
which he wished to send around to Gus
toners. Never mind all that was said.
He did happen to want just such work
done, though he meant to call upon the
idlers who loungcd about the market -
He promised to give me all the work he
could, and | am to be there in good
season in the morning"
"Well, this is pretty go. My wife
turned butchers boy! You will not do
any such thing
"And why not?''
"Because-because-"
"Say, because it will lower me in the
social SCALE"
"Well, SO it will"
"Then it is more honorable to lay
still and starve, and see ones children
starve, too, than to earn honest bread
by honest work. 1 tell you. Peter, if
you cannot find work, L must We
should have been without bread to night
had not found work to-day. You
know that all kinds Of light agreeable
business are seized upon by those who
have particular friends, and engaged in
them. AT such times as this, it is not
for us to consider what kinds of work
will do, so long as it is honest. Oh,
give me the liberty of my own deserts,
and the independence to be governed by
my own convictions Of right"
But, my wife-only think-you car
rying cat butchers stuff Why, /
would sooner go and do it myself
eff you will CO. said his wife, with
smile, II will stay at home and take
care of the children"
1t was hard for Potter Stanwood, but
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 he would go to the butcher 5
in the morning.
And Peter Stanwood went upon his
new business. Mr.. Snow greeted him
warmly, praised his faithful wife, and
sent him off with two baskets, one to a
Mrs. Smiths, and one to Mrs. Dizali's
And the new carrier worked all day,
and when night came, he had earned
ninety seven cents. 1t had been q day
of trial, but no one sneered at him, and
all his acquaintance whom he met
greeted him the same as usual. He was
far happier now than he was at home
the night before, for now he was indie
pendent.
On the next day he earned over dol
lar; and thus he continued to work for
week, at the end of which time he had
five dollars and seventy-fve cents in his
pocket, besides having paid for all the
food for his family, save some pieces of
meat which Mr.. Snow had given him
Saturday evening he met Mark Leeds,
another binder, who was discharged from
work with himself. Leeds looked care
worn and rusty. .-.
GLOW 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 tried?''
"Everywhere;. but it's no use. How
ever, M. offered me job outside of our
trade. .-.
"What was it?''
"WAy, he offered to let me do his
hand carting! He has just turned off
his niger for drunkenness and offered
me the placel The old curmudgeon!
By the powers, I had a great mind to
pitch him into the hand cart and run to
the
Mark mentioned the name of an indi-
vidual who is supposed to dwell some
where in warmer region, somewhat
warmer than our tropics.
"Well, said Peter, "if I had been in
your place [ should have taken up with
the Offer"
~ will not lower myself to such po-
sition," replied Mark.
"Why," resumed Peter, 'tI have been
doing the work of butchers boy for a
whole week. "
Mark was incredulous, but his COM
panion convinced him, and they sepa-
rated, one going home happy and con-
tented, and the other going away from
home to 61d some sort of excitement in
which to drown his own misery.
One day Peter had basket of pro-
visions to carry to Mr.. NJ. He was his
former employer, and just as he was en-
tering the yard of his customer, he met
him coming out.
"Ah, Stanwood, is this you?" asked
his old employer, kindly.
ayes, sir"
"What are you up to now?''
"I'm butchers boy, SIR
GA what?"
"You see I've brought your provis-
ions for you, sir. I'm regular butch
er's boy"
'And how long have you been at
work thus?"
"This is the tenth day
"But don't it come hard?'
"Nothing is hard so long as it is hon
est, and will furnish my family bread. ~
p "And how much can you earn in a
day, at this?
"Sometimes over dollar, and some
times not over fifty cents.
"Well, look here, Stanwood, there has
been no less than dozen of my old
hands hanging around my counting-room
L