National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-10-21

rlu Oh tHe leellp. a month passed away,
and at the end OF that time his dollar was
spent. He had broken it at first to pur-
chase pOcket-knife, which he could not
do without. That took half of it. Then
he had attended scientific lecture, for
which he paid half of what was left. and
the rest had dwindled away, until now
ne was without penny. But he bore up
for a while He saw that the boys in the
neighboring stores had money to spend,
but then he thought they had rich
fathers. He knew that his father had
nothing to spare He knew that the
generous parent had always burdened
himself with more than he was able to
bear with comfort to himself so he
would not send to him, And yet it was
unpleasant to be without money to be
III that great city, where there was so
much for amusement and profit, without
even penny to purchase moment of
enjoyment, or a drop of extra comfort
No boy could be more faithful than was
Gilbert i'll the store. The clerks and
statesmen all loved him, and Mr.. Phelps
often congratulated himself on having
obtained an excellent apprentice He
worked early and late, and he worked
hard-performed uore of real physical
labor than any oIe else III the store, ii
We except the stout Irish porter.
One evening after the store was closed.
Gilbert stood on the iron steps with the
key i'll his hand-for he was now entr1ls-
ted with that important implement
when he was joined 10y lad named
Baker who held the same position in an
adjoining store that Gilbert did in Mr..
Phelps
Say, Gil, going to the concert to-
night q asked Baker.
4" No | can't"
Can't Why not ?"
" Why, to tell You the plain truth, jim,
| haven got the money
Pooh ! Come along. I'll pay the
shot.
" But | do not wish to run in debt
jim, for ] may never pay you.
" Pay me Who talked about paying
II | offer to pay, that's enough. Come
along. It'll be a glorious concert.
=" But ! must go and get some sup
per,
No, go with me and get supper
But Gilbert could not go without let
ting his aunt know so Baker walket
round that way with him Then they
went to the restaurant here Baker paiC
for the supper. He had several banl
notes. and poor Gilbert gazed upon then
with longing looks. Q, If he could only
have "a little money Say one dollar
week. or one dollar in two weeks, how
much happier he would feel As sool
rs they had eatsn supper they went tC
the concert-room, and Gilbert was charm
ed with the sweet music he had heard
He fancied it had noble influence upol
him, and that it awoke more generous
impulse III his soul. But alas how cal
a man, or youth be over-generous, witt
an empty pocket always
From tins time, James Baker was Gil
berts firm friend, as the world goes. The
latter told all his secrets to Jim, and il
return he heard all his friends
-" Say, Gil. how is it you never have
any money ?" Baker asked, as they wer,
together one evening in front of the stor,
after having locked up.
Why, returned Gilbert, with som,
hesitation, " to tell you the plain truth
my father is too poor. He has don,
well afford. He has never asked me t,
work on his farm, but he has sent me t,
school and now he is paying my boarC
while | leun to he a merchant But IN,
father Is good. if he is poor
OF course he is, warmly replied Ba
ker " That where you find your goo,
warm hearts, among the poor. Bu
don't you make the store pay you fo
taking care of it 2
mo, Mr. Phelps pays nothing 70
the first year
Why, are you in earnest, Gil Have
) Mt You got any money for yonr har
work =
" No, not penny. Two dollars is al
the money | have had since have bee
here, and those my father gave me.
Well, you're moral improbability
regular anomaly, Why, | make tn
store pay me something. Mind yor
don't call it stealing, for it isn't NJ
: master receives the benefit of all IN
work, and am entitled to something i
return. He is rich while | am poor
I My hard work turns money into his til
| and shall dig and delve and lug my lii
+ away for nothing? ? No. When | want
little money, take it. Did take enoug
to squandcr and gamble away, rs son
1 do, | should call it stealing but don
, Yet | must have something. Ow d
Z YOU suppose our masters think we hN
G without money ? THEY don't think So
= if they do they must be natural bon
{ fools That's all Eve got to say aboI
5 it, -
4 d" But how do you do it ~ asked Gil
bert, tremulously.
t How Why, sometimes / help m,
self to II few handkerchiefs which | sell
. and sometimes ] take II gentle peep
e the money drawer.
il When Gilbert Goodwin went to his bt
II that night there was demon with hin
The tempter had come. For long tin
II there had been n shadowy, misty for
=. lowering over him, but not until no
II had it taken palpable shape. He alloy
< ed himself to reason on the subject, b,
" not yet was his mind made up. On Il
q following morning he met young Bak
II again, and he learned that all the apprc
e ticcs on the street did the same thing.
2, week passed ON, and during Tia
=, time Gilbert gave the tempter II hou
1t in his bosom. He daily pondered upC
d the amount of physical labor he pr
formed He saw all the others wi
rs money, and he wondered if any ol
1t could possibly get along without tn
rt circulating commodity. Finally the e'
e hour came. The constant companio
{, ship of the young baker had had its inf
N encc, and the shaft had struck its mar
A bright-eyed, lovely girl had askC
TT Gilbert to carry her to IN evening
,e entertainment The boy loved that 81
le loved her with the whole ardor Of i
NJ. M. l.l .....l --uul ln nn1Ill moi rnlu