The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-07-13
CONFESS A FAULT.
A LESSON FOR THE YOUNG AND OLD.

son to the great city, for he had obtained
as he thought, an excellent place for hi
bow It was situation in the store o
Mr. Andrew Phelps. Mr.. Phelps was OBJ
of the heaviest merchants of the city; &
dealer in cloths Of all kinds. descriptions
qualities and quantities. He had DO part
ner he was one Of those nervous, e1ac
men who want no second say in the way
1t was near noon when Mr.. Goodwin en-
tered the merchants counting room, lead
ing his boy by the hand.
II have brought my son, Mr.. Phelps, az
we had arranged, and [ am sure you will
find him punctual and faithful"
"Ah Master Gilbert; ahem-yes,
like his looks. Hope he will prove al
you wish
AS the merchant spoke in a matter OF
fact sort Of way. he smiled kindly upor
thchoy, and then turning To the parent
he resumed:
Have you found Il boarding place fol
him YETI
Eyes, sir, he will boari with his uncle
my wifc's brother"
"Ah, that is fortunate This great
city is bad place Tor boys " 18th ut
| friends"
"Of course, SIR" added Mr.. Goodwin,
'and yet I hope you will overlook his
affairs a little"
Certainly, what I can. But of course
you are aware that shall see little of him
when he is out of the store"
Mr. Goodwin said 'tof course" and
there was silence of some moments. The
parent gazed down upon the floor little
while, and finally he said:
There has been nothing said yet Mr..
Phelps, about the pay"
"Pay 2" repeated the merchant
eyes, sir what nag are you willing to
allow my son for his services?"
"Ah," said Mr.. Phelps, with a bland
smile, 81 see you are unacquainted with
our customs. We never pay anything
the first year"
mo pay ?" uttered Mr. Goodwin, some
what surprised. "But am to pay Gill
bert's board myself and I thought of
course YOU would allow him something
for pocket money"
"No, we never pay anything the first
year If you were going to send your son
to an academy or college, you would not
expect the teachers to pay him for his
studying"
mo, sir"
Just so it is here. We look upon our
apprentice here as a mercantile scholar,
and for the first year he can be of little
real benefit to US, though all the while
he is reaping valuable knowledge to him.
self. Why, there are at this moment fifty
youngsters whose wealthy parents would
be glad to get them into the berth you
have secured for your boy"
"Then you pay nothing" said the
parent, rather sadly.
"Not the first year. This is our rule.
We will teach him all we can, and at the
end Of that time we retain him, if he is
faithful and worthy, aad pay something"
"Never mind, my son" the parent said,
when he and his child were alone. "You
have clothes enough to last you through
the year, and you all can get along with
out much more. Here is one dollar. 1t is
all have over and above what [ must
use to get home that will keep you in
spending money for sorae time. But
mind and be honest, my boy. Come
home to me when you please come in
rags and filth, if it may be, but come with
your truth and honor untarnished.
The boy wiped tear from his eye as
he gave the promise, and the father felt
assured. 1t was arranged that Gilbert
should have two vacations of a week each,
-oDe in the spring, and one at Christ.
mas,-and then the parent left.
On the following morning, Gilbert
Goodwin entered the store to commence
his duties. He gazed around upon the
wilderness of cloth, and wondered where
the people were who should buy all
this but he was disturbed in his reverie
by a spruce young clerk, who showed
him where the watering pot and broom
were, and informed him that his first
duty in the morning was to sprinkle and
sweep the floor. So at it the boy went,
work carrying bundles of cloth up stairs,
where a man was piling them away.
And so Gilbert's mercantile scholar
ship was commenced For while he
was homesick, but the men at the store
only laughed at him, and ere long he got
rid of the feeling. A month passed
away and at the end of that time his dol
lar was spent He had broken it first to
purchase 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 he was without a penny. But he
bore up for while. He saw that boys in
the neighboring stores had Honey t.
spend, but then he thought they had
rich fathers. He knew that the gener
Gus parent had already burdened himself
with more than he was able to bear with
Ecomfort to himself, SO he would not senG
Ito him. And yet it was unpleasant to be
without money; to be in that great city
; where there was so much for amusement