Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-10-06
5fiscellamp.
Tom Miller's Story.

boy, whom the othets imposed upon,
Dudley was his fast friend, and the mean
fellows who make up for their cowardice
toward boys of their size, by picking .
at little fellows or green boys had always
a wholesome fear of Dudley, though ]
do not think he ever struck one of them.
But his fearless, honest eye cowed them,
and am sure he would have struck hard
if it had been necessary to protect the
poor little fellows he kept under his wing.
The boys called them "Dudley's chick
ems"
There was one boy in the school, Wal
ter Whitaker, who had special desire
to be on good terms with Dudley. Wal
ter's father had gotten rich during the
war and Walter had special fondness
for being genteel. He wore gloves, and
kept his boots brighter than there was
any occasion for He was not much of
scholar, though older than Dudley. But
he was very fond of calling young Craw-
ford his friend because Dudley's father
was a rich and talented lawyer.
At last there came a financial ruin and
sent all of Mr. Crawford's half million of
dollars to the winds. He was in feeble
health when it came, and the loss of his
property FASTENED his death. The very
same panic" left Whitaker poor also.
But the boys took it very differently.
Whitaker looked as crestfallen as if he
had committed a crime. Dudley mourn
ed the loss of his iather, but held up bis
head bravely under the sudden poverty.
Whitaker looked around for situation.
But the times were hard, and situations
were not to be had. Every clerk that
could be dispensed with was sent away,
and besides merchants do not like to en-
ploy fellow who wears gloves and looks
afraid OF soiling his hands. Dudley had
his mother to support, and looked about
bravely for work. But no work was to
be had. He tried everything, as it SEEM
ed, until at last he asked stern old Mr..
Bluff, who owned half dozen factories
of different kinds.
"You want work, do you, young man
/ s'pose you want to keep books or su-
t in O that sort. | never saw such a lot
o fellers askin' for work an afraid of
soiling their fingers"
"I'll do any honest work by which
canearn my bread, without being depend
ent on my friends"
"Any honest work, will you" I'll
make you back out of that air. I'll bet
you won't begin where did"
TRY me, sir, and see :"
"Well, then I'll give you good wages
to go into my soap factory next Monday
morning. Ha hal that's honest work !;
but fellers of your cloth don't do that
sort of honest work"
81 will, sir"
Mr. Bluff was utterly surprised, but he
gave Dudley the situation, saying that he
reckoned the smell of soap-grease would
send him out.
Dudley hardly knew what to make of
his own boldness. But heonly told his
mother that be had situation with Mr..
Bluff, and that he did not know the pre-
else nature of his duties. He was not
ashamed of his work, but afraid of Civ
ing his mother pain.
Monday morning he went early to the
soap factory, stopping at the tailor's on
the way and getting pair of blue over
alls that he had ordered. 1t must be con-
fessed that the smell of the factory dis
gusted him at first, but he soon became
interested. He saw that brains were
used in soap-making. He became more
and more interested as he saw how accu-
rate some of the chemical processes
were. He soon learned to cut the great
blocks of hard soap with wires; he
watched with eager interest the use of
coloring matter in making the mottled
soaps, and he soon became so skillful
that surly Mr.. Bluff promoted him to
some of the less unpleasant parts of the
work.
But there was much talk about it at
first. Some ofthe young ladies who had
been useless all their lives, and who had
come to think that useiessness was neces-
sary to respectability, were surprised
that Dddley Crawford should follow so
low trade But those very people
never thought it disgraceful in Walter
Whitaker, to be genteel loafer, living
off his fathers bard earned salary and
pretending that he was looking for situ
alton. And / will not be too hard on
poor WhittaSer / think, if he could
have had a good situation in which he
could do nothing, be paid well for it, he
would have been delighted. But he
summed d., partly because he was afraid
of compromising his own respectability,
and partly because he had sense enough