Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-06-07
The Leisure Hour.
OUT OF WORK.

see you
John Yates l said to myself, John
Yates! What can he want? l thought he
was at work for Combs & Plank.
SHOW him into the library, Jane; I'll be
there directly
well, sir said John, rs l came in,
I'm out of work, that's what it is, and the
misses and two of the little 'uns is down
with 'huenza or fever, or something OF that
sort and the truth is, sir, amt got PEN
Ny, let lone a shilling, to bless myself with.
can bear it myself sir; it amt for that as
I'm come but they amt had bit nor
drop, this blessed morning.
How long have you been out of work !?
l asked.
About month, sir; leastways, month
come Saturday,
"A month = exclaimed. was going to
say, surely you ought not to be so bad oil
as this, only month out of work.
What wages have you been earning?'
well, sir, in a reg lar way, its five-and-
twenty shllings week but III tell you
all, sir, as you say. made good deal
overtime in summer, and may be then it
was thirty, more or less.'
About TINT, take one week with anoth-
er?'
YES, sir
Haven't you laid up anything against a
rainy day, John; anything in the savings
bank, now, or building society?'
John WINGED and said almost surlily, i
shouldn't h. come TO you if l had, SIR
Then as if he felt he hadn't been quite po-
lite, he added, 'praps I ought to have done,
but a growing family is very expensive,
sir
1T is, replied. Il know that myself;
still. it's for their sakes after all, that we
save. Suppose now, John, that you had
five, ten or even twenty pounds in the
bank?
We'll, sir, only wish had but how's
the likes O. me TO lay by? What with rent
being so high, and meat and bread and
everything else and clothes and the firing,
mans wages is gone before he knows
what he's about
He was beginning TO talk more freely
now, and tried to encourage his doing so
Il know it is so, john said. The times
I
been tight work for me, anyhow, this last
wear. But there will be bad times as well
as good times, and we must make hay
while the sun shines. Come now, times
haven't always been so bad, have they?
We'll, no sir I've had regular work,
thank God, for good many years, and
been able to pay my way mostly, somehow
I'm IN n
family them
But l suppose you had something laid
by, or how could you have lived this last
month";
knew pretty well how it was, and how
he had never laid anything by but for his
own sake l wanted him to tell me.
well sir, there, the truth must out /!
Most of the things is gone up, sir, and
there amt no more to go. Pm ashamed
on it, sir, and it's to me to say it; but
there's the truth
Thirty shillings week-a month out of
work-no bread in the house-and every
thing of value pawned! We both sat 81
lent for time. Then / got up, and telling
hi m to wait, went out of the room and sent
a basket to his house. When came back
there was no mistake about it-John had
been crying, but he tried not to let me see
it, and taking my pocket diary off the Ii
brary table, | pretended to be looking at
the almanac. l was really trying to think
how l could pest put John in the way of
helping himself. l know pretty well how
it was with him and a good many others
like him. Honest, hard working, good
fellows, but neither thinking nor caring
about tie future so long as they can meet
The demands of the day, and whose money
is always burning holes in their pock cts.
But | wanted TO bring this fact home to
him.
john | said, putting my hand on his
arm, Il want TO say a word or two to you
very plainly. May do SOP
Certainly, sir, if you please
well, then, want you TO tell me how
yon have spent your money? don't ask
You for mere curiosity, but in order to
help you. You are free to tell or not to
tell but you come to me to help you in
your difficulties, and want to do so in the
most efiectual way
well, l don't know as I've spent it diff
ierent irom Others, he replied. Thirty
shillings week amt much for seven OF
us, come to pay rent and schooling out.
is the rent all paid? asked.
Hehesitated, and then said, No, sir; that's
one thing that troubles me for the collect
or says If it amt paid soon, out we go.'
How much is there owing2'
'IIs two months, almost he answered
hanging down his head.
"A months rent was due when you wer,
thrown out of work. | said. DO you ow,
anything elseH'