Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-01-25
Tom HIiiIer's story.

The boy am gong 70 tel apout was
h Dudley Crawford. With CHEEKY eye
and voice, "a quick ear, and quicker
hand, and feet foot, he was great
favorite on the playground II there
was weak boy whom the others inn
posed 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
40 green boys, had always wholesome
2 fear of Dudley, though | do not think
hesever struck one Of them. But his
fearless, honest eye cowed them, and L
am sure he would have struck hard if it
was necessary to protect the poor little
a. fellows he kept under his wing. The
boys called them "Dudley's chickens"
There was one scholar in the school,.
Walter Whitaker, who had a special
desire to be on good terms with Dudley.
Walters father had gotten rich during
the wer, and Walter had special fond
nes9for being genteel. He wore gloves,
and kept his boots brighter than there
was any occasion for. lie was not much
of a scholar, though older than Dudley.
But he was very fond of calling young
Crawford his friend because Dudley's
father was rich and talented lawyer.
o At last there came a financial ruin and
sent all of Mr.. Crawford's half million
to the winds. He was in feeble health
when it came, and the loss of his prop
erty fastened his death. The very same
''panic" left Whitaker poor also. But
the boys took it very differently. Whit
taker looked as crestfallen as if he had
committed a crime. Dudley mourned
the loss Of his father, but held up his
head bravely under the sudden poverty.
Whitaker looked around for situation.
But the times were hard, and situations
not to be had. Every clerk that could
be dispensed with was sent away, and
besides merchants do not like to employ
a 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 every thing, as it
seemed, until at last he asked stern old
Mr.. Bluff, who owned half a dozen fac
tories of different kinds.
"You want work, do you, young man?
l s'pose you want to keep books, or
suthin' o that sort l never saw such
lot of fellers askin' for work and afraid
of soiling their fingers.
''Ill do any honest work by which
can earn my bread without being Deepen
dent on my friends"
o "Any honest work, will you? I'll
make you back out of that air. I'll bet
you won't begin where did"
O "Try me, sir, and see"
'Well, then, I'll give you good wages
togo into my soap factory next Monday
morning. Hat ha! 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 wsuld send him out
Dudley hardly knew what to make of
his own holiness But he only told his
mother that he had a 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,
NMonday morning he went early to the
soap factory, stopping at the tailors on
the way and getting pair of blue over
alla that he had ordered. 1t must be
confessed that the smell of the factory
disguised him at first, but he soon be
cams interested. He saw that brains
were used in soap-making He became
J. more and more interested as he saw how
accurate some of the chemical processes
We're. He soon learned to cut the great
blocfs of hard soap with wires he
watched with eager interest the use of
coloring matter in making the notified
soaps, and he soon became so skillful
that surly Mr.. Bluff promoted him to
some of the less unpleasant parts Of the
D work,
But there was so much talk about it
Girst g5ome Of ihe young ladies who
bad been useless all their lives, and who
bad come to think that uselessness was
Necessary to responsibility, We're ''sur-
prised that Dudley Crawford should
follow so low trade" But those very
D people never thought it disgraceful in
aWalter Whitaker to be genteel loafer
Lying off of his fathers hard earned
salary and pretending that he was look
ing for situation. And | will not be
too hard on poor Whitaker. think if
he could have had a good situation i'll
which he could do nothing, be paid well
for it, he would have been delighted.
But he stunned D., parity because he
was afraid OF compromising his own re-
spectability. and partly because he had
@ense enough to see that Dudley's hon
est eye looked through him and saw
what humbug he was
After a year Dudley's fathers estate
o. was settled, and owing to All unexpected
rise in some of the property, it was
found that the debts would all be paid
and small balance left for the family
1t was but a small amount, but it enabled
him to lay aside his blue overalls and re
turn to the old school again. Dr. Par
malice, the principal, was delighted to
have such q good scholar back again
Whitaker came back about the same
time, and the very first day he whispered
to some of the boys that Dudley smelt of
S)ap-greese. The boys laughed thought
lessly and passedtne Joke around Dud-
ley maintained the respect of the school
in general, but there was small clique.
who never knew their lessons, but prided
themselves on being genteel ounces.
These folks used to talk about soap
greese, even in DR.. Parmalee's presence,
b but the Doctor quietly retorted that if
Dudley hands smelt of sOap-greese, that
it was better than to have sOap-greese in
side his head and pomatum on the out
side. They were a little more modest
after this, but they could not forbear
illusions that kept Dudley under fire
His mother, who was very proud of
her sons independence, could not but
@ feel sorry that he was subject to such
prosecutions. "Ah! mother" he w0uld
cay, Ii' tIihG tuaI an prOuuest OF IN
my life is that I spent year in Bluffs
B soap factory. Don't think that | am
annoyed by the barking of lap dogs"
At last came the day of graduation.
Dudley led the class There was a great
crowd of fine looking people. The last
speech of all in the programme was
Honest Work, Honorable - Dudley
Crawford. With characteristic man
illness he stood M hray,lv for work Sn
fine were his arsmmpnts So undauntr,}
his bearing, that the audience wrrr car
ried away. DR.. Parna)et took off his
spectacle to wipe his rv,4. Nudlcy'>
mother could not conceal he? pleasure.
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