Middletown transcript., 1874-06-06
Say because it will lower me in the
social SCALE
"a

We'll, so it will
Then it is more honorable to lie still
and starve, aud see ones children starve,
toe. than to earn honest bread by honest
work ? l tell you Peter, if you cannot
find work, must. We would have been
without bread tonight, had l not found
work to-day. You know that all kinds
of light, agreeable businesses are seized
upon by those who have particular friends,
and engaged in them. At such time as
this, it is not for US to consider what kind
OF work we will do, so long as it is honest.
Oh. give me the liberty of living upon my
own deserts, and the Independence to be
governed by my own conviction Of right
But, my wife. only think-you carry
out butchers stuff. Why, l would sooner
60 do it myself
If you will CO. said the wife with a
smile, L will stay at home and take care
of the children
1t was hard for Peter Stanwood, but
the more he thought upon the matter the
more he saw the justice and right of the
path into which his wife had led him
Before be went to bed he promised that
he would 60 to the butchers the next
morning.
And Peter Stanwood went upon his
new business Mr.. Snow greeted him
warmly, praised his faithful wife, and
then sent him off with two baskets, one to
Mrs. Smith and the other to a Mrs. Dix
all. And the new carrier worked all day,
and xubap IL L.
ninty-seven cents. 1t had been day
of trials, but no one sneered at him, and
all his acquaintance whom he met greeted
him the same as usual. He was far hap
pier now than he was when he went home
the night before, for now he was indepen-
dent
On the next day he earned over a dol
lar; and thus b continued to work for
week, at the end of which he had five dol
lars and seventy-fve cents in his pocket,
besides having paid for all the food for his
family, save some pieces of meat Snow
had given them. Saturday evening he
met Mark Leeds, another binder, who had
been discharged with himself. Leeds
looked careworn and rusty.
How goes it p asked Peter.
Don't ask me-, groaned Mark. my
family are kalf starved
But can't you find anything to do?'
Nothing
Have you tried?
Everywhere; but it's no use. | have
pawned all my clothes save those | have
on. I've been to the bindery to-day. and
what do you suppose he offered me p
What was it
Why he offered to let me do his hand
carting! He has just turned off his Mig
ger for drunkenness, and offered me the
place The old curmudgeon | had
great mind to pitch him into the hand
cart, and run him to the
Well, said Peter, . if l had been in
your place, | should have taken up with
the offer
Mark mentioned the name of the same
individual again.
Why resumed Peter. l have been
loing the work of butchers boy for a
whole week.
Mark was incredulous, but his compan-
on convinced him, and then they separa-
ed, one going home happy and contented,
md the other going away from home to
ind some sort of excitement in which to
irown his misery. One day Peter had a
basket of provisions to carry to Mr..
", his former employer. He took
he load upon his arm. and Just as he was
entering the yard of the customer, he met
Mr. w. coming out.
All, Stanwood, is this you p asked
lis old employer kindly
Yes sir
What are you up to now
I'm butchers boy, sir
A what p
You see I've brought provision for
'ou, sir, I'm regular butchers boy
And how long have you been at work
hus =
This is the tenth day
But don't it come hard p
Nothing comes hard as long as it is
onest, and will furnish my family with
read
And how much can you make day
t this p
NoS'ih"OS oNci uOlidI, duu S0Ine-
ines not over fifty cents
Well look here, Stanwood, there has
een no less than dozen of my old hands
angling around my counting room for
ortLight whining for work. They are
tout, able men, and they lie still because
have no work for them. Last Saturday
took pity on Leeds, and offered him the
'b of doing my hand carting. told him
nat l would give him dollar and quar-
'r day; but he turned up his nose, and
sked me not to insult him And yet he
wned that his family were suffering
tut do you come to my place to- orrow
lorning, and you shall have something
do, if it is only to hold your bench. II
onor you for your manly independence
Peter grasped the old mans hand with
joyous. grateful grip, aud blessed him
'rvently.
That night he gave Mr.. Snow notice
lat be must quit, and on the following
orning he went to the bindery. For
70 days he had little to do, but on the
lird dav n heavv ioh nana in opd patar