The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-08-07
? = srOIeY PoR noxn.
How she Sewing Machine was
Bought.
BY 5. A. FROST.

"Well, my story is about boy
just your age. 1t is nearly a year
since first saw him. l was very
busy one afternoon last winter,
when l saw little boy coming in
to the warehouse, whose face at
tracted my attention at once. 1t
was not n very handsome face, but
IL was earnest and bright; a strong,
good face, If ever saw one. The
boy was poorly clad, but his clothes
were clean and whole.
May / see the mastery' he
asked.
81 am the master. / answered.
What can do for your
81 want to ask the price of n
tirst-rate sewing machine-not n
fancy one, sir, but n good worker"
"Well, sir, i said, can give you
a good machine for Eve ponds"
Five pounds. Well MASTER"
said he earnestly, "'can work one
ont? L have every afternoon from
half-past two till seven, and can
run errands or do any work about
the warehouse. You see, sir, this
is how it is. Father died two
years ago, and mother wants
me to stay at school for a year or
two longer, but she has to work
awfully hard to keep me there.
Father was brieklayer, and moth
er owns the little house he almost
built himself, but that is all. She
sews, sir, and she could make
twice as much if she only had q
machine. But we never can spare
five pounds, sir, so thought L
would see if l could earn one"
"But it would take you a long
time, / said; if gave you half a
crown a week, it would be forty
weeks"
"Will you give me thatf" he said,
his eyes fairly dancing. 81 can
come all day Saturday"
"Can you? Suppose we say foui
shillings, then, and if You do well
you can have the machine a little
less than the retail price"
"You see, Susie, I was interest
ed already in the boy, with his
honest frank face, and resolved il
he was faithful in his duties tC
keep him on. So we made al
agreement, he to give me all his
spare time ont of school, / to cred
it him each week with four shil
lings towards the purchase of ;
machine"
"Every day he came punctual t.
the minute, rain or shine, and Ia
was the most prompt and reliable
errand-boy l ever employed.
Little by little the shillings roll
ed up on the account, until On'
evening in the interim, l was here
after dinner, just before You anC
your mother came home from tn,
country, when the door-bell rang
and in walked Harry Cummings
my errand-boy."
81 found this, sir" he said
"when I was sweeping out tht
warehouse" and no handed me q
roll of sovereigns l had thoughf
was sale in my pocket. "Pleas,
see if it is all right, sir" he said
at was under the counter"
al counted the sovereigns, ant
then taking out one, said:
1 should have offered a reward
for this, Harry, if you had no
found it."
81 am glad / saved you that, sir,
he answered. "I'll bid you goot
night"
"But you have earned the re
ward, l said, putting down the soy
ereign, will you take it or pass i
to the machine money!"
"AIinel all that Oh, sir pass i
To the machine. You see I'd have
TO tell mother where | got all tina
money, and the machine is to he :
snrprise."
~ never spent a sovereign will
so much pleasure in my life, Susie
This was n great lift To the ma
chine, and this afternoon wher
Harry came, | told him Ia picl
one out for his mother.
ave selected u first rate one
handsome, too, and l promised
him one ofour best teachers should
go to show his mother how to work
upon IT..
when it was on the cart, ready
to go, | invited myself to go with
Harry and see it delivered. He
had asked me to write a note tell
ing his mother the price was hon
estly earned, and told him
would tell her.
$50 away we went, and when we
reached tile little house the cart
was just turning the corner
of the street. Harry open
ed the door very softly, and the
men lifted the machine into the
parlor. Then Harry led me to q
small sitting-room at the back OF
the house, where a pale woman in
q widows dress was sitting sew
ing bnsily. She rose and ffered
me chair, and / told her / had
come to see If / could obtain Har-
ry's services in the store at ten
shillings a week. Yon should have
seen the boys eyes.
"He can go to evening school,
said, and ! will see that he has
. some time to read and study.
cannot spare him now, having had
his services so long,.
"My afternoons and Saturdays,
mother" Harry said. 81 told you
was not in mischief, was earn
ing you a present. Come and see. y
sand he danced fairly into the
parlor, his mother and I follow
ing"
ats yours" he said, dancing
round the machine; sail paid for,
and lessons on it, too. Amt it
beautiful"
"His mother was as delighted as
ne expected, and that is saying a
great deal"
"Oh sir" she said To me, ''he's
been q good son since his poor
father died. Every morning, sum-
mer or winter, he's up and makes
the fire while Pm dressing, and
while / get breakfast he brings up
all the coal for the day so 1 don't
have to go into the cellar; and ev-
cry step he can save me he does.
But how he ever made all the mon
ey to buy a machine out of school
hours l cannot understand"
al got four shillings, mother, for
errands, and extra when there was
an odd job, and Mr.. Weston gave
me sovereign"
mo, you earned that as well as
the rest, said, and his mother
fairly broke down and cried when
/ told her about the roll of money,
$50, Susie, now you know what
pleased me so much to-day. To-