Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-09-21
HARRY, THE ERRAND BOY.

"Papa," said little Lucy Weston,
climbing upon her fathers knee, "what
pleases you so much to-day You have
been smiling to yourself all dinner
time"
something has pleased me to-day,
Lucy. If you aud Johnny would like
to hear the story, draw up your chairs.
"a story" said Mrs. Weston, looking
up from her sewing. "May hear it
too ?"
eff you are very good" said Mr..
Weston, smiling. "Let me see, how
old are you, Johnnya"
"Twelve, sir"
"Well, my story is about boy just
your age. 1t is nearly year since l first
saw him. I was busy one afternoon last
winter, when I saw little boy coming
into the store, whose face attracted my
attention at once. 1t was earnest and
bright strong, good face, If ever l
saw one. The boy was poorly clad, but
his clothes were clean and whole.
''May see the boss9" he asked.
"'I am the boss, / answered, what
can 1 do for you2'
"sI want to ask the price of first
rate sewing machine; not fancy one,
sir, but good worker?
"Sixty dollars.
"Well, mister said be, earnestly,
'can work it out2 / have every after
noon from half past two till seven, and
/ can run errands or do any work about
the store. You see, sir, this is how it
is: Father died two years ago, and
mother she wants me to stay at school
for year or two longer, but she has to
work awful hard to keep me there.
Father was bricklayer and mother OWLS
the little house he almost built himself,
and that is all. She sews, sir, 80
thought would see if could earn one.
s'' But it will take long time,' said L.
If ] give you dollar week, it would
take sixty weeks.
"' Will you give me that? he said,
his eyes fairly dancing. 1 can come all
day Saturday.
"Can you suppose we say dollar
and hall And if you do we'll, you can
have the machine little less than retail
price
"You see, Lucy, / was interested al
ready in the boy, with his honest, FRANK
face, and resolved, if he was faithful IL
his dulles, to help him along. So we
made an agreement, he to give me al
his spare time out of school, and tc
credit him each week with dollar sn6
fifty cents toward the purchase of ma
chine.
Every day he came, punctual tc the
minute, rain or shine, and he was the
most prompt errand boy / ever en-
ployed. Little by little the dollar;
rolled up on the account, until one eve
ming ia the fall was here after dinner
Just before you and your mother came
home from the country, when th'
door bell rang, and in walked Harry
Cummings, my errand boy.
eel found this, sir, he said, 'wher
was sweeping out the store, and n
handed me roll of bank notes though
safe in my pocket.
"s Please to see if it is all right, sir;
6 it was under the counter
CT counted the notes, two hundred
dollars, and then taking out one twenty
dollar note, said:
"'I should have offered reward fo
this, Harry, if you had not found it,
"' / am glad saved you that, sir,
he answered. 'I'n bid you goo(
night
""But you have earned the reward,
I said, putting down the twenty dollars
will you take it, or pass it down to tn
machine money!
"'Mine! all that Oh, sir, pass
to the machine. You see, I'd have t.
tell mother where I got that money, an
the machine is to be surprise.
81 never spent twenty dollars with s
much pleasure in my life, Lucy Thi
was great lift on the machine, and thi
afternoon, when Harry came, told hir
to pick out one for his mother.
eve selected first-rate one, hanC
some, too, and l promised him ono
our best teachers should go and sho
his mothar how to work upon it.
"When it was on the cart, ready
go, I invited myself to go with Harry
See it delivered. He asked me to writ
a note telling his mother the price wt
honestly earned, and told Linn l woul
tell her.
$50 away we went, and when "
reached the little house, the cart WI
Just turning the corner of the stree
Harry opened the door very softly, al
the man lifted the machine into the pa
lor. Then Harry led me to a small 81
ting-room at the back of the hou'
where pale woman in a widows DIRE
was sitting sewing busily. She rose al
offered me chair, and told her I can
to see if I could obtain Harry's servic
at fiyo dollars week. Y Il sl Ju,L h,,
seen the boys eyes.