Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-08-31
How Tom SAWYER Sub Let a Contract,

Is tnus uescrloeu IN hark lWain 5 new
work, soon 10 be published
Tom Sawyer having offended his sole
guardian. Aunt Polly. is, by that sternly
ahectionste dame, punished by being set to
vhite-wash the fence in front of the gar
den. The world seemed a hollow mockery
10 Tom, VIII" had planned fun for that day
and who knew he would be the laughing
stock Of all the boys as they came past and
saw him, set TO work like "nigger." But
afgr"at inspiration burst upon him, and he
went TRANQUILITY to work. What that in
spIraton was will appear from what fol
lows one Of the boys, Ben Rogers, comes
by and pauseS, eating particularly fine
apple. Tom does not see him. Ben stared
a moment aud then said
'iIi-yi. You're stump up, amt you?"
No answer. Tom surveyed his last
touch with the eye Of an artist, then he
gave another gentle sweep. and surveyed
the result as before. Bcr ranged up along
side OF him. Toms mouth watered for the
apple, but he stuck to his work. Ben
said
Hello. Old chap; you got TO work hev|'
why, il, you Ben; | wasn't noticing"
"Say, I'm going in swimming. am
Don't you wish you could? Bnt. of course,
you'd ruther work; now wouldn't you:
toursc you would.
Tom contemplated the boy a bit. and
said -
what Do you call work."
"Why, aiu't that work.
Tom Resumed his white-washing, and
answered carelc~-iy,-
well, maybe It Is. and maybe il amt
All know is. il suits Tom sawyer"
"Oh, come now, YOU don't mean to let
Oh that You like il z"
The brush continued 10 move.
Like IT, Well.l don't sec why oughtnt
to like il. Does a boy get chance to
whitc-wa,h a fence every day Z"
That put the thing in new light. Ben
stopped nib5ling his apple. Tom swept
his brush daintily back and torth-stepped
back 10 note the elrct-adlel a touch
here and thcre-critici-el the effect again,
Ben watching every move, and getting
more and more absorbed. Presently he
said
Say, Tom, let me whtewash little"
Tom considered; was about TO consent
but he altered his mind. No. no; | reckon
It wouldn't hardly do, Ben. You see Aunt
Polly's awful particular about this fence
right here on the street, you know-but II
it was the back fence wouldn't mind, and
she wouldn't. Yes, she's awful particular
about this fence; its got to be done very
careful | reckon there amt one boy in a
thousand, maybe two thousand, that can
do it in the way itS got to be done"
"No-is that so: Oh, come now; lemme
try. only Just a little. I'd let you, if you
was me, Tom"
Ben, Ia like to, honest injun; but Aunt
Polly-welI Jim wanted to do il, but she
wouldn't let him. Sid wanted to do it,
but She wouldn't let Sid. Now, don't you
see how am fixed: II you was o tackle
this fence and anything should happen to
it,
"Oh, shucks; I'll he just as careful.
core of my apple"
We'll, here. No, Ben; now don't; I'm
afeared"-
I'm give you all of it,"
Tom gave up the brush with reluctaIce
in his face, but alacrity in his heart. Aud
while Ben worked and sweated in the sun,
the retired artist sat on barrel IN the
shade close by, dangling his legs, MUNICH
ing his apple, aud planning the slaughter
of more innocents.
There was no lack of material; boys
happened along every little while; they
came 10 jeer, but remained to whltewash.
BY the time Ben was tagged out, Tom had
traded the next chance to Bill Fisher for
kite in good repair; and when he played
out Johnny Miller bought it for dead rat
and string to swing it with; and 50 on,
and 50 on, hour after hour. And when the
middle of the afternoon came, from being
poor, poyerty-stricken boy in the morn
ing, Tom was literally rolling in wealth.
He had besides the things mentioned,
twelve marbles, part of jewsharp, piece
of blue-bottle glass to look through, a
spool cannon, key that wouldn't unlock
anything, fragment OF chalk. glass
stopper of a decanter, tin soldier. a
couple sf tadpoles, six fire crackers, Kit
ten with only one eye, u brass door knob,
il dog collar-but no dog-the handle OF
knife. four pieces of orange peel and d.
! lapidated old window sash. He had had a
nice good, idle time, all the while-plenty
OF company-and the fence had three
| coats OF whitewash on it, If he hadn't
run out OF whitewash. he would have
| bankrupted every boy in the village.
Tom said to himself that it was not sucn
hollow world after all. He had discover.
ed a great law of human action without
! knowing it, namely, that in order to make
man or boy covet thing, it is only ne
| cessary to make the thing difficult to at
tain. If he had been a great and wise phi
losopher, like the writer OF this book, he
would now have comprehended that WORK
| consists of whatever a body Is not obliged
to do. And this would help him to under
stand why constructing artificial flowers,
or performing on treadmill, is work
whilst rolling ninepins or climbing Mott
| Blanc is only amusement. There are
wealthy gentlemen in England who drive
four-horse passenger coaches twenty OIL
thirty mileseD a daily line, in summer be-
cause the privilege costs them consdera
BILE money; but if they were offered wag-
es for the service. that would turn it int
work and then they would resign.
Has any one wronged you? Re brave