River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-04-05
willing to do Anything.

IN vain LOT place III store.
1t had cost him fierce struggle to
leave the high school, where he had
been one of the best scholars, but his
mother was i'll, and he was her only
child, aid their little home was their
only possession; so that it seemed a
necessity, and he was willing to do
anything for her support.
Hoping for business in the opening
spring, he at length,in despair, set off
to try his fortune at peddling light
articles from door to door.
First he tried stationery ruled, plain,
embossed, pink, blue, green, tinted,
and white. But the ladies would not
either see him, or they had more sta
tionery than they wanted; and the SER
vantS-when he tried the lower doors
did not care to buy more than three
sheets of paper and three envelopes
out of three different packages. This
was failure.
Then he tried fancy arlicles-per-
fumery, cheap jewellery, fancy fans
and the like. But the people who had
plenty of money, ''did not buy such
things at the door," and others said
"the times were too hard to buy any,
thing but articles that are absolutely
needed
This business was not only unprofita-
BILE. but also most distaSteful to our
high-spirited young hero but he would
not sit still. He would try this till he
had found something better. He had
resolved to try.
0ne day, as irate Bridget, veXed at
the trouble he gave her by ringing
the bell, cried, mo we doesn't want
such trash. It'll nather save our
souls nor yet our bodies. G'lang wild
yer
"I'm sorry TO trouble you" said
the bright-eyed boy, with scarlet
cheeks.
This civllity softened Biddy's heart,
and smiling on him she cried, "Heaven
bless your bright eyes wish | had a
wash-tub full of money, and I'd throw
| it all away on yer trash to see yer
smile. This house is full and running
over with finger rings and fans, and
everything but rat p'isen Oh, dear
| lad my hearts Just broke entirely with
these same villains. They eat up my
| bread and cake, and last night when
! all was locked up that they ought to
| eat-if they were civilized creatures
|
waterfall, as ven see if We look on my
head-I havin' just left it down stairs
to rest my head. Faith I'd give hape
of my own mony to revinge myself on
them scoundrelS ~
"I'm very sorry with you, and when
I have rat poison to sell I'll call on
you," said Harry with smile. "Good
morning"
/ s.Hoo,,o,, lo,-o ,-o,,r 1,r;rht avoo -,
| Happy'S the woman We calls mother
| lost my boy, anu my hearts broke
after him - cried Bid1y, N plaintive
| tones.
Harry bowed, and the door closed
behind him.
When the young daughter of the
house went into the kitchen to give
some order flor the mother had re-
Gently died. she found her brave help
er in tears and heard the cause of her
woes.
so, dear heart, there's been such
jewel of lad here, sellin' jewelry,
fans, and like trash and spoke that
civil and looked that pitiful at me that
it's Just brought back my own bleSsid
Pat, as died in the 'ospital four years
agone, and would ha' been just like
him If he'd lived to this day. o, this
lad was just beauty of boy l wish
We could ha' seen him."
81 wish could, Biddy," replied the
young lady, ''but don't stop to cry
over him now. Next time he comes,
call me, and I'll buy brass ring and
chain of him. There's to be company
to-day, and came down to talk with
you about dinner.
Poor Harry trudged around for an
other week with his ''trash," as Biddy
called his merchandise, and hardly
made money enough to pay for the
wear of his boots. He was getting
heartily sick of the effort to keep busy
and earn little, till spring should
open.
One day his eye fell on an advertise
ment of an article for exterminating
Biddy's foes, and he struck out in
new line of business. He carried back
his ''trash," filed his leather bag with
bottles labelled, frat poison" and
sought her as his first patron, meaning
TO offer it only at poor looking houses.
One might have thought him Biddy's
long lost Pat come to life again, by the
JOY she manifested at seeing him. Her
JOY was increased when she heard
what was in the bag.
swat until | call my young lady y
she cried. "She promised she would
buy some jewelry when you'd come
again.
"No, don't call her please" said Har-
ry. Il have no jewelry to-day, and
don't want to see ladies. I'm calling
at lower doors now with rat poison.
"Well, then, let me run up for some
money, and We watch that nobody
steals the silver while I'm gone" And
she darted off as fast as her huge pro-
portions would allow, leaving strang-
er to guard the treasures of the dining
room.
Harry wished when he heard two
persons instead of one, coming down
that he could run off-this seemed such
a mean business. But sudden flight
would have made him seem thief. SO
he Strengthened himself up, and tried to
look very brave.
When the door opened, two young
faces flashed up,and each of them said,
"0h :"
The young lady was in the same
Sabbath School with him, she being
a teacher of a class of little boys, while
he was in Bible class of almost young
men. He knew her name, also what
her fathers business was, and he al
WAYS received a smile and bow from
her when they met at sociables and
picnics.
"Oh, you are not the one that Biddy
called me down to see :" she asked in
surprise.
"Yes, ma am; | am sorry to say am.
l had no idea of meeting any one /
knew, although, of course, | need not
be ashamed of trying to help my moth
er, and
We need not wonder if the high
nr,i tod lad chnlrad and found If hard