Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-02-28
The Borrowing SchoOl-bOy.

The boys were out on the playground
one day when man came along with pen
ellis to sell. They were a very good sort Of
pencil, with knife-blade attachment, an
eraser, and several other combinations, which
looked very handy to the boys.
Ned Archer bought one, as he always had
plenty of money, and Charley Frazer took
his last quarter for the purpose. Louis
Mead hesitated little, but concluded he did
not need it, as he had plenty of pencils, SO
he declined to purchase.
"Lend me a quarter, Ned ?" asked VIII
Pine, in great hurry, :" do want one OF
those pencils so bad and I'm all out OF
money" viii generally was out.
Ned handed out the quarter, and Will was
in great delight over his new possession all
the forenoon. He tried it in all its points,
over and over again, and fully tested them
all, much to his satisfaction. 1t was nearly
noon before he was satisfied TO let it rest
awhile in his pocket. As he was sitting at
his desk in the afternoon, he began to have
a little misgiving as to how that quarter was
to be paid. He had very few of them to
spend on common occasions, as his parents
found it pretty hard work to pay his regu-
lar bills Then he thought, with twinge
of conscience, that he had not yet paid NJ
the twenty cents he borrowed of James,
81 wish had not bought the old thing,
be thought, impatiently. 81 had enough
pencils. | wish | could sell it to some OF
the BOYS"
But he could not. All had bought of the
man who cared to invest. He even offered
it for twenty cents, so he could pay "
James, but was not successful in making q
trade. Those two debts worried him con
stantly, because he saw no means of pay
ment any more than he would if they had
been twenty aud twenty-five dollars.
"Then | owe five cents to Bob for candy
| bought down town one day-ffty cents il
all, and should like to know how | am evel
to pay it,"
There was but one resource, the old one
of borrowing. He button-holed one of tn,
day scholars, and prevailed on him to lenC
him quarter, as they We're walking along
down to the postofilce after school.
al will pay the five and the twenty witt
that" he thought, quite restored to gooc
spirits. He almost felt that he had earned
quarter. 1t was such a satisfaction t.
have little money in his possession onc'
more, he congratulated himself as he walked
along on his good luck.
Just then his companion babe him good
night, and Willie walked OH alone. A beau
tiful toy-shop, brilliantly fitted up for tn,
holidays, attracted him for a long time.
tempting display of sweets in one window
drew him almost unconsciously inside anc
almost before he knew it, fifteen cents wer
gone, and he was walking along munchinl
a paper of cream chocolates.
81 can't pay James anyway, now" h
thought, " so I'll Just have a few soft-shellet
almonds ! never do have any of thos
things hardly, and other boys can get thei
pockets full" and he felt himself rathe
hardly used by the world generally vii
ought to have gone on the plan of youn,
man who called at a post-offce to get
money order to send to certain place. ii
wished it addressed to himself at that dis
tant city.
"Why don't you take it yourself, if 70,
are going there 2" he was asked.
"That is Just it," he said. If take i
with me, | shall not have it When ! ge
there, If send it, can draw it out to us
after ] arrive"
As viii had found out how Enthusiastically
he was in money matters, he should hav
taken pains to circumvent himself, and plac
it out OF his power to spend money, partcu
larly when it was not his own to spend.
ms borrowing went on all through Tn
term, keeping him in metaphorical " no
water about his payments, until at last h
sold out his pretty writing-desk, gift fror
his aunt, and paid off his scores. He fel
bad enough to lose his desk. He knew hi
folks would not like it but the ease Q
mind it gave him, with regard to these littl
borrowed sums, was a luxury.
He ought to have profted by the lessor
but he did not. He became known as tn
" borrowing young man." and many peopl
would go around block to avoid meetin
him. lie was almost sure to ask for littl
loan, so small they could not well refus'
though it was likely to be rather permit
nent investment.
viii was employed in a store, and gene
ally locked up at night. One evening, whe
exceedingly pressed for money, he borrowe
little from the drawer intending to pay
back before it was missed. People Away
do intend that But he did not, and tn
sum did not seem to be missed, so he bo
rowed again. O, how easy it is to go dow
hill The end of il all was felon's eel
and term of years out of the best porto
of his life spent in state prison.-Presbyterid'