Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-09-10
Doing and Waiting.


Doing and Waiting.
Philip Lee walked slowly along one Of the
quiet roads leading out Of the great and
busy city. When he left home early in the
morning his heart was full Of courage and faith
that he should find something 10 do in the
city; he had been from one store to another,
into lawyers and doctors offices, into big
wholesale and retail stores, into stables-in
fact in every place where he thought there
might possibly be something for boy to
do. But nobody wanted him and worse
than all, many had made fun of his patched
pants and his old hat Still he had kept on
asking for work, even when he felt so dis
couraged that his voice trembled when he
tried to speak, until darkness began TO creep
on. He was cold and hungry. and he walked
home with heavy heart. When he went
into the house, his mother looked up pleas
antly and said:
"Well, Phil, what luck ?"
"Oh, no luck at all, mother !" and utterly
unable to control his feelings, he laid his
head on the table and sobbed as il his heart
would break. Philip was only fourteen
years old, and affairs at home were rather
discouraging just then. His father was
carpenter, and a steady, industrious man.
He had saved enough TO make the first pay
ment on a small house and garden, a few
miles from the city, and hoped by monthly
payments to finish buying it. But, in the
midst Of all, he fell from the staging of
house and broke his leg, besides injuring
himself internally. He had been confined
to the bed for weeks, and the doctor had
told him that it would be months before he
could stand. The week before, he had
taken the last ten dollars to meet the pay
ment on the house, aud where the next ten
was to come from he didn't know. He
grew very gloomy and discouraged. So
Phil determined to leave school, and see
what he could do, and the result OF his first
! days experience we have seen.
His mother let him cry awhile, for she
knew it would do him good. Then she
went up to him, aud smoothing his hair
away from his forehead, said
"Don't feel so badly, Phil, this is only
one day. Perhaps tomorrow you will have
splendid luck. Who knows. And there's
father, too, blue as he can be. Why If
'twasn't for that darling baby, laughing and
growing over there, | should want TO run
away. Pun not going to give up yet, If we
are out of money. don't believe God has
forgotten us, and ] guess he'll give us the
right kind of work by-and-by. | think we'd
all better do what is right before us, whether
It's little or big, and see what will come
next. As for me, I'll get supper, and you,
father, may shake the rattle to the baby-I
suppose YOU think that's small business,
don't you? Aud you, Phil, had better get in
| your wood and do up your chores. l guess
| we shall all feel better in the morning.
The next morning Phil announced his in
tention to go into the city and try again,
but his mother, with the wisdom and good
| Judgment which is born of such love and
| anxiety as hers, said:
| "No Phil, I'd rather you would stay at
home to-day, DEAR" and reckoning him to
follow her into the barnyard, where she was
going to feed the chickens, she told him his
| father got so much excited the day before,
watching for his return, and was so much
disappointed at his not getting work, that
! she didn't dare risk the chance of another
failure at present. She told him what the
! doctor said, that the most necessary thing OF
! all was 10 keep the fatners mind cheerful,
otherwise his recovery would be very slow,
and perhaps impossible.
"Yes, mother, l will. Aud mean to see
how much can get done on my trellises
might as well be painting them now as any
time
So off he scampered into the house, catch
ing up the baby and giving her loud smack
AS he passed through the kitchen, where she
lay kicking on the floor by the side of her
fathers couch.
"Now, father, am going into the trelis
business. | guess III paint those two
made last week. They'll dry first-rate in
this hot sun"
"Not very paying business" his father
gloomily remarked.
"No, sir, not very, Just now, but hope
shall soon get something that will pay, and
then these will be all done. Mother is al
the time telling me to do what | see before
me, and thought would try her way, and
see what will turn up. You see, father
there's nearly month before the next pay
ment is due, and perhaps fortune will come
to us before that time"
"a misfortune, | guess, if we have to
give this place up, as I've no doubt we
shall"
snow, father, that don't sound a bit like
you 10 be looking ON the dark side SC" sale
his wife, who was Just passing through the
room. 81 don't want to begin again THU
morning to preach, but can't help wonder
ing where all your faith has gone, that you
used to have such stock of when thing
were going on just to suit you. 1t seems t
me now is the time to hunt it up and use it,
"Yes, Mary, you are right. ought TO b.
more cheerful, but It's very hard to lie her
all day with hands folded and see you work
ing so hard, and nothing coming in."
"Of course it is, father. But you see tn,
Lord hasn't anything for your hands to d.
Just now, or feet either, as for that. Your
all seems to be inside work, but the othe
kind will come in the right time; perhap
sooner than you think. See how pretty tn
baby looks in that streak of sunshine doesn'
she ?"
"Ob, mother, don't know what SHOULD
do without you. There always seems to b
a streak of sunlight for you to see every
thing in"
Meanwhile Phil had gone into the garden
and seating himself on a log proceeded +
paint his trellses. He painted them TASTE
fully in green and white, and put them o.
the fence TO dry, and sat down to whittl
some sticks for more. just then a HAND
some carriage stopped, and lady called out
"Are your trellises for sale 7"
9 Philip advanced to the fence, and replied
81 didn't expect to sell them, but shout
n like to-"
Z "How much would you ask 2"
: "Well," said Phil, ia a hesitating voic'
e ado you think fifteen cents apiece would b
a too much I"
g "No indeed, not enough. | have bee
looking for such things in the city to-da.
but saw nothing so pretty and strong O
these. will gladly give you fifty cents fc
the two. But have you no moreY war
some small delicate ones, and some large
than these. Can you make them as nice 9
these 2"
ayes, ma'am, nicer. | should be glad t