The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1880-02-05
SEEKING HIS FORTUNE.
A story for Boys.

A Story for Boys.
A boy sat whistling on a fence. He
was a lad of y years, and worked at all
sorts of odd chores on the river farm,
which sent most of its produce down to
the city on the barges which one sees on
the Hudson River, headed by little
steam tugs, and which are COM
monty called g flows" This boy,
Tom Van Wyck, was poor
boy, and worked hard; he did not much
care for the beautiful hills which en-
comprised the winding, cleaning river,
nor the fair and fertile fields beyond,
! but he had an adventurous and daring
| spirit, which Just now was working up
/ in the manner of yeast when it is push
! ing its way through the mass of I'M
/ baked bread. All sorts of bubbles were
| bothering his brain, and foremost was
the wish to leave his country home, and
go to the great city of which he had
| heard so much, but about which he
knew little. Aunt Maria, he was sure,
would never say % yes - to his project.
| She looked upon the city as a great den
of thieves, and she did not want Tom to
/ go there; but he was tired of being n
farm hand, and thought it would be fine
/ to stand behind a counter, to wear kid
! gloves on a Sunday, to be able to buy
| good brOadcloth and shining boots-in-
deed, with one bound to be merchant
prince whose grandeur should be the
town talk.
He had not very clear ideas as to how
all this was to be attained, but he knew
he could work hard he had read how
many poor boy had struggled up to
fame, and he meant to try, anyhow.
A3d now, as he sat on the fence
whistling, he WIS considering plan of
action. There was no use in being too
tender-hearted. He would have to leave
Aunt Maria without asking permission.
True, the little red house by the hill was
a snug little home, and his aunt tOiled
hard to make it so; but would he not
come home to her with silks and dia-
monds which should so outshine her
best alpaca that it would only do for
common use? Often down at the dock
he had talked with the men on the boats,
but he knew none of them other than as
Jack and Bill. His proposed plan was
to leave some night quietly, get on a
barge, go to the city, and secure work {;
then write home to Aunt Maria, and
make his peace with her. Perhaps if
Aunt Maria had known all these
thoughts, she might have been less
harsh when Tom scolded about farm
work, and called it drudgery; but she
had a scornful way of shifting at him
and his ideas, which made Tom more
and more close and reserved. On
this very day, when the mOmentous
, project was ripening, she had said
he was lazy, that g rolling stone gath
cred no moss" that the ''bOy was
father to the man." and that if all he
: could do was to whistle and white, he
, had better go over to Squire Green S
, and help them shuck their corn.
"Shuck corn! In a weeks or q
months time he'd show her what he
could do
1t was clear October night, calm and
f beautiful, and Tom rose softly, tied his
? best suit up in a bundle with a couple Of
shirts, took off his shoes-he had moi
undressed-slipped down stairs, I'M
] fastened the door, which, however, wa;
, only latched, and crept out into the
2 moonlight. He paused to count the few
> silver pieces in his little well-wOrn purse
took one long look at the red house
and especially at the window where
little James yellow head was often
t est to be senior Aunt Ma
ria was mother as well a.
I aunt to these two motherless children
f and away he went. If he had am
e qualms of conscience, they were sOO1
, forgotten in the excitement of the mo
7 ment. The walk was not long one t.
Z the riverside, and he had made RICH
t guess as to the time the night boa
> would land. One by one sleepy heaC
; appeared from the sheds as the boa
I neared the wharf, but despite the moon
2 light, no one noticed him particularly a
e he slipped stealthiiy on board, and t.
f his great relief the truck was soon ship
ped, the gang-plank drawn up, and thu
: steamboat making its white furrov
f through the sparkling water. He wa
too wide awake now to think of sleeping
: and after paying his fare, sat down t
- watch the progress of the boat. By-and
by the moon sank, and it was dark; the
chilly dawn soon came, and then long
rows of sparkling lights appeared; the
tall spires of the town; the masts of the
r shipping; the fitting ferry-bOats, eacl
2 with its green or scarlet blaze of Ian
: tern; rows of house tops; docks
wharves; fiag-staffs sheds. This, then
! was the great city of his hopes.
r Now there was a stirring and calling
a rush of men to the work of unloading
a heaving of ropes, winding of cables
: shouts, curses, the rafting of carts or
5 the piers, the tinkle of bells on the cars
the roar of escaping steam, the scream
! =
bage and bilge-water. He watched the
, men at their work, he saw the passen
, gers come out, with sleepy eyes and sod
den faces, and taken their departure
: He too must gO-but where? He wan
dered off the pier in a maze. Where
! should he 90? what should he do in al
r this crowd of strange faces? He wa:
5 hungry, and stopped at an apple-stand
where a woman in a huge cap and plato
e shawl sold him an apple and mOlasse:
} cake. He asked her if she knew where
' he could get work.
: @ Shure an don't. 1t is hard enough
to find it for my boy Jim, lettin' alone
= strangers.
f He went up to man pitching boxes
f on a cart, and asked him the same ques
= ton.
s g Be off, now! none of your nonsense
= with me-" was the reply.
:, To dozen he spoke, and with little
: variety in the replies
This was somewhat disheartening
e but of course he could not expect sue
e cess at once. He must keep up a stOu
e heart, so on he walked. 1t was a fine
; clear morning, but the air seemed t.
\ him heavy with bad odOrs, and he haC
T never seen such filth as lay in the streets
a before him. The children looked wal
5 and wizened and old, the grown peopl,
f cross and carewOrn; but by-and-by th'