Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-08-18
Wanted---A Boy.
w lv nj ~ 1900 '''''7N''

WbuNu---A BOys
WANTED boy TO run errands and make himself
w generally useful.
MIR. Peppergrass came out, with his cap
on the back Of his head and his spectacles
pushed high up GU his forehead, to wafer
this written notice on the side Of his store
And five minutes afterward Gt might have
been less or it might have more) crowd of
eager little lads assembled around it, stand
ing on tiptoe to read every word. Johnny
Jarvis had just been discharged from his
place as cash-boy in a dry goods store, be-
cause business was dull and customers few.
lie was fine, tall boy of twelve, with bright
black eyes and laughing mouth, and he
didn't at all like having nothing to do.
Charlie Warner wanted situation because
there were good many little Warmers, and
nothing to feed them with since their father
died. Louis Brown had been out of regular
employment ever since the china factory
closed in the fall.
1t was not long before Mr.. Peppergrass'
store was full of boys who wanted to " run
errands and make themselves generally use
tul" Big boys and little boys, tall boys
and short boys, well-dressed boys and shabby
boys-boys who leaned up against the flour
and potato barrels, as if they had left their
backbones at home; boys who stood straight
up-boys who took off their caps, and boys
who kept them on. Aud still they kept
coming.
"Hold on !" said Mr.. Peppergrass. "This
will do" So he took down the notice. and
bolted the store door.
snow, | will proceed to business" said
Mr.. Peppergrass, rumpling up his hair, and
adjusting his spectacles so as TO make his
keen gray eyes sharper than ever. A few
penetrating glances, half-a-dozen questions,
and the number of boys was speedily re-
duced to our three little friends-Johnny
Jarvis, Charlie Warner aud Louis Brown.
Humph humph - said Mr. Peppergrass,
with his hands locked under his coat.tails be-
mind. There's three of you, and can't find
work for three boysl"
The little lads said never word, but
looked eagerly at the grocer, each one hop
ing that he might be the boy selected to
run errands and make himself generally use
full" MIR. Peppergrass stared hard at the
spice-boxes and preserve-bottles in thewin-
dow, frowned at the cigar-boxes, and finally
made up his mind.
Brown |" said he.
"Sir !" said Louis Brown.
am try you on few sums. | want my
boy to understand the first principles Of
arithmetic
al am good at figures, sir !" cried Louis.
Are you :" said Mr.. Peppergrass. Every
we'll; IN give you trial"
| He wrote down labyrinth of figures on
| slate, and then opened the door of little
room which communicated with the store.
"Sit down here, Brown, and work out
these sums said he. am come to you in
few minutes" Johnny Jarvis and Charles
Warner looked blankly at each other, then
at the grocer.
| "Please, sir, what are we to do ?" said
they.
"You are to wait" said Mr.. Peppergrass,
shortly. "Your turns will come in due time"
| The sums were not especially hard, and
Louis Brown was quick at figures. He soon
dispatched his task, and began to look
around. 1t was a stuify close-smelling lit
tie room, with one window close up to the
ceiling, and curious, old-fashioned, book
case or desk, with glass doors, lined with
faded red-silk, in the corner.
al do wonder what Mr.. Peppergrass keeps
there 2" said Louis to himself and after he
had wondered little while, he got up and
went softly toward the desk. The key is
in the lock-" said he there can't be any
harm in looking. Perhaps there are story
books-or may be curious shells and stones
or -
As these thoughts crossed his mind he
opened the silk-lined door. Buzzzz-whew |
out flew beautiful pearl-colored dove.
Louis stood aghast. In vain were his efforts
to capture the little creature. 1t futtered
from the top of the book case to pile of
boxes beyond, and thence to the top mold
ing of the window, as if it enjoyed the
chase and in the midst of it all, in came
Mr.. Peppergrass.
"EhY What ?" said he, How did this
happenY"
"Please, sir" said Louis, hanging his
head, "the bird got out, and was trying to
catch it again"
SCOT out, did it'll" said Mr.. Peppergrass.
=" 1t must be very ingenious bird to be able
to open the desk from the outside You may
go, boy. I'm quite certain that you wont
suit me. l don't approve of meddlers,'
So saying, he opened a door which led di-
rectly out into the back street, and dismissed
poor Louis Brown without further ceremony.
"Now, Perlie," said he to the little dove
who perched on his shoulder at once, you
can go back to your nest. You have helped
me out of the difficulty this time. So he let
the little creature fly out into the yard, where
it belonged.
Charley Warner was the next one ushered
into the stuify smelling room. He, too,
speedily flushed his sums, and began to look
around him for something to occupy his at
tention.
"Oh, my What lot of boxes" said he,
"pied up one above another, like Tower
of Babel What can Mr.. Peppergrass keep
in all of them p
Charlie listened. No advancing footsteps
were near. He looked cautiously about
him, but he saw nothing, Then he rose
from his chair, and crept toward the mystic
rious pile of boxes. They were of all shapes,
rather small, and fitted with loose wooden
covers. Charlie lifted the lid of one. 1t
was full of English walnuts.
Hello |" thought Charlie. "Im in
luck Old Peppergrass will never miss two
or three of these" and he pocketed hand
fnl. The next box was full of beautiful
Malaga raisins. Charlie npped two OF
three bloomy, wrinkled fellows off the stem,
and ate them. lie was fond of raisins.
"What next?" he said, Juggling at the
cover of the third box, which seemed to fit
a little closer. All of sudden, however, it
flew off with jerk, filling the air with
Cayenne pepper, and setting poor Charlie Il
sneezng as if he meant to 81 eeze his head
off. Mr.. Peppergrsss hustled in. "Ah u
e,>A
in such hurry to examine my stock, young
man. haven't engaged you yet and
don't intend to-"
And poor Charlie sneaked away through
the back door, which Mr. Peppergrass held
politely open for him, feeling that his curl
osity had ruined his cause.
IL was some time before the Cayenne
pepper WAS sufficiently cleared from the at
mosphere for Johnny Jarvis TO take his
turn at the same decimal fractions, but h,
worked them patiently out, and then sal
looking round him, as the others had done
But he was too honorable to dream of med
ding lie heard mysterious rustlinl
behind the faded silk doors of the old book
case, where Mr.. Peppergrass had shut VI
his pet kitten, but he never thought of open
ing it to see what it all meant.
He saw glass jar of mixed candies oil
the mantel (sly Mr.. Peppergrass had countes
every one, besides covering it with dust,
lid, so that the least fnger-mark would have
been quite visible), but he sat there quit
still, until Mr.. Peppergrass bounced int
the room.
The old grocer looked at the candy jar, h
glanced at the unmolested boxes, and opeu
ing the desk, saw the kitten fast asleep IL