St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-08-26

promoted to Il fOremanship. Harry
Blake came home from college soon af-
ter, having graduated with the dignity
of ''secOnd dispute" as n quizzical
friend remarked, and settled at home,
to ''read law" he said, but in reality to
practice the flute, make water-colOr
sketches, and waste good deal of
time In desultory pursuits of various
kinds. He was sweet-tempered,
gentlemanly fellow, not strong in
health, and not at all fond of study !;
and Tom, who OvertOpped him by a
head, and with one muscular arm
could manage him like child. felt for
him the tender Difference which
strength often pays to weakness. 1t
was almost as if Harry had been a girl !;
but Tom never thought of it i'll that
light.
So matters went on till Towser was
twenty-one, and beginning to hope for
another rise in position, when sudden
ly great black cloud swooped down
on the Perrin Iron Works. | don't
mean a real cloud, but II cloud of trou-
bic. All the country felt its dark in
tiuence. Banks stopped payment,
merchants failed, stocks lost their real
| HO ollt huCN NlldJ OF WHO'LL 10
trust, and the wheels of industry every
where were at II standstill. Among
the rest the Perrin Company was fore
ed to suspend work and discharge its
hands. Tom was a trusted fellow, and
so much i'll the confidence of his EN-
plOyers as to know for some time be-
forehand of the change that was COM
ing. He stayed to the end to help
wind up books and put matters in or
der, and he and Mr.. Perrin were the
last persons to walk out of the big
door.
"Good-bye, Tom," said Mr.. Perrin,
as he turned the key i'll the heavy lock,
and stopped moment to shake hands.
'GOu've done well by us, and if things
are ever SO that we can take another
start, We'll do well by you in our turn"
They shook hands, and Tom walked
away with a months wages III his
pocket and no particular idea what to
do next. Was he dOwnhearted Not
at all. There was something some
where that he could do; that he was
sure of; and although he looked grave,
he whistled cheerily enough as he
marched along.
Suddenly turning Il corner, he ran
upon Harry Blake, walking in list
less, detected way, which at once
caught his attention.
what's up ?" replied Harry,
in a melancholy voice. "The TivertOn
Bank has gone to smash, with most of
our money in it ~
"YOur money ~
"My mothers. It's the same thing
exactly"
"Was it much ?" Is the bank gone
for good ?"
''Sure smash, they say, and seven
eights of all we had"
Tom gave IL whistle of dismay.
"Well, Harry, what next ~ he de-
manded. "IIave you thought of any
thing to do 2"
"No. What can | do ?" Harry's
voice sounded hopeless enough.
What could Harry do ? Tom, who
has never wasted Il nights sleep over
his own future, lay awake more than
once debating this question. Hard
times were hard times to him, as well
as to everybody else, but he had lit
tie money laid by ; his habits were
simple, and to pinch for a while cost
him small suffering besides, he could
|
poor Harry ? One plan after another
suggested itself and was proposed, but
each i'll turn proved failure. Harry
lacked bodily strength for one position,
for another he had not the requisite
training, still another was unsuited to
his taste, and n fourth sounded so "un-
genteep that his mother would not
listen to it. 1t would break her heart,
she said. Tom himself got temporary
place in a locomotive shop, which tided
him over the crisis, and enabled him to
lend Il helping hand, not to Harry only,
but to one or two other old comrades
whose families had lost everything and
were in extremity. But these small
aids were not enough. Permanent
situations were what were needed.
At last Harry obtained Il clerkship in a
drugstore. He disliked it, and his
mother hated it, but nothing better
offered, and it is to his credit that he
did the work well and diligently, and
only relieved his mind by private
grumblings to TOwser in the evenings.
"Fll tell you what" said Tom one
night, after listening to one of these
lamentations, ''you boys used to think
my father strict with me when we were
at school together, but I've come to
the conclusion that he was wise man.
Where should be now if I'd grown
up soft and easily hurt, like you
Giving knocks and taking knocks
that's what business mans life is,
and it's good thing to be toughened
for it. | used to feel hard to my father
about it, too, sometimes, but | thank
him heartily now"-and he held out
his brown, strong hand, and looked at
it curiOusly and affectionately. Well
he might. Those hands were keys to
pick Fortunes locks with-Only I'm
afraid TOwser's mind was hardly up to
such a notion.
''You're right" said Harry, after
thinking little, "and your father was
right. You're true grit, Towser-up to
any work that comes along, and sure to
succeed, while I'm as easily knocked
down as II girl. | only wish I'd had a
wise father and been tough, like you"
Harry has repeated this wish good
many times in the years that have
passed since then. Life has gone hard
| ly with him, business has always been
distasteful, but he has kept on steadily,
and his position has improved, thanks
to Toms advice and help. Tom him
self is a rich man now. He was long
since been taken in as partner by the
Perrin Company, which re-opened its
works the year after the panic, and is
doing an immense business. He makes
sharp and energetic manager, but his
Open-handedness and open -heartedness
grow with his growth, and prosperity
only furnishes wider opportunity for II
wise kindness to those who are less