Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-12-27
I" Boy Wanted"

Boy wanted"
People laughed when they saw the sign
again. 1t seemed to be always in Mr.. Pc
ters' window. For day or two, sometimes
for only an hour or two it would be missing,
and passers-bye would wonder whether Mr..
Peters had at last found boy to suit him
but sooner or later, it was sure to appear
again.
"What sort Of boy does he want, any
way ?" one and another would ask, and
then they would say to each other that they
supposed he was looking for perfect boy,
and in their opinion he would look good
while before he found one. Not that there
were not plenty Of boys-as many as a
dozen used sometimes to appear In the course
Of morning, trying for the situation. Mr..
Peters was said TO be rich and queer, and
for one or both of these reasons, boys were
very anxious to try TO suit him. All he
wants 10 fellow TO run of errands it must
be easy work and sure pay" This was the
way they talked to each other. But MIR.
Peters wanted more than boy to run of
errands. John Simmons found that out,
and this was the way he did it. He had
been engaged that very morning, and had
been kept busy all the forenoon, at pleasant
enough work, and although he was lazy
fellow, he rather enjoyed the place. 1t was
toward the middle Of the afternoon that he
was sent up to the attic, dark, dingy place,
inhabited by mice and cobwebs.
"You will find long, deep box there"
said Mr.. Peters, "that want to have put
in order. 1t stands right in the middle of
the room, you can't miss it,"
John looked doleful GA long, deep box,
should think it was " he told himself, as
the attic door closed after him. 4" 1t would
| weigh most ton, guess and what is there
| in it Nothing in the world but old nails.
| and screws, and pieces of iron and broken
keys and things; rubbish, the whole Of it !
| Nothing worth touching, and it is as dark
| as pocket up here, and cold besides; how
the wind blows in through those knot-holesl
There's mouse If there is anything that
hate, it's mice III tell you what it is, if
old Peters thinks Pm going to stay up here
and tumble over his rusty nails, he's much
mistaken. | wasn't hired for that kind of
work."
Whereupon John bounced down the attic
stairs, three at time, and was found loung-
ing in the show window, half an hour after
ward, when Mr.. Peters appeared.
Have you put that box in order al
ready }" was the gentleman's question.
al didn't find anything to put in order !;
there was nothing it but nails and things"
Exactly it was the nails and things
that | wanted put in order did you do it 2"
NO. sir, it was dark up there, and cold !;
and didn't see anything worth doing; be-
sides thought / was hired to run of err
rands."
"Oh," said Mr.. Peters, al thought you
were hired to do as you were told" But he
smiled pleasantly enough, and at once gave
John an errand to do down town, and the
boy went off chuckling, declaring to him
self that he knew how to manage the old
fellow all it needed was little standing
up for your rights.
| Precisely at six o'clock John was called
and paid the sum promised him for days
work, and then, to his dismay he was told
that his services would not be needed any
more. He asked no questions; indeed, he
had time for none, as Mr.. Peters immedi-
ately closed the door.
The next morning the old sign Boy
Wanted" appeared in its usual place.
Before noon it was taken down, and Char.
lie Jones was the fortunate boy. Errands,
plenty of them; he was kept busy until
within an hour of closing. Then, behold
he was sent to the attic to put the long box
in order. He was not afraid of mouse,
nor of the cold, but he grumbed much over
that box nothing in it worth his attention.
However, he tumbled over the things, growl-
ing all the time, picked out few straight
nails, a key or two, and finally appeared
worth keeping in that old box the rest OF
the nails are rusty, and the hooks are bent
or something"
"Very WELL" said Mr.. Peters, and sent
him to the post-ofice. What do you think
by the close of the next day, Charlie had
been paid and discharged, and the old sign
hung in the window.
"Ive no kind of notion why was dis
charged" grumbled Charlie to his mother
she said he had no fault to find, only he
saw that wouldn't suit. It's my opinion
that he doesn't want boy at all, and take.
that way to cheat. Mean old fellow p
1t was Crawford Mills who was hiret
next. He knew neither of the other boys
and so did his errands in blissful ignorance
of the long box" until the second morn
ing of his stay, when in leisure hour h,
was sent to put it in order. The morning
passed, dinner-time came, aud still Craw
ford bad not appeared from the attic. A
last Mr.. Peters call him. SCOT through 2"
"No, sir; there is ever so much more u
do"
"All right it is dinner-time now; you
may go back to it after dinner" Afte
dinner back he went; all the short after
noon he was not heard from, but just as MIR
Peters was deciding to call him again, h
appeared.
ave done my best, sir" he said, " ant
down at the very bottom of the box | foun'
this" "This was five dollar gold piece
"That's queer place for gold" said MI
Peters. "lt's good you found it; well, sir
suppose you will be on hand tomorrow
morning 2" This he said as he was putting
the gold piece in his pocket book. Afte
Crawford had said goodnight and gone
Mr.. Peters took the lantern and went slowl.
up the attic stairs. There was the long
deep box in which the rubbish of twenty
five years had gathered. Crawford had evi
IDENTIFY been TO the bottom of it; he ha'
fitted pieces of shingle to make compart
ments, and in these different rooms he ha,
placed the articles, with bits of single lai'
on top and labelled thus Good screws.
"Picture nails" "Small keys, somewha
bent" "Picture hooks" "Pieces of irol
whose use don't know" So on through
the long box. In perfect order it was a
last, and very little that could really b
called useful could be found within it. Bu
Mr.. Peters, as he bent over and read tn
labels, laughed geefully and murmured b
|
have found boy, and he has found for
tune"
Sure enough the sign disappeared frou
the window, and was seen no more. Craw
ford became the well-known errand boy o
the firm of Peters & Co. He had it'll
room neatly fitted up, next to the attic
where he spent his evenings, and at the foo
of the bed hung motto which Mr.. Peter
gave him. 1t tells your fortune for you
don't forget it," he said when he handed ii
to Crawford; and the boy laughed and rea
it curiously " lie that is faithful in tina
which is least, is faithful also in much.
am try TO be, sir" he said and he neve
once thought of the long box over which
had been faithful.
All this happened years ago. Crawfor
Mills is errand boy no more, but tn
firm is Peters, Mills & Co. A youn
man and rich man. I" He found his fo
7 tune in long box full of rubbish" Nj
Peters said once, laughing. "Never was
l five dollar gold piece 80 successful in bus
ness as that one of his has been it is goo
. he found it," Then after moment OF s
lence he said gravely "No, he didn't h
| =. l., L.; Il .