News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-09-13
The Old Scrap-BOx.

Mr. Peters, a somewhat eccentric old
merchant, stuck up a notice in window
OF ms store thatthere was a "bOy wanted,
anu the card remained there a great
while before he got the boy he was after.
john Simmons, and Charley Jones, and
one or two beside, We're taken for few
days, but none of them stood trial
MT. Peters had peculiar way of trying
them. There was a huge, long box in
the attic full OF old nails and screws, and
miscellaneous bits of rusty hardware,
and when new boy came, the old gen
tleman presently found occasion to send
him up there to set the box to rights,
and Judged the quality of the boy by the
way he managed the work. All puttered
over 1t more or less, but soon gave it up
III disgust, and reported that there was
nothing there worth saving.
At last Crawford Mills was hired. He
knew none of the other BOYS, and so did
his errands III blissful ignorance of the
''long box" until the second morning of
his stay, when in leisure hour he was
sent to put it III order. The morning
passed, dmner-time came, and still Craw-
ford had not appeared from he attic.
At last Mr.. Peters called him. ''Got
through %
mo, sir; there is ever so much more
to do"
CAL right; it is dinner time now; you
may go back to it after dinner"
After dinner back he went; all the
short afternoon he was not heard from.
but just as Mr.. Peters was deciding to
call him again, he appeared.
Give done my best, sir" he said,
"and down at the very bottom of the
box [ found this" This" was a five
dollar gold piece.
CHATS queer place for gold" said
Mr.. Peters. cts good you found it :;
well, sir, [ suppose you Will be on hand
tomorrow morning ?" This he said,
putting the goldpiece in his pocket
| book.
After Crawford had said goodnight
and gone, Mr.. E-<Ess took the lantern
and went SLOWLY up the attic stairs.
There was the long deep box in which
the rubbish of twenty-five years had
gathered. Crawford had evidently been
to the bottom of it; he had fitted in
| pieces of shingIe to make compartments.
and i'll the different tills he had placed
the articles with bits of single laid on
Top IaDeIlcu InuS - GOOD screws. ."
''Pretty good nails" "Picture nails. -
''Small keys somewhat bent" picture
hooks" pieces Of iron, whose use [
don't know" So on through the long
box. In perfect order it was at last, and
very little that could really be called
useful was to be found within it. But
Mr.. Peters, as he read the labels, laughed
and said, eff we are not both mistaken,
have found boy, and he has found a
fortune"
Sure enough, the sign disappeared
from the window and was seen no more.
Crawford became the weIl-known er-
rand-boy of the firm of Peters & Co.
He had little room neatly fitted ND.
next to the attic, where he spent his
evenings, and at the foot of the bed hung
q motto which Mr.. Peters gave him,
cit tells your fortune for you, don't for
get it, he said when he handed it to
Crawford; and the boy laughed and read
it cUriOusly. He that is faithful in that
which Is least, is faithful also in much. ,"
All this happened years ago. Craw-
ford Mills is an errand boy no more, but
the. firm is Peters, Mills & Goa Young
man and a rich man.