Milford chronicle., 1883-06-15
AS GOOD AS HIS WORD.

i. AS GOOD AS HIS WORD
r In these United STATES it is not of rar
occurrence for an intelligent Young ma
to imagine that fortune awaits hin
; somewhere in the West, to spend his las
dollar in search of it, and at last to fin,
himself hungry, penniless and withcu
any definite impression as to where hi,
next meal, to say nothing of later ones
Is to come tOm; nevertheless the fire.
quency of the experience does not make
the problem of life any easier to those
,. who have allowed their enthusiasm TO
run away with their sense. Master
Milton Riseley, born in New Hampshire.
one day found himself alone, tired. and
without penny in his pocket, and as
the discovery was made at Battsborough.
in the southern part of Indiana. and
thousand miles from his home, Master
Milton felt equal to almost any desper-
ate deed. He had tried to become an
iron founder in PENNSYLVANIA, pork
packer at Cincinnati, and to teach Ken
tucklans how to train the horses of the
Blue Grass" region, but he found that
men of as much more sense and more
capital had arrived long ago before him,
so he had toned down his aspirations
until he was willing even to teach school.
But all schools were provided with
teachers at the late period of autumn in |
which he came to this heroic resolution.
and as he entered Battsborough. on foot.
he endeavored to select wheat-stack
IN which he might pass the night with
out going through the formality of pay
ing for bed He still hoped to find
employment, but he had been disap
pointed often enough to have rid him
self of the weakness of discounting
the future and having his confidence
abused.
As he passed slowly through the prin-
cipal street he felt satisfied that Bats
borough was an unpromising place.
there were dozen stores on the two sides
Of the most closely built portion of the
road, but nearly all of them were closed.
for the town clock had struck six, and it
was the custom of Battsborough mer-
chants to lock their doors and go to sup
per between six and seven. Young Mil I
on had seen a wheat stack that was
'agged enough ut the bottom to promise P
comfortable couch, but to get a supper 81
rom the same stack would require more II
abor than at that hour the young man II
cit equal to. Suddenly he found him Al
elf in front of a store which was W
till open, and in the doorway sat Sc
he proprietor. Much practice had W
lade Milton reckless, so he addressed m
he solitary figure with the question. tn
sked a hundred times before: a
Do you want a clerk, sir?-a one re
-ho is willing to work hard ?" ne
The proprietor Strengthened himself its
owly, looked at the questioner, twitched en-
grim smile into his face, and replied: FL
" Do 1? Yes; oh, yes; of course [ do. wa
ut there is one reason why 1 can't have do
I'M. - Gle
." What is that?" asked the young de
an. on
" Oh, nothing extraordinary, I sup di,
'se. It's only that I couldn't afford to TO
" him. The business wouldn't stand
" But suppose he were to increase the 10
siness, suggested Milton. W"
The proprietor again smiled grimlv w"
d replied, " business doesn't increase my
Battsborough; this is the deadest town ior
this part of the State. We thought doi
were going to have railroad but it
ssed us. wei
q Salary won't senarote Nc ifTcon J., trol
any use to you, said the youth. Then.
'mpted by bis digestive organs and the
weary feet, he continued: " I'll work 9th,
my board until you see whether / it.
you. You may write to my native g
n about me to see if I'm honest. Just my
V, I'm very poor, and any man who find
give me anything to do may count you
me for honesty and hard work. You'll 9.
me as good as my word. " 'Bu
he proprietor, who had looked more ask
he wooden sidewalk than at Milton. gooC
red the young man with a long stare, that
ch, when returned, as seemed neces- stea'
{, enabled Milton to see that the man gone
whom he was willing to work hard Talk
be honest had a weak face and minC
le expression. The proprietor finally isn't
are
You may try it, if you want to, for stant
won't find much in it. 1 tell you shell
n that this is the deadest town - frigl