Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1884-08-15
DSTOWN JEFFERSON COUNTY VIRGINIA. FRIDAY AUGUST 1884


his attention. However, he tumbled over
the things, growing al! the time, picked
out few straight nails, a key or two, and
| finally appeared with this message:
"Here's all there is worth keeping in that
! box. The rest OF the nails are rusty and
the hooks are bent or something"
every well" said Mr.. Peters, anu sent
him to the post-oilice. 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.
"I'ye no kind OF a notion why was
discharged" grumbled Charlie to his
mother. Gle said lie had no fault to find,
only he saw that I wouldn't suit. It's
my opinion that he doesn't want a boy at
all and takes that way to cheat. Mean
old fellow"
1t was Crawford Mills who was hired
next. lie knew neither OF the other boys,
and so d;d his errands in blissful igno-
rance of the "long box" until the second
morning of his stay, when in leisure
hour he was sent to put 1t in order. The
morning passed, dinne- time came and
still Crawford had not appeared from the
attic. At last Mr. Peters called him, Got
through"
"No, sir; there's ever so much more 10
do"
"All right. It's dinner time now; you
may 90 back 10 It after dinner" After
dinner back he went. All the short after
noon lie was not heard from, but, just as
Mr.. Peters was deciding to call him again,
he appeared.
"I've done my best, sir" he said, "and
down at the bottom OF tho box J found
this"
"rhis" was a fiYe-dOilar gold piece.
CHATS queer place for gold" said Mr..
Peters. cts good thing you found it.
Well, sir, l suppose you will be OIL hand
tomorrow mornng?" This ho said a3 he
was putting the gold piece in his pocket
book. After Crawford had said good
night and gone, Mr.. Peters took The lam
tern and went slowly up the attic stairs.
There was the long, deep box IN which
the rubbish OF twenty-five years had gath
cred. Crawford had evidently been 10 the
bottom of it. He haG fitted pieces Of shin
gle to make compartments, and IN these
different rooms he had placed the articles,
with bits Of shinglc laid on top, and label
ed thus: GOOD screws" " "Picture nails"
"Small keys, somewhat bent" "Picture
hooks" "Picces of iron whose use don't
know" So on through the long box. In
perfect order il was at last, and very little
that could really be called useful could he
found within it. But Mr.. Peters, as he
bent over and read the labels, laughed
gleefuIly, and murmured 10 the mice: "lt
we are not both mistaken, hsye found 4
boy, and he has found fortune"
Sure enough. The sign disappeared
from the window and was seen no more.
Crawford became the well-knOwn crrand
boy OF the firm of Peters & Co. lie had
little room neatly fitted up, next to the
attic, where he spent his evenings, and ut
the foot Of the bed hung a motto which
Mr.. Peters gave him. at tells your for
tune for you, don: forget it," he said,
when he handed it 20 Crawford; and the
boy laughed and read 1t curiously: "Hc
that IS faithful in that which is least Is
faithful in much." "I'll try to be, sir"
he said, and he never once thought of the
long box over which he had been faithful.
Ali this happened years ago. Crawford
Mills Is errand boy no more, but tho firm
is Peters, Mills & Co.. y young man and
a rich one. "IIo found his fortune in
long box Of rubbish" Mr. Peters said
once, laughing. "Nevcr was a flve-dol-
lar gold piece so successful in business ne
that one OF his has been; Il is good he
found it,"
"Then, after a moment Of silence, he
said gravcly: "No, he didn't; he found it
in his mothers Bi5le-'lIc that Is faithful
in that which is least is faithful also in
much.'"