Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-11-12

A few hours later Fred's room
mate, Harold Reynolds, called around.
After half hours talk on class mat
tiers, Harold remarked rather shyly:
"Chum told me you mended his shoes
to-day. Can't you fix mine?''
''I'll do the best | can,'' was Nor
ris' answer.
He did better job this time, and
thought he might reasonably ask pay
for it. AS he had no idea what to ask
he visited one of the city cobblers
and learned his prices for the various
kinds of work. Then putting his fig
ures little below these, he was pre-
pared to set price when Harold
called for the shoes. Harold showed
his shoes to one of the other students,
he in turn told another what Morris
was doing, and soon Morris was
flooded with work.
To meet the demands upon him,
Morris wrote to his father for more
tools, lasts of all sizes and suitable
leather, adding :: 81 won't say anOth
er word against the old trade nor be
ashamed of it as long as it is not
ashamed of me. 1t seems likel y to
do me good turn this time"
Morris looked with delight and
trembling at his increasing trade
with delight because the money thus
saved was much needed, with trem-
bling because he feared that each
day his working in one of the college
rooms would be discovered by some
of the faculty and he be compelled to
stop. His uneasiness was increased
when he learned that some of those
coming near him were wondering at
the strange rappings heard so much
of late. Could the president hear it
in his room on the next floor? He
worked as cautiously as possible.
''Why don't you put a notice on
the bulletin board?" Fred Thomas
asked one night when he dropped in
and found Morris at work. Il pre-
sumo there are hundred fellows who
would be glad to give you their work
if they knew you wanted it.
''Pve thought about that" Morris
replied, sin fact, | have written
two or three and thrown them into
the waste basket. 1t frightened me
to look at them Think of them post
ed alongside of Books to SELL and
Lecture on Greek Art at Three
o'clock.
"Don't be too sensitive, Morris.
Let me see what | can do and TAX
ing a pen, Fred soon drew a boot
and shoe and wrote underneath
"Boots and Shoes Repaired at No.
-, East Wing"
"How is that? | call it neat"
eyes, it is" Morris said, land I'll
think about. 1t seems as is a cob
bler's bench were out of plabe in
these classic halls
"Fie on classic halls. l would
rather work on cobbler's bench than
to 90 out and teach or to owe a thou
sand dollars when l graduate.
'sWell, l think | would, especially
as | am quick at tools, If | knew
what Prex and the faculty think, I'd
like it,
just then came a tap at the door.
Imagine his feelings when on opening
it he discovered Prof. Newton with
pair Of shoes in his hand. When the
professor hadgone, Fred laughed.
"Your question was answered al
most before you asked i. / hope
YOU won't be so scared after this
The next day Morris card appear
ed on the bulletin board. The fac
ulty gave him their approval and pat
ronage. The students were glad to
find q cObbler so near. Soon Morris
was earning from five to seven dol
lars every Saturday. 1t meant hard
work. Morris often worked long af-
ter college was silent and the clock
hands were creeping up to twelve. 1t
meant self-denial. Many time he
begged away in full view of an eX-
citing game of ball. 1t meant ridi-
cule, too, for often as he passed
group of half-grown boys on the
street he was hailed with the cry,
ssCodfish Goldfish College cobbler y
Nevertheless, Morris worked on, and
was thankful.
1t will be impossible to follow Nor
ris through all the scenes of his col
lege course. He stood we'll in his
classes, and was respected both by
students and faculty. Three times
country homestead by reports of
prizes he had won in literary contests.
All this time the hammer, awl and
lap-stone had been his constant com
panions, land by their aid he had we'll
nigh paid his way.
AS Commencement day drew near,
Morris found that it would require
two hundred dollars more to complete
his course. He hoped to obtain as
sistance through the college benevo-
lent society and interviewed the pres
ident for that purpose. The funds
were exhausted. Had Morris no
wealthy relative of whom he could
| borrow? Must he give up just as the
end was almost reached?
For weeks he thought and prayed
for help and guidance; yet no ans
wer.