The Press., 1889-07-18
A TRUE ssBOY sTORY..

That was what lawyer said of this story that am to relate to you:
 s.It is the best boy's story ever heard. "
 ssWe have had good many boys with us from time to time" said MT. Alden, the senior member of large hardware establishment in Market street, Phila- delphia, ''as apprentices to learn the busi ness. What may surprise you is that we never take country boys unless they live in the city with some relative who takes care of them at night, for when country boy comes to the city to live everything IS new to him, and he is attracted by every show window and unusual sight The city boy who is accustomed to these things cares little for them, and if he has good mother, he is at home and in bed in due season. And we are very particular about our boys-and before accepting one as an apprentice we must know that he comes of honest and industrious parents.
 "But the best boy we ever had is now with us, and member of the firm. He is the one man in the establishment that we couldn't do without. He was thirteen years old when he was apprenticed to us, and he was with us for eleven years, acting for several years as salesman. When he first came we told him that for long time his wages would be very small, but that if he proved to be good boy his salary would be increased at certain rate every year, and as it turned out, when according to agreement we should have been paying him $500 year, we paid him $9OO, and he never said word himself about an in- crease of salary. From the very outset he showed that he had an interest in the busi- ness. He was prompt in the morning, and if kept little overtime at night, it never seemed to make any difference with him. He gradually came to know where every thing was to be found, and if information was wanted, it was to this boy, Frank Jones, that every one applied. The entire establishment seemed to be mapped out in his head, and everything in it catalogued and numbered. His memory of faces was equally remarkable. He knew the name of every man who came to the store to buy goods, swhat he bought, and where he came from. I used to say to him, Jones, your memory is worth more than gold mine How do you manage to remember?' ss1 make it my business to remember, he would say. I know if can remember man and call him by name when he comes into the store, and can ask him how things are going on where he lives, I will be likely to keep him as customer huO bAdb Wd0 04O OAtNCb Ctl60. h0 u6uO friends of buyers. He took the same in- terest in their purchases as he took in the store, and would go to no end of trouble erything he promised.
 "Well, affairs went on in this way until he had been with us for eleven years, when we concluded to take him into the firm as partner. We knew that he had no extravagant habits, that he neither used tobacco nor beer, nor went to the theater. He continued as at the beginning to board at home, and even when his salary was the very lowest he paid his mother $2 g week for his board. He was always neatly dressed, and we thought it was probable that he had laid up $1, ,OOO or $2, 900, at his salary for the last two years had beer $1 200. So when we made him the offel to become partner in the business, anc suggested that it would be more satisfac tory if he could put some money into tho firm, he replied
 #" If $10,000 will be any object car put in that much. Ihave saved out of my salary $9, 400, and my sister will let m' have $6O0.' s-...
 'sI can tell you that was never mor' astonished in my life than when that fel low said he could put in $1U,OO0, and tn, most of it his own money. He had neve spent dollar, or twenty five cents, for al unnecessary thing, and had kept his mon ey in bank where it gathered small inter lest. I am great believer in the Bible you know, and always kept two placard in big letters up in the store. One wa Ithis text: He that is faithful in tha which is least, is faithful also in that whicl is much ; and on the other: He that diligent in business, shall stand befor
 kings and not before men, And Fran
 Jones success was the literal fulfillment c
 those two texts. He had been faithful i
 the smallest things as in the greater ones and dilgent in business. That kind of
 boy always succeeds" concluded Mir. Al
 den.
 A small boy of ten, who had listened t the story with eager eyes, as we'll as earl said {:
 , "But we don't have any kings in thi country, MT. Alden, for diligent boys t ] stand before p
 'Yes, we do, laughed Mir. Alden. "W
 have more kings here than in any othe
 country in the world. Wehave money king
 and business kings, and railroad kings, an
 land kings, and merchant kings, and pul
 fishing kings, and some of them wield g
 enormous power. This is great countl
 for kings. Mary Wager FSsher,
 J,tIy Wide AaUake.
 In Harper's for Anoust Thaodoro cb;