The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-02-08
DICKS SIGNATURE.

L4ttiC lIith I1pftti ndS u DpJ W no Ouch
surprised people. They called him Lazy
Dick, " because he loved to get into sunny
corners and think, and he was not always
ready for work such as little fellows can
do. But one day he said: spa, I want lots
of money
eyes, Dick, | have known other folks
who felt SO. Go to work and earn it."
Howe asked Dick, who really was in
earnest, for he longed for a little express
cart.
ooh. weed the garden" said Mr.. Howell,
growing absent-minded, as he often be-
came. He remembered suddenly a bust
ness letter he must write, aud SO when
Dick said:
"Will you give me a penny for every big
weed9" his father said Eyes"
Well, that night Dick amazed his father
by presenting him with four hundred big
weeds, and eagerly claimed four dollars.
Mr.. Howell never broke his word to a child;
he said lie did not think what he was prom-
Using, because be knew there were too many
weeds in his garden for such a bargain: but
he paid the money down, and Dick had
the prettiest cart in town. Not long after
his father said:
."Dick. you aud | ought to have made a
written contract about those weeds. If
we had, | should not have agreed to such
terms as / made. 4 man thinks when me
pig,,, hi, -o.,1 Tf I,ol -. lsl.--.
able, too, | could have said | never agreed
to pay you a penny a weed, and you could
not have proved that | did. You must
learn to write your name before | do any
more business by contract with you. Then
we can each sign our names. And so
Dicks father went on to tell him that SOL
emn promises not to be broken were made
in writing, and men who broke such prom
ises were men whom nobody could trust.
Dick hated to read, and could not write
a letter, but after that he used to climb up
on the woodshed roof with his dear little
sister Nelly. She did her best to teach
him, and the first word he ever wrote was
Dick, the next was Howell. Such funny
business contracts Dick made that year
with his father, aud such a pile of nickels
as he earnedl First, five cents for every
week that he never forgot to shut a door
and never slammed it; ten cents for pick
ing over a barrel of apples; and so on up
to a dollar and a half in three months. Ey-
cry time he signed a contract TO do what he
agreed, or try his very best TO do it. How
proudly he used to sign "Dick'' with a big,
inky flourish.
When Dick was twelve years old he was
asked to sign a temperance pledge. He
took it to his father, who talked it all over
with him, and proposed that they sign it
together-a contract that neither would
break. Dick did not know then, or until
years after, that his father was taking too
much wine. They singed the pledge
Orchard Howell, Senior; ''Richard
Howell, Junior" And then Dicks father
told him to kneel by his knee, aud laying
his hand on the boys head, he prayed God
to help them both to keep the promise they
had made.
'fYou have signed your name a great
many times, my boy, but never to a paper
that meant so much as this"
'0h! | don't ever want to drink, father.
1t is easy to promise, and | shall never go
back ON my word, said Dick, gayly.
Years went by. Dick grew up, and many
and many d time he was tempted to take a
glass of wine or beer. He never yielded,
for he had signed his name and was on his
honor. A few more years, and he had seen
the curse Of drunkenness, and was so glad
of that boyish pledge-so glad of a father
who made him feel the sacredness of a
promise-Temperance Banner.