The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-07-06
JOe's Recommendation.

JOe's Recommendation.
Wanted, a boy, aged fourteen years,
inquire within" Joe Fletcher thought
this card had been hung in DR.. Kemp's
office window for him. eff it didn't
say fourteen years, 1 might get the
placel" he assured himself as he stood
hesitating outside the iron gate.
His mother, recognizing that the
fatal disease, consumption, was fast sap
ping her vitality, had informed him
that he would have to come out of
school and try to find work. :" I'm not
as strong this spring, Joe, and my sew
ing goes on slowly" she had said,
struggling to keep the tears back that
would admit to Joe her alarm and dan
ger.
"All right, mother" he responded
cheerfully, Fired Bailey's only ten,
and he earns one dollar week, and
Pm twelve!"-with assurance that the
two added years ought to favor an in
crease of wages.
And SO the next day Joe went in
search Of work; and we find him gaz-
ing at the card referred to. Joe un-
latched the gate and timidly rang the
office bell.
A digniiied, stern-faced, stern-voiced
man answered the call. "Well, what
will you have?" he asked, scrutinizng
the small boy before him. His voice
was not encouraging but Joe answered,
manfully: " Work, sir" pointing at the
advertisement in the window. "Maybe
you knew was coming and put it there
so I'd see it," he added, half question
ingly, quite confident that this was the
fact.
"Guess not, boy; wouldn't have to
wear these glasses if I could see so
far!'' removing them from his eyes and
giving them vigorous cleaning, and
adjusting them again that he might
more readily see his applicant. "What
made you think knew" Tin milder
tone).
"Cause mother asked God this morn
ing, sir, to direct me to work; and 1
wouldn't have known you wanted a
boy if you hadn't hung the card in
your window, though perhaps he told
you to put it there 30 I'd see it. Maybe
you asked him yourself to send you
boy, sir" Joe ventured to suggest,
adding as he saw look of surprise
mingled with contempt: Mother
says as how he directs our steps Gall we
do), sir, if we trust him."
The doctor is an unbeliever, and he
replied: 81 guess your mother is a
crank, isn't she? to think the AL
mighty takes notice of such small mat
ters."
Joe did not know what crank was
but the sheer with which the doctor
spoke suggested to him the word was
disrespectful to his mother, and his
face flushed and his eyes flashed. " NV
mother is a Christian and a lady, sir,h
was all he found voice to say.
:" Are you fourteen?" the doctor
questioned, doubtfully.
mo, sir, Pm only twelve: but can
work, sir! l carry all the water for
mother, chop the wood and make the
fire. Mother doesn't know as how she
can do without me; but we have got to
live, sir, and mother can't sew as she
once did,"
=" Have you ever driven horse?"
mo, sir"
Let me see your recommends
tion."
u haven't any, SIR"
GLOW am l going to know that you
are an honest, capable boy, then?"
81 don't know, sir. If-you-
would-try-me," Joe added eagerly.
"No, no, you won't do; | cannot
take boy unless he has good refer
ences."
And the doctor went into his office.
leaving Joe to :" find the answer to his
mothers prayers elsewhere" as he
commented to himself.
Joe looked very serious; he had not
fh0nOht Of a md
employers require recommendation?
And if they did, where was he to Get
oner de and his mother were strangers
in the city. Suddenly smile lighted
Joe's troubled face; he stepped back
into the office in the light of it. "Whv,
sir, II you call on my mother, 81 Avenue
B, she'll recommend me; she knows me
better than anybody"
The doctor smiled sarcastically.
" Most likely she does, but it is not
customary TO receive credentials from
so Interested a party" with an air
that told Joe he had no more time for
small boys.
~ did want to help mother, cause
she's sick" And Joe's eyes filed with
tears that had been in his heart all the
morning, but now gathered to the sur
race, and overlooked on his cheeks.
Joe's encouragement increased as
going from store to store, and from Of
fice to office, he found few vacancies,
and always the discouraging require.
ment of recommendation. Wearied
in body and disheartened by repeated
failure, he turned his steps homeward.
If some one would only give him q
trial! Must his mother die because
there was no one to help? Was there
no one? Had not his mother asked
help that very morning of One who
had never failed to come to their relief
in times nasi2 So Ine reasoned dim