The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-02-02

| sisters were noisy and quarrelsome, and
generally Dick was only too ready TO do
| his full share OF the noise and quarrel
| ing
He was very sober all through supper
| but he was very happy too. AFTER supper
| his mother tried 10 clear the table, carry
ing the fretfing baby upon one arm, and
working with her other hand as well as
| she could. All at once this thought came
| TO Dick: "a gentleman is good TO women.
My mother is woman. and II I'm a
| gentleman / must be good TO her He
| knew very well that the best way TO be
! good 20 her would be 10 take care OF the
| fretting baby. He was tired. lie had
| been running errands all day but MS
mother looked tired. too. And almost for
| the first time in his life he unselhshly put
aside his own pleasure for the sake or
| some one else. and cOaxed the crying
/ baby to come TO him. and played with her
and sang TO her until she hnally fell
asleep in his arms He felt very happy
when his mother. as she took the baby
after her work was done. said: You have
| helped me so much. DICK.
The next day was very cold, and Dicks
| clothes were old and thin. and he had
GOOD many errands TO do; but he kept
saving TO himself: "She said was gem
| tleman." And the thought Of 1t seemed
20 keep him warm.
Now that his eyes were opened II was
wonderful how many things Dick saw
| that dav that he would ordinarily have
passed by without a thought. shabby
dressed woman. with a big bundle In her
arms. was going along the Icy sidewalk.
She slipped. and would have fallen, but
| a finely dressed man in fur-trimmed over
coat and dogskin gloves, who was passing
along, caught her and held her up. He
asked her where she was going, hailed
street car, put her on IT, and paid her
fare TO the conductor. while Dick looked
on with admiring eyes, saying TO himself,
Hes a gentleman"
In the afternoon. as Dick was going up
an elevator, two men in IL We're talking
about another man. one of them said:
"Oh, Smith is no gentleman. Iie cheat
cd Brown in that bargain
Here was another thought. Gentlemen
did not cheat, Now. Dick had the name
among the other boys Of being very sharp
at "A bargain. lie had, in fact. cheated
whenever he could, and had felt little
proud Of II, too. lie thought IT was smart.
but-a gentleman did not cheat Would
the pretty lady have called him gentle
man. he wondered. If she had known he
ever cheated? His face got very red as
he thought about II. He pondered over
IL after he went 10 bed that night If he
really was a gentleman-and she said he
was-he must never cheat again. no. not
so much as a penny's worth and he sol
EMMY resolved he never would.
The very next morning. as he was going
20 his work on the crowded street car.
the conductor missed him when he was
taking the fares Generally Dick would
obi 1.T rrI. n Ia
Of that extra five cents; but il happened
that "A man sitting next 20 him was also
passed by. lie was "A workman. dressed
in rough clothes, and with a dinner pail
IN his hand. When he got or the car he
handed his ticket 20 the conductor and
said you missed me when you took
up the fares"
That's a gentleman" said Dick to
himsef lie wouldn't even cheat a con-
ductor. I'll be one too"
So, though IL was something OF a
wrench TO do il. when he got of the car
he handed his ticket TO the conductor and
said the very same words: you missed
me when you took up the fares
That conductor opened his eyes pretty
wide at the sight Of two such honest peo-
pie in one morning. For a minute. il
must be confessed Dick thought regret
with that extra five cents; hut he sturdily
declared, I'D rather be a gentleman than
have peck Of peanuts"
The days went on. 1t seemed 70 Dick
that he had never heard so much about
gentlemen, or seen so many gentlemanly
and ungenuemanly-things done in all
bis life before as he had in those few
days. But that was because he had never
thought so much about the matter before.
A.. 4 D
were all open and intent upon H.
Dick went TO n mission Sunday-schooi:
that is. he went when he felt like it, His
teacher was a nice young lady. and he
liked her. but he liked what he called
fun-and a poor sort Of fun II was-bet-
ter. and many time Miss May had gone
home with heavy and discouraged heart.
feeling as If all her efforts to do the bows
any good were I'm vain
The next Sunday Dick took his place
in the class, and during the first prayer
ne was Just reaching his arm around to
pinch Jim Mayhem. when he thought
I'm gentleman. don't believe a gen
ueman would plague Miss May like that"
He knew we'll enough how II grieved his
teacher when the boys acted IN" i'm
the class. and he Immediately strafghten-
cd himself, withdrew his hand and rever-
emily bowed his head and covered his
eyes All through the lesson time he was
attentive and respectful. and the other
boys were so astonished at him-for he
was usually the leader i'm mischief-tbat
they forgot 10 try any Of their mean little
tricks. and the consequence was that they
all became interested in the lesson. which
was the feeding Of the multitude with tho
boys five barley loaves and two fishes
Dick wondered n that boy wasn't a gen
flpm8n 70 rive III, hfc lunch u.,o.
hungry himself. and didn't know that no
should have anything 10 eat all day. and
he decided that he was Indeed, IL beran
TO dawn upon Dicks mind that being a
gentleman meant more than being good
10 women and not cheating-that II meant
being thoughtful for others. kind unself-
ish in every way.
Now. Dick didn't like 20 be unsel6sh.
he didn't like 10 take thought and trouble
for others; he didn't like 10 give I'M his
own VIII and way and do the things that
ne didn't want TO; and he saw Il was 90
ing 10 be pretty hard for him. But no
was a boy who did whatever he dld with
all his heart, and he had set his heart
upon being n gentleman. and a gentleman
he would be-
Time went on. He made 2 god MANY
failures in trying 10 live up 10 the vou,r
lady's idea Of him. but still no made
progress For one thing. he kent his face
and hands clean and his clothes as 70
spectacle as he could 50 that he began
10 look like a different boy. Some NJ the
boys called him dude. bur little he cared
Tor that
Mis- May was delighted 70 notice the
imp -ovement In his looks and his manners
and his attention. He was at Sunday
school every Sunday: 10 even learn.d tho
golden texts out Of the little book che