Ragged Dick Part 31

"Where do you live, then?"

"In Mott Street."

Roswell curled his lip when this name was p.r.o.nounced, for Mott Street, as my New York readers know, is in the immediate neighborhood of the Five-Points, and very far from a fas.h.i.+onable locality.

"Have you any testimonials to present?" asked Mr. Henderson, for that was his name.

Fosd.i.c.k hesitated. This was the question which he had foreseen would give him trouble.

But at this moment it happened most opportunely that Mr. Greyson entered the shop with the intention of buying a hat.

"Yes," said Fosd.i.c.k, promptly; "I will refer to this gentleman."

"How do you do, Fosd.i.c.k?" asked Mr. Greyson, noticing him for the first time. "How do you happen to be here?"

"I am applying for a place, sir," said Fosd.i.c.k. "May I refer the gentleman to you?"

"Certainly, I shall be glad to speak a good word for you. Mr.

Henderson, this is a member of my Sunday-school cla.s.s, of whose good qualities and good abilities I can speak confidently."

"That will be sufficient," said the shop-keeper, who knew Mr.

Greyson's high character and position. "He could have no better recommendation. You may come to the store to-morrow morning at half past seven o'clock. The pay will be three dollars a week for the first six months. If I am satisfied with you, I shall then raise it to five dollars."

The other boys looked disappointed, but none more so than Roswell Crawford. He would have cared less if any one else had obtained the situation; but for a boy who lived in Mott Street to be preferred to him, a gentleman's son, he considered indeed humiliating. In a spirit of petty spite, he was tempted to say,

"He's a boot-black. Ask him if he isn't."

"He's an honest and intelligent lad," said Mr. Greyson. "As for you, young man, I only hope you have one-half his good qualities."

Roswell Crawford left the store in disgust, and the other unsuccessful applicants with him.

"What luck, Fosd.i.c.k?" asked d.i.c.k, eagerly, as his friend came out of the store.

"I've got the place," said Fosd.i.c.k, in accents of satisfaction; "but it was only because Mr. Greyson spoke up for me."

"He's a trump," said d.i.c.k, enthusiastically.

The gentleman, so denominated, came out before the boys went away, and spoke with them kindly.

Both d.i.c.k and Henry were highly pleased at the success of the application. The pay would indeed be small, but, expended economically, Fosd.i.c.k thought he could get along on it, receiving his room rent, as before, in return for his services as d.i.c.k's private tutor. d.i.c.k determined, as soon as his education would permit, to follow his companion's example.

"I don't know as you'll be willin' to room with a boot-black," he said, to Henry, "now you're goin' into business."

"I couldn't room with a better friend, d.i.c.k," said Fosd.i.c.k, affectionately, throwing his arm round our hero. "When we part, it'll be because you wish it."

So Fosd.i.c.k entered upon a new career.

CHAPTER XX

NINE MONTHS LATER

The next morning Fosd.i.c.k rose early, put on his new suit, and, after getting breakfast, set out for the Broadway store in which he had obtained a position. He left his little blacking-box in the room.

"It'll do to brush my own shoes," he said. "Who knows but I may have to come back to it again?"

"No danger," said d.i.c.k; "I'll take care of the feet, and you'll have to look after the heads, now you're in a hat-store."

"I wish you had a place too," said Fosd.i.c.k.

"I don't know enough yet," said d.i.c.k. "Wait till I've gradooated."

"And can put A.B. after your name."

"What's that?"

"It stands for Bachelor of Arts. It's a degree that students get when they graduate from college."

"Oh," said d.i.c.k, "I didn't know but it meant A Boot-black. I can put that after my name now. Wouldn't d.i.c.k Hunter, A.B., sound tip-top?"

"I must be going," said Fosd.i.c.k. "It won't do for me to be late the very first morning."

"That's the difference between you and me," said d.i.c.k. "I'm my own boss, and there aint no one to find fault with me if I'm late. But I might as well be goin' too. There's a gent as comes down to his store pretty early that generally wants a s.h.i.+ne."

The two boys parted at the Park. Fosd.i.c.k crossed it, and proceeded to the hat-store, while d.i.c.k, hitching up his pants, began to look about him for a customer. It was seldom that d.i.c.k had to wait long.

He was always on the alert, and if there was any business to do he was always sure to get his share of it. He had now a stronger inducement than ever to attend strictly to business; his little stock of money in the savings bank having been nearly exhausted by his liberality to his room-mate. He determined to be as economical as possible, and moreover to study as hard as he could, that he might be able to follow Fosd.i.c.k's example, and obtain a place in a store or counting-room. As there were no striking incidents occurring in our hero's history within the next nine months, I propose to pa.s.s over that period, and recount the progress he made in that time.

Fosd.i.c.k was still at the hat-store, having succeeded in giving perfect satisfaction to Mr. Henderson. His wages had just been raised to five dollars a week. He and d.i.c.k still kept house together at Mrs. Mooney's lodging-house, and lived very frugally, so that both were able to save up money. d.i.c.k had been unusually successful in business. He had several regular patrons, who had been drawn to him by his ready wit, and quick humor, and from two of them he had received presents of clothing, which had saved him any expense on that score. His income had averaged quite seven dollars a week in addition to this. Of this amount he was now obliged to pay one dollar weekly for the room which he and Fosd.i.c.k occupied, but he was still able to save one half the remainder. At the end of nine months therefore, or thirty-nine weeks, it will be seen that he had acc.u.mulated no less a sum than one hundred and seventeen dollars.

d.i.c.k may be excused for feeling like a capitalist when he looked at the long row of deposits in his little bank-book. There were other boys in the same business who had earned as much money, but they had had little care for the future, and spent as they went along, so that few could boast a bank-account, however small.

"You'll be a rich man some time, d.i.c.k," said Henry Fosd.i.c.k, one evening.

"And live on Fifth Avenoo," said d.i.c.k.

"Perhaps so. Stranger things have happened."

"Well," said d.i.c.k, "if such a misfortin' should come upon me I should bear it like a man. When you see a Fifth Avenoo manshun for sale for a hundred and seventeen dollars, just let me know and I'll buy it as an investment."

"Two hundred and fifty years ago you might have bought one for that price, probably. Real estate wasn't very high among the Indians."

"Just my luck," said d.i.c.k; "I was born too late. I'd orter have been an Indian, and lived in splendor on my present capital."

"I'm afraid you'd have found your present business rather unprofitable at that time."

But d.i.c.k had gained something more valuable than money. He had studied regularly every evening, and his improvement had been marvellous. He could now read well, write a fair hand, and had studied arithmetic as far as Interest. Besides this he had obtained some knowledge of grammar and geography. If some of my boy readers, who have been studying for years, and got no farther than this, should think it incredible that d.i.c.k, in less than a year, and studying evenings only, should have accomplished it, they must remember that our hero was very much in earnest in his desire to improve. He knew that, in order to grow up respectable, he must be well advanced, and he was willing to work. But then the reader must not forget that d.i.c.k was naturally a smart boy. His street education had sharpened his faculties, and taught him to rely upon himself. He knew that it would take him a long time to reach the goal which he had set before him, and he had patience to keep on trying. He knew that he had only himself to depend upon, and he determined to make the most of himself,--a resolution which is the secret of success in nine cases out of ten.

"d.i.c.k," said Fosd.i.c.k, one evening, after they had completed their studies, "I think you'll have to get another teacher soon."