A DISCOURAGING SEARCH.
WHEN we took leave of Joshua Drummond, several chapters back, he was
about to start for Chicago. New York was too near Stapleton to make it a
safe place of residence. Joshua knew his father, and understood how he
must be affected by his running away, and more than all by the loss of
the government bond. In Chicago he would feel safe, and accordingly he
bought a ticket to that city. He had never traveled, and dreaded the
experience; but his apprehensions were soon succeeded by greater
confidence, and in due time he landed in the busy Western city.
He first went to a hotel, but was dismayed on finding the charge to be
three dollars per day. In his opinion this was enough for a week’s
board. He remembered Sam’s advice to seek out a cheap boarding house,
and decided to seek one out without delay. He picked up a copy of the
Chicago _Tribune_ in the reading-room of the hotel, and took down the
numbers of three houses where board was offered to the public. He put
down the numbers on a piece of paper, and started out in search of them.
The first was a large and handsome house, on a fashionable street. It is
needless to say that Joshua found the prices altogether above the figure
he was willing to pay. The second was cheap and dirty. The third was a
respectable-looking place, and would just suit him, so he thought.
“How much do you charge for board?” he asked the landlady.
“Well,” said Mrs. Foster, for that was her name, “our price varies
according to the room. It ranges from five to twelve dollars.”
“I would like a room for five dollars,” said Joshua.
“We have but one room vacant at present--a third-story back--but it is
of good size, and if it is occupied alone, we must charge eight
dollars.”
“I couldn’t pay so much; I can’t afford it,” said Joshua, decidedly.
“Haven’t you a friend you could get to room with you? In that case, I
will charge ten dollars for the two.”
“I don’t know anybody in Chicago; I am a stranger here.”
“My rent is heavy,” continued the landlady, “and I ought to get ten
dollars for the room, or eight dollars for one.”
“I can’t pay it. I must go somewhere else.”
“Would you mind rooming with another gentleman?”
“I would rather not,” said Joshua, reluctantly.
“Then, if you room alone, you must expect to pay for the privilege.”
“I don’t know any gentleman to room with.”
“I tell you what you can do,” said the landlady, after a pause; “you may
go into the room at once, and pay me five dollars a week, on condition
that if I find another gentleman to room with you, you will agree to
take him in with you.”
“I might not like him.”
“I don’t take any but respectable gentlemen,” said Mrs. Foster. “You may
be sure that I won’t ask you to take any improper person to room with
you. However, do as you please. I would just as lief let the room to you
alone at eight dollars a week. I should make just as much money, and
very likely more.”
Joshua thought it over, and the more he thought of it, the more inclined
he was to accept Mrs. Foster’s proposal. He would prefer, of course, to
room alone, unless he could have some friend like Sam Crawford for his
roommate. But he was by no means inclined to pay three dollars a week
extra for the privilege. He liked money better than privacy, and
besides, he had only four hundred dollars left, and he felt that he
could not afford it. Besides, again, it might be some time before
another person applied for board, and meanwhile he would have the entire
room for only five dollars.
“I think I will take the room,” he said, “and you can put another
gentleman with me. When can I come in?”
“How soon do you want to come?”
“Right away. I can’t afford to stay at a hotel--it costs too much.”
“I will have the room ready for you this afternoon.”
“All right. I will come.”
Joshua lost no time in transferring himself to Mrs. Foster’s boarding
house. He felt in very good spirits when he thought how much his
expenses would be diminished by the change.
“There’s some difference between three dollars a day and five a week,”
he said to himself. “I think it will suit me very well. Now all I want
is to get a place, so that I can lay by my four hundred dollars. I’ll
look around to-morrow.”
The next day Joshua commenced his rounds. Wherever he saw the sign “A
Boy Wanted,” he went in. At one place he came near being engaged.
“How old are you?” he was asked.
“Eighteen.”
“You look younger. We don’t need a clerk so old.”
“Won’t I do?”
“You might. How much wages do you expect?”
“I don’t know what they usually pay.”
“Well, we haven’t very much for a boy to do. He will have an easy
place.”
Joshua liked this. He wanted an easy place.
“But we pay only three dollars a week.”
“Three dollars a week! Why, my board costs me five dollars, and I have
to pay for washing besides. Then there’s clothes.”
“Have you ever been in a place before?”
“No.”
“Then, as you have no experience, you cannot expect to make your
expenses the first year.”
Joshua’s countenance fell. His father would do better by him than that.
At home he got his board, such as it was, and was offered a little
besides. What would Sam Crawford, who represented that he got a thousand
dollars a year, say, if he should learn that he, Joshua, was working for
three dollars a week!
“Can’t you give me more?”
“No, if you choose to come for three dollars we will take you a week on
trial.”
Joshua shook his head.
“I can’t afford it,” he said; “I must look around a little more.”
The next place at which he made application was a dry-goods store.
“I see you want a clerk,” he said.
Joshua happened to be the first applicant here.
“Yes; have you experience?”
Now Joshua had tended a little in his father’s store, when the other
clerk was at dinner, and he thought it might help his cause to answer in
the affirmative.
“Yes,” he said, “I have had experience.”
“In this city?”
“No, not in this city,” Joshua was compelled to admit.
“Where, then?”
“In my father’s store.”
“Where is your father’s store?”
“In Stapleton.”
“Where’s Stapleton?”
“In New York State.”
“Never heard of it. Is it much of a place?”
“It’s rather small.”
“What sort of a store does your father keep?”
“He keeps dry goods, and other things.”
“I’m afraid your experience there wouldn’t fit you for employment with
us. However, I will examine you a little.”
The shopkeeper led Joshua to the counter, on which was piled a variety
of goods, which had been taken out to show customers, and asked for
their names, and what he supposed to be their prices. Now, Joshua had
never taken any pains to become acquainted with his father’s business
and knew next to nothing about it. His ignorance proved to be so
complete that his questioner saw at once that he would never do for
their trade.
“I am sorry to say that you won’t suit us,” he said.
“We should have to teach you everything from the beginning. What we want
is a competent salesman.”
Joshua was rather discouraged by this failure. He saw that he was by no
means so well qualified to make his way in the city as he supposed. He
didn’t care very much about working, to be sure. What he would have
liked was, a competent income without the necessity of doing anything.
In that case he thought he could enjoy himself.
“When the old man dies,” he thought, “I won’t do anything. I’ll sell out
the store. I shall have enough to live upon, and it won’t be any use
troubling myself with work.”
I hope none of my young readers have imbibed Joshua’s pernicious ideas.
If so, they stand a chance of leading a very useless and unprofitable
life.
Joshua’s application continued unsuccessful, and he began to get
discouraged.
On the afternoon of the third day Mrs. Foster knocked at his door. “Mr.
Drummond,” she said, “there’s a gentleman below that has applied for
board. I have told him of this room, and he will come up and look at it.
I thought I’d come and speak to you about it first.”
Of course, Joshua could make no objection. Three minutes later the
landlady reappeared, followed by the gentleman referred to.
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