ROSE IN HER NEW HOME.
At the close of the afternoon the newsboy, counting up his gains, found
that he had made a dollar and a half by selling papers, and twenty-five
cents besides, by an errand which he had done for a shopkeeper whose boy
was sick. If he could keep up this rate of wages every day, he would be
able to get along very well. But, in the first place, it was not often
that he made as much as a dollar and a half by selling papers, nor was
there a chance to do errands every day. When it was rainy his sales of
papers fell off, as there were not so many people about Rufus began to
feel like a family man, with the responsibility of supporting a family
on his hands.
He was determined that his little sister should not be obliged to go out
into the street to earn anything, though there are many girls, no older
than she, who are sent out with matches, or papers, or perhaps to beg.
But Rufus was too proud to permit that.
"A stout boy like me ought to earn money enough to take care of two
persons," he said to himself.
About half-past five he started for Franklin Street, for it will be
remembered that he had arranged to take supper with his sister and Miss
Manning.
Rose had been listening for his step, and as soon as she heard it on the
stairs, she ran out on the landing, and called out, joyfully, "Is that
you, Rufie?"
"Yes, Rosie," said the newsboy. "What have you been doing to-day?"
"I've had such a nice time, Rufie," said the little girl, clinging to
her brother's arm. "Miss Manning began to teach me my letters to-day."
"How does she get along, Miss Manning?" asked Rough and Ready, who by
this time had entered the room.
"Famously," said Miss Manning. "She's very quick. I think she'll be able
to read in three months, if she keeps on doing as well as to-day."
"That's good," said the newsboy, with satisfaction. "I've always been
afraid that she would grow up ignorant, and I shouldn't like that."
"I'm no great scholar," said Miss Manning, modestly; "but I shall be
glad to teach Rose all I can."
"I am afraid it will be a good deal of trouble for you."
"No, it is very little. Rose sits beside me, learning, while I am
sewing."
"But you have to leave off to hear her."
"Leaving off now and then rests me. Besides, as you pay part of my rent,
I do not need to work so steadily as I used to do."
"I've a great mind to ask you to teach me a little, too, Miss Manning,"
said the newsboy.
"I'll do it with pleasure, as far as I am capable. How much do you
know?"
"Precious little," said Rufus. "I can read some, but when I get out of
easy reading I can't do much."
"Can you write?"
"A little, but not much."
"I will help you all I can."
"Then I'll bring a writing book to-morrow evening, and a book to read
out of."
Rough and Ready, though not as ignorant as many in his situation in
life, had long deplored his ignorance, and wished that he knew more. But
he had been obliged to work early and late, and his stepfather was not
one to give him assistance, or take any interest in his improvement. So
he had grown up ignorant, though possessed of excellent abilities,
because he saw no way of obtaining the knowledge he desired. Now,
however, he thought, with Miss Manning's help, he might enter upon a
career of improvement.
"Have you seen father yet, Rufie?" asked Rose, uneasily.
"I saw Mr. Martin this morning," said the newsboy, emphasizing the name,
for he would not recognize any relationship between them.
"I mean Mr. Martin," said Rose. "What did he say?"
"He wanted to know where you were."
"Did he?" asked Rose, looking frightened.
"Don't be afraid, Rosie," said her brother, putting his arm round his
little sister's neck. "He doesn't know, and I shan't let him find out."
[Illustration: ROSE AND HER ENEMY.]
"But if he should find out," said Rose, in terror. "You won't let him
carry me off."
"No, I won't. Don't be frightened. Do you like this better than Leonard
Street, Rosie?"
"Oh, ever so much."
Rufus looked pleased. He felt that he had made the best arrangement in
his power for his sister's comfort and happiness, and that he had been
very lucky to find so suitable a person as Miss Manning to place her
with.
While he was talking with Rose, the seamstress had been moving about
quietly, and by this time the little table was neatly spread in the
centre of the room. On it were placed knives, forks, and plates for
three. The teakettle had boiled, and, taking out her little teapot, the
seamstress put it on the stove for the tea to steep.
"Do you like toast, Rufus?" she asked.
"Yes, Miss Manning; but I don't want you to take too much trouble."
"It's very little trouble. I think Rose would like toast too. I've got a
little meat too."
She took from the cupboard about half a pound of steak, which she put on
the coals to broil.
"I'm afraid you're giving us too good a supper," said the newsboy.
"Beefsteak costs considerable. I don't want you to lose money by Rose
and me."
"There is no danger of that," said Miss Manning. "It doesn't cost as
much as you think for. The steak only cost me twelve cents."
"But there's the tea and the toast," suggested Rough and Ready.
"Toast costs no more than bread, and six cents pays for all the bread we
eat at night. Then I only need a spoonful or two of tea, and that, and
the sugar and butter altogether, don't cost more than eighteen cents."
"Do you mean that we can live like this for thirty cents a meal?" asked
the newsboy, incredulously. "Why, I have about as much as that to pay
for my dinner at the eating-house, and the meat isn't as good as this, I
am sure."
"Yes, they charge considerable for the cooking and the profits," said
Miss Manning. "I do the cooking myself, and save all that."
By this time dinner, as we may call it, was ready, and the three sat
down to the table.
It was, to be sure, an humble meal; but it looked very attractive and
inviting for all that, with the steak on a plate in the centre, the
well-browned toast on one side, and the little plate of butter on the
other, while the little teapot steamed with its fragrant beverage. It
was so different from the way in which they had lived in Leonard Street,
that it seemed very pleasant to the two children.
"Isn't it nice, Rufie?" said Rose.
"Yes," said the newsboy. "It's what I call reg'larly jolly. Besides, it
cost so little money, I can't get over that. I'm sure we're much obliged
to Miss Manning."
"But," said the seamstress, "you must remember that if it's better for
you, it's better and pleasanter for me too. You mustn't think I used to
live like this before Rose came to me. I couldn't afford to. Sometimes I
had a little tea, but not often, and it was very seldom that I ate any
meat. The rent came hard for me to pay, and I had to work so steadily
that I didn't feel as if I could afford time to cook anything, even if I
had the money to buy it with."
"What did you have for supper, Miss Manning?" inquired Rose.
"Generally I didn't get anything but dry bread, without butter or tea."
"But I should think you would have felt hungry for something else."
"I didn't have much appetite. I sat so steadily at my work, without a
chance to breathe the fresh air, that I cared very little about eating.
My appetite is beginning to come now."
"I think you and Rose had better take a walk every day," said Rufus.
"You both need to breathe the fresh air. That is, if you think you can
spare the time."
"Oh, yes, I can spare the time, now that I get paid so well for my
boarder," said the seamstress, playfully. "An hour or two of my time is
worth very little. How much do you think I earn when I sit over my work
all day,—about fourteen hours?"
"I don't know," said Rufus. "I think you ought to earn as much as a
dollar."
Miss Manning shook her head, with a smile.
"I see you know very little about the wages paid to us poor
seamstresses," she said. "If I were paid a dollar for my day's work I
should feel as if I were worth a fortune."
"But you earn near that," said the newsboy, "don't you?"
"When I work steadily, I earn about three shillings," said Miss Manning.
I must here remind my New England reader, who is accustomed to consider
a shilling about seventeen cents, that in New York eight shillings are
reckoned to the dollar, and a shilling, therefore, only represents
twelve and a half cents; Miss Manning's day's work thus brought her
thirty-seven and a half cents.
"Three shillings!" repeated Rough and Ready, in surprise. "That's very
poor pay. I think I do very poorly if I don't make as much as a dollar.
Won't they pay you any more?"
"No, they find plenty who are ready to take their work at the price they
are willing to pay. If anybody complains, they take away their work and
employ somebody else."
"How much do you think I made to day?" asked the newsboy.
"A dollar and a quarter?"
"I made a dollar and seventy-five cents," said Rough and Ready, with
satisfaction.
"Rufie's real smart," said Rose, who was proud of her brother, in whom
she felt implicit confidence.
"You mustn't believe all she says, Miss Manning," said the newsboy,
laughing. "Rose thinks more of me than anybody else does. But what were
we talking about? Oh, about going out for a walk every day. If you think
you can spare the time to go out with Rose, I think it will do you both
good."
"We can come round and see you sell papers sometimes, Rufie," said his
little sister.
"No," said the newsboy, hastily, "I don't want you to do that."
"Why not?" said Rose, surprised.
"Because Mr. Martin is on the lookout for Rose, and will very likely be
prowling round somewhere near me, ready to pounce on Rose if he happens
to see her. So I'd rather you'd keep on the west side with her Miss
Manning. If you go on Broadway, let it be somewhere above Chamber
Street, where you won't be seen from the Park. In that way Martin won't
be likely to meet you."
"It is best to be prudent, no doubt," said Miss Manning. "I will
remember your wishes."
The next evening, Rufus began to study, under the guidance and direction
of Miss Manning. He generally left the room about nine o'clock, and made
his way to the Newsboys' Lodge, where he now passed his nights
regularly.