THE NEW-COMER.
THE new-comer, Oscar, was very naturally the recipient of much
attention, for a few days after his arrival. The advent of such a big
boy in the family was an event of no trifling importance, in the eyes of
the younger members of the household. Was he not a real Boston boy, and
had he not seen so much of city life that, in his own language, he was
sick of it? Had he not also resided for months together in two or three
other towns, far away from his home? And, most strange of all, had he
not actually made a voyage to the West Indies, in the capacity of
sailor-boy? So, at least, it was currently reported, and so they all
believed; and surely a boy who had seen so much of the world must be
something of a hero, they reasoned. Meanwhile, the older members of the
family were quietly watching their new charge, studying his disposition,
gaining insight into the secret springs of his character, and taking the
measure of his mental acquirements and capacities.
Oscar was expecting to attend the academy, during the coming winter; but
as it was now well advanced in the autumn term, he was to study at home
until the new term commenced, about two months from this time, it being
now the latter part of September. Marcus had graduated at this academy,
a year previous, and had been invited to serve as assistant teacher, the
coming winter.
“What shall _I_ do?” inquired Oscar, the morning after his arrival, as
he perceived that all the family were busily at work.
“You need not do anything, just yet,” replied his aunt. “You can look on
and see us work, through the rest of this week, or amuse yourself in any
way you please. By next Monday we will find something for you to do, and
you can commence your studies, too, at the same time.”
[Illustration]
The few days of leisure thus granted to Oscar did not hang very heavily
upon his hands. He found many things to interest and amuse him, about
the farm. The greatest novelty to him, however, were the sheep, for he
had never before lived where these pretty creatures formed a part of the
farm stock. The pasture where they were kept became at once an
attractive place, and it must be confessed that the groups of sheep and
lambs, quietly nibbling the grass, or reclining at their ease in the
beams of the morning sun, formed as beautiful a scene as could be found
upon the farm. The cattle, horses, pigs and poultry, the capacious
barns, with the deep and lofty hay-mows, the dairy, granary, tool-house
and wood-house,—these, also, though more familiar objects to Oscar, were
not without their attractions for him; while he found a still further
source of amusement in accompanying Marcus and Ronald, as they went
about their daily duties on the farm.
Marcus was a little sorry to notice that Oscar did not appear to find
idleness very irksome, nor to feel much anxiety about making himself
useful. He seemed to think he had received a full discharge from labor
for the rest of the week, and gave himself no more concern about it than
though he was merely a boarder, like Katie and Otis, with whom he spent
a good portion of his time. There were many little things in which his
assistance, cheerfully offered, would have been accepted with pleasure;
but we are sorry to say that these evidences of a “willing mind” were
entirely wanting.
And yet Oscar went to Highburg with the determination of breaking up his
old habits of idleness, and the terms upon which he was received into
the family, had been arranged with this end in view. He was to remain
here not less than two years. His father insisted upon paying for his
board, clothing and schooling, during his residence here; but as one
great object of the plan was to teach him to be industrious and useful,
it was stipulated that he should do his share of the work on the farm,
at all seasons of the year. It was further agreed that a fair sum should
be allowed him for his services, to be paid to his father at the end of
each year. If Oscar’s conduct was satisfactory, this amount was to be
paid over to him, when he reached the age of twenty-one. He thus had a
real inducement to labor, in addition to the earnest entreaties of his
parents; and lest both of these motives should prove insufficient,
Marcus and his mother were authorized, as a last resort, to _enforce_
the fulfilment of Oscar’s part of the contract, by any means they saw
fit to employ. His parents well knew that he could not be effectually
reformed, until he had acquired habits of industry.
Nothing more was said to Oscar about work, until Saturday afternoon,
when Marcus, finding the boys engaged in pitching jack-knives on the
barn floor, accosted his cousin as follows:
“I suppose, Oscar, that you begin to feel as though you would like
something to do?”
“Why, yes, I am almost tired of doing nothing,” replied Oscar, shutting
up his knife, and putting it in his pocket.
“Well, I can tell you something about your work and studies, now, if you
wish,” continued Marcus. “A good deal of your work, for awhile, will
consist of odd jobs, which I cannot tell you about until they come
along. For the present you must be ready for anything, in an emergency;
we will be able, by and by, to systematize the work a little better, so
that you needn’t rob Ronald or me of our shares.”
“No danger of that, I guess!” said Oscar, with a laugh.
“I don’t know about that,” continued Marcus. “We don’t have a very great
amount of out-door work in the fall and winter, and with three pairs of
hands to divide it amongst, I’m afraid we may not all get our share, if
we don’t have an understanding about it. There’s one department,
however, that you shall have the sole charge of. Come this way.”
He led the way to the wood-house, followed by the boys, and added:—
“There, Oscar, you shall be lord of the woodshed; and if any body
meddles with the saw, axe, chips, or wood-pile, without your leave, just
let me know it. Only you must understand that if I should want to chop a
stick occasionally, by way of exercise, I shall have the liberty to do
it.”
“Oh yes, I’ll agree to that,” replied Oscar.
“And I too—I like to split wood once in a while,” interposed Otis.
“And so do I,” added Ronald.
“No, no, boys, you are not to touch anything here without Oscar’s
leave,” said Marcus. “He is to be captain here, so you had better stand
round. You see, Oscar, there is a large pile ready for use, now. My rule
is, to saw and split a little more every week than we use, so as to have
a good supply ahead, when cold weather sets in. I think you had better
keep on in the same way, and make it a business, every day, or at least
every other day, to add a little to the pile. It will also be a part of
your work to see that a supply of wood is carried into the house every
day.”
“I’ll help carry the wood in,” said Ronald.
“But I told you not to interfere with his business,” replied Marcus.
“Well, if he doesn’t like it, then I wont do it,” rejoined Ronald,
laughing.
“As to the other work,” resumed Marcus, “I shall want you to help cut up
the hay, for one thing.”
“I know how to do that,” said Oscar.
“There will be a good deal of hay to cut, by and by, when the horses,
cattle and sheep are all put up in the barn. And roots, too—we shall
soon begin to feed them out, and they will have to be cut.”
“I know how to do that, too,” added Oscar.
“You can help about feeding the animals, too. I think I shall let you
have the whole care of the pigs, to begin with, after a day or two. You
will find them very interesting pets—especially the old sow!” he added,
with a laugh.
“I might feed the horses,” suggested Oscar, whose fancy for hogs was not
very largely developed.
“So you can, and I want you to learn to bed them, and clean them out,
and rub them down, too.”
“I know how to do all that—I used to do it down to Brookdale, very
often,” replied Oscar.
“And I should like to have you help about milking; do you understand
that?” inquired Marcus.
“I know a little about it, but I never liked it very well,” replied
Oscar, with some hesitation.
“O, well, I dare say you will like it better after you get used to it,”
said Marcus. “But if you shouldn’t, it wont make much difference. We all
have to do some jobs that are not so pleasant as others.”
“I _like_ to milk—only it tires my wrists,” said Ronald. “I can milk one
cow, all alone, but Marcus wont let me, very often.”
“Next week,” continued Marcus, “we must gather our apples, and you can
help us about that. Then there will be the carrots, beets, turnips and
cabbages to get in, the seed-corn to harvest, corn to husk, snow to
shovel, wood to haul, and various other jobs to do, through the winter.
Do you think you can do your share of all this?”
“I’ll try to,” replied Oscar.
“Then there are your studies to be attended to,” resumed Marcus. “I
shall make out a list of them, for each day in the week, while you study
at home. And you must have some time for play, in addition to all the
rest, for ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.’ The first thing,
every day, will be to attend to your regular morning’s work. Then, if
there are any errands or extra jobs to be done, they will come next in
order. After that, you will get your lessons, and then will come the
play-time.”
“How much time will he have for play?” inquired Otis.
“That will depend very much upon his diligence in doing his work and
getting his lessons,” replied Marcus.
“I shan’t want much play-time,” said Oscar, with a significant glance
towards the couple of twelve-year-old urchins, who were evidently
counting upon his companionship in their sports.
“So much the better,” replied Marcus with perfect indifference,
although, in his mind, he had some doubts about the last assertion.
Marcus had previously examined Oscar in his studies, and, in the course
of the afternoon, he gave him lessons for the coming Monday, and also
handed him a written list of studies for each day in the week. The list
is as follows:—
ORDER OF STUDIES FOR OSCAR PRESTON.
ON MONDAY.
Writing,
Grammar,
Arithmetic.
ON TUESDAY.
Grammar,
Geography,
Arithmetic.
ON WEDNESDAY.
Writing,
Grammar.
ON THURSDAY.
Writing,
Geography,
Grammar.
ON FRIDAY.
Geography,
Arithmetic,
Writing.
ON SATURDAY.
Arithmetic,
Composition.
Reading, Spelling and Defining, daily.
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