FINDING A BOARDING PLACE
Herbert left the counting-room of Godfrey & Lynn, not a little depressed
in spirits. The two days which must elapse before he could see Mr.
Godfrey were to him a formidable delay. By that time his money would be
almost exhausted. Then, suppose, which was very probable, Mr. Godfrey
could do nothing for him immediately, but only hold out his promise of
future assistance, how was he to live in the meantime? After all, he
might have to realize his thought of the morning, and join the ranks
of the bootblacks. That was not a pleasant thought to a boy of
his education. All labor is honorable, to be sure, but, then, some
occupations are more congenial than others.
If Greenleaf had not robbed him so basely, he could have afforded to
wait. He felt sore and indignant about that. Nobody likes to own that he
has been victimized, but Herbert was obliged to confess to himself that
such was the case with him.
He walked about rather aimlessly, feeling miserable enough. But, all at
once, it occurred to him, “Would it not be cheaper for him to take board
by the week in some boarding-house?” Reckoning up, he found that his
hotel bill would be three dollars and a half a week, while his meals,
even if he were quite abstemious, would make as much more; in all, seven
dollars. Surely, he could be boarded somewhere for less than that.
In the reading-room of the hotel he found a daily paper, and carefully
ran his eye down the advertisements for boarders and lodgers. The
following attracted his attention:
“BOARDERS WANTED.--A few mechanics may obtain comfortable rooms and
board at No. ---- Stanton Street, at three dollars per week.”
This, be it remembered, was previous to the war, and before the price of
board had doubled.
“Three dollars a week!” repeated Herbert. “Less than half my present
rate of expense. I must go at once and secure it.”
He found the way to Stanton Street, and found that No. ---- was a
shabby-looking house in a shabby neighborhood. But he could not afford
to be fastidious. He accordingly stepped up without hesitation, and rang
the bell, which emitted a shrill sound in reply.
A middle-aged woman, with a red handkerchief tied around her head, and a
broom in her hand, opened the door and looked inquiringly at our hero.
“What's wanted?” she said.
“I saw your advertisement for boarders,” said Herbert.
“Yes; I advertised in the paper this morning.”
“Will you let me see your rooms?”
“Who are you looking for?”
“Myself.”
“I don't know as you'll be suited. My price is low, and I can't give
first-class accommodations for three dollars.”
“No; I suppose not.”
“Come up, if you would like to see what I've got.”
The interior of the house was shabby like the outside, the oilcloth
carpet faded, and the wall paper torn off in places. The stairs, too,
were narrow and uncarpeted. All this Herbert observed, but he could not
afford to be critical.
On the third floor, his guide threw open the door of a dark, little hall
bedroom, meagerly furnished.
“I could give you this room by yourself,” she said, “or a larger room
with someone else.”
“I would rather be alone.”
“That's the only single room I have. Will you take it?”
“I think so,” said Herbert, though he did not anticipate much enjoyment
in such a poor place.
“When do you want to come?”
“To-morrow morning.”
“Very well. I shall expect a deposit, so that I may be sure the room is
let.”
“How much?”
“A dollar will do.”
Herbert drew a dollar from his pocket, and handed it to Mrs. Morgan, for
such, she informed him, was her name.
Then he went downstairs and out into the air again.
“Well,” he said to himself, “I'm sure of a home, such as it is, for a
week. In that time something must turn up.”
Examining his pocketbook he found that he had two dollars and a half
left. Of that sum, two dollars must be reserved to pay the balance of
his week's board. Out of the remaining fifty cents he must pay for his
meals until the next morning, when he would take possession of his new
boarding place. He wished that he had proposed to come to breakfast, but
it was too late now.
With such a small sum in hand, he could not afford to dine on the
same magnificent scale as he had breakfasted, but he must be rigidly
economical. He decided that the cheapest food he could buy was a
five-cent loaf at some baker's. This would probably last him through the
day, and might prove sufficient for breakfast also, since he would
take a regular dinner, though he doubted, from what he had seen of the
establishment in Stanton Street, whether it would be a very inviting
repast. But it was the best he could afford, and that was all he need
consider.
Late in the afternoon, it occurred to Herbert to wonder where, in the
city, his Uncle Stanton lived. Not that he had any intention of applying
to him for assistance, even if matters came to a crisis, but he felt
a natural curiosity as to how his uncle was situated. He found the
directory readily, and, turning to the letter S, ran down the list of
names till he came to Stanton, Benjamin.
He learned that his uncle's store was in the lower part of Broadway,
while his house was in West Seventeenth Street, between Fifth and Sixth
Avenues.
“I should like to see what sort of a house Uncle Benjamin lives in,”
thought Herbert.
There was nothing to prevent his gratifying this wish, as he had plenty
of time on his hands. If he had had more money, he would have taken the
horse cars, but in his present circumstances this would be imprudent.
He decided, as it was only five o'clock, to take a leisurely walk up
Broadway, noticing his uncle's place of business on the way.
A few minutes brought him in front of the latter--an imposing-looking
building, with all the appearance of belonging to a prosperous merchant.
Appearances are deceitful, to be sure, and no doubt there are some
merchants, as outwardly prosperous, who might profitably change places
with their head clerks. But Herbert naturally judged from appearances,
and he could not help contrasting in his mind his own condition with
that of his uncle's. But he was too manly to be despondent on this
account, and thought rather, “I am young and ready to work, Some time,
if I am patient and work hard. I may be as well off as Uncle Benjamin.”
The thought of applying to him for assistance was as far off as ever.
He pursued his way uptown, finding it a longer walk than he anticipated,
arriving at half-past five at Union Square. At the upper end he turned
off, and went down Seventeenth Street.
Carefully noting the numbers, he at length found his uncle's house. It
was a handsome, substantial city mansion, and seemed appropriate as the
residence of a rich New York merchant.
“So my uncle lives here,” thought Herbert, and there rose involuntarily
in his mind the memory of the humble Western home where he and his
mother had struggled against poverty, while his uncle, who was evidently
so amply provided with the world's goods, coldly held aloof, and forbore
to offer the assistance which he could so well afford.
“If I had a sister, I could never treat her like that,” thought Herbert,
indignantly. “He would not help my mother. I will starve before I ask
him to help me.”
He paused a moment on the opposite side of the street to look at his
uncle's house. While he was standing there, a boy of about his own age,
apparently, came down the street whistling, and ascended the steps of
his uncle's house.
“I wonder if that is my cousin Tom,” thought Herbert. He knew the names
of his cousins from his mother, though he had never seen them.
While he looked, he was struck by something familiar in the appearance
of this boy. Where had he seen him before?
All at once it flashed upon him. It was the same boy he had seen in
the counting-room of Godfrey He knew him by his dandified dress and his
face, which he had noticed at the time.
This was certainly a strange coincidence, that his cousin, for it was
doubtless he, should be the first boy he encountered after reaching
New York. It would be still stranger if Mr. Godfrey should offer him
employment, and he should find himself a clerk in the same office as the
son of his rich uncle. But it was by no means certain that he would be
lucky enough to obtain such employment. Therefore there was no need of
wondering whether, under such circumstances, Tom would recognize him as
a relation.
Herbert walked thoughtfully back, and on reaching his room ate the
remainder of the loaf which he had purchased at the baker's in the
morning. It was not a very luxurious repast, but his walk had given him
an appetite, and he had no difficulty in disposing of all that was left.