CHAPTER X. SETH LAWTON.

"Mr. Lawton," said Loammi, "this boy is Scott Walton. His mother was a cousin of ours. Pa has given him a place in the store, because he hasn't any money."

Seth Lawton looked at Scott eagerly.

"My boy," he said, grasping Scott's hand, "your mother was my favorite cousin. Poor Lucy, when I last saw her she was just married to your father. Is she—is she dead?"

"Yes, sir," answered Scott. "She died when I was but five years old."

"Poor Lucy, poor girl!" said the old man, sighing. "And your father?"

"He is dead, too. He died but a few weeks since on the ship that brought us over from Liverpool."

"And there were no other children?"

"No, I was the only one."

[Pg 81]

"Mr. Lawton," said Loammi, who had been listening impatiently, "you must excuse me, as I must go upstairs and prepare for dinner."

Mr. Lawton scarcely noticed Loammi's unceremonious exit, he was so occupied with Scott.

"So you are my cousin, too," he said, in a softened¹ voice. "I never saw you before, but I know I shall like you. You have a look like your mother."

"I was thought to look like mother," said Scott.

"How old are you?"

"I shall be sixteen in a few weeks."

"You are young to be an orphan². I judge from what your cousin says that you were left poor."

"Yes, father was unfortunate. He was so honest himself that he allowed people to cheat him."

"There are too many such cases. But I am glad that Cousin Ezra has opened his heart and given you a home."

"Yes," said Scott, briefly³.

He was not disposed to be ungrateful, but it did not seem to him that he owed a very large debt of gratitude⁴ to Mr. Little, who had taken[Pg 82] all his money and merely gave him his board in return for his services in the store.

"Do you find your cousin—what is his name?—a pleasant companion?"

"Loammi and I do not see much of each other, Mr. Lawton."

Seth Lawton looked at Scott shrewdly.

"I am not surprised to hear it," he said. "Loammi reminds me of his father very strongly."

"He looks upon me as a poor relation," continued Scott, smiling.

"Do you mind that much?"

"A little. I don't mean to be poor always."

"A wise determination. So you have a place in the store?"

"Yes, sir."

"How do you like that?"

"Very much. I like business. I don't have much to do with Mr. Little there, but the superintendent⁵, Mr. Allen, is just, and encourages me to do my best."

"I am glad to hear that. Do you think Ezra is prosperous?"

"I should think so. He seems to be doing a good business."

"Does he strike you as a good manager?"

[Pg 83]

"He keeps down expenses. The clerks say that he pays poorer wages than anyone in the trade."

"That isn't always the sign of a good manager," said Seth Lawton, slowly. "Clerks will always work better for a generous employer. So, on the whole, Ezra may be considered well-to-do?"

"Yes, sir."

"I am always glad to hear that my friends—and relatives are prospering⁶."

"You don't look as if you were very prosperous yourself," thought Scott. "I suppose you, too, are a poor relation."

"How much does Ezra pay you?"

"My board."

"That wouldn't be bad if you were a stranger. But how do you manage about clothes?"

"My father left me fifty dollars. Mr. Little took charge of it, and I suppose he will buy me clothing out of it."

"Humph!" said Seth Lawton, dryly. "He seems to put everything on a business basis."

Just then the door opened, and Ezra Little entered the room. He was prepared to see Mr. Lawton, Loammi having apprised⁷ him of his arrival.

He came forward, eying Mr. Lawton closely.

"He's as poor as poverty!" he said to himself.[Pg 84] "He doesn't seem to have made much of a success."

"This is a surprise, Seth," said he, offering his hand coldly. "I had almost forgotten you."

"Very natural, Cousin Ezra," said the old man, smiling.

"Where have you been all these years?"

"I have been a wanderer, Ezra. I have been in America for the last few years. I came from Michigan last."

"Have you married?"

"No; I am alone."

"Perhaps it is just as well. You have been at less expense."

"True. You, however, have married, and, as I judge, are prosperous."

"Yes, I have a good business on Eighth Avenue," said Ezra Little, complacently⁸. "I haven't been a rolling stone."

"Like me?"

"Well, yes, like you."

"And so you have gathered some moss⁹."

"Yes; I think it a duty to succeed."

"If possible."

"A man can succeed if he goes to work the right way," said Ezra, dogmatically.

[Pg 85]

"Well, perhaps so," admitted Seth, slowly.

"How long have you been in New York?"

"I arrived last week."

"From Michigan?"

"Yes."

"Do you plan to stay here?"

"Well, I have not quite decided¹⁰. I took a little while to get settled, and then I looked you up in the directory. But I have found more than I bargained for. I did not know that any of Lucy's family were in America," and he nodded in the direction of Scott.

"Yes," answered Ezra, with a slight frown; "Scott's father took it into his head to come to America when he was in the last stages of consumption. He died on the passage leaving his son to the cold mercies of the world."

"And you kindly¹¹ took him into your home?"

"Well, I couldn't see him starve," said Mr. Little, ungraciously. "So I gave him a place in my store."

"I hope he is doing well there."

"Oh, yes, he is doing well enough. The work is not hard."

"So that you receive some equivalent for your kindness."

[Pg 86]

"Oh, I could get a boy to do the same work for three dollars a week."

"Well, Ezra, I think you won't lose anything by your kindness to an orphan relative."

"I will do what I can for him, but I can't undertake to help any more poor relations."

His tone was significant, and Seth understood it, but his feelings did not seem to be hurt.

"Possibly you were thinking of me, Ezra," he said, mildly.

"Are you a poor relation?" asked Ezra Little, bluntly.

"That is hard to tell. Ideas of poverty are comparative. I have always supported myself, and I hope I shall continue to do so. In a great city like this I can surely find something to do."

"I think you would better have remained in Michigan. What were you doing there?"

"I kept books for a man in the lumber¹² business," answered Seth.

"You couldn't get a chance to keep books here. Your age would be against you, for one thing, Seth."

"I am only fifty-six, Ezra."

"That is old when you are seeking a position.[Pg 87] I hope you have some money to fall back upon."

"I have a little, and then I was always able to live frugally¹³."

"That is wise. You might, perhaps, expect that I would give you a place in my store, but you would not do for the dry-goods business."

"I don't think I should," said the old man, candidly¹⁴. "I have never been accustomed to very close confinement¹⁵."

"Pa, supper's ready!" announced Loammi, opening the door.

"Will you walk out and take supper with us, Seth?"

"Thank you, Ezra. It will be pleasant to sit down with relations. It is many years since I have done so."

Seth Lawton was introduced to Mrs. Little, who greeted him kindly, though, like her husband and son, she looked upon him as a poor relation. She had a better disposition¹⁶ than they, and was not so worldly minded.

Seth Lawton was seated next to Scott on one side of the table. Opposite sat Loammi.

"Put the two poor relations together, ma," he had said to his mother, beforehand. "Pa'll have his hands full if any more come to the city."[Pg 88]

"They are not to blame for their poverty," returned Mrs. Little.

"I should hate to be poor," said Loammi, emphatically.

"Your father and I were poor once."

"But you got bravely over it. That's because pa was smart. This old man—Seth Lawton—looks as if he wasn't worth a hundred dollars, and he must be ten years older than pa."

1 softened   

（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
• The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

2 orphan   

n.孤儿；adj.无父母的

参考例句：

• He brought up the orphan and passed onto him his knowledge of medicine.他把一个孤儿养大，并且把自己的医术传给了他。
• The orphan had been reared in a convent by some good sisters.这个孤儿在一所修道院里被几个好心的修女带大。

3 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

4 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

5 superintendent   

n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长

参考例句：

• He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
• He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。

6 prospering   

成功，兴旺( prosper的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Our country is thriving and prospering day by day. 祖国日益繁荣昌盛。
• His business is prospering. 他生意兴隆。

7 apprised   

v.告知，通知( apprise的过去式和过去分词 )；评价

参考例句：

• We were fully apprised of the situation. 我们完全获悉当时的情况。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I have apprised him of your arrival. 我已经告诉他你要来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 complacently   

adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地

参考例句：

• He complacently lived out his life as a village school teacher. 他满足于一个乡村教师的生活。
• "That was just something for evening wear," returned his wife complacently. “那套衣服是晚装，"他妻子心安理得地说道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

9 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

12 lumber   

n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动

参考例句：

• The truck was sent to carry lumber.卡车被派出去运木材。
• They slapped together a cabin out of old lumber.他们利用旧木料草草地盖起了一间小屋。

13 frugally   

adv. 节约地, 节省地

参考例句：

• They lived frugally off a diet of porridge and lentils. 他们生活节俭，只吃燕麦粥和小扁豆。
• The enterprise is in live frugally, common people criterion enclasp pocket. 企业在节衣缩食，老百姓则握紧了口袋。

14 candidly   

adv.坦率地，直率而诚恳地

参考例句：

• He has stopped taking heroin now,but admits candidly that he will always be a drug addict.他眼下已经不再吸食海洛因了,不过他坦言自己永远都是个瘾君子。
• Candidly,David,I think you're being unreasonable.大卫，说实话我认为你不讲道理。

15 confinement   

n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限

参考例句：

• He spent eleven years in solitary confinement.他度过了11年的单独监禁。
• The date for my wife's confinement was approaching closer and closer.妻子分娩的日子越来越近了。

16 disposition   

n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署

参考例句：

• He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
• He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。