"Surely," said the Englishman, "you were not brought up in the street?"
"Oh, no," answered Rodney, "I was more fortunate."
"Then how does it happen that I find you here -- among the needy1 boys of the city?"
"Because I am needy, too."
"But you were not always poor?"
"No; I inherited a moderate fortune from my father. It was only within a short time that I learned from my guardian2 that it was lost. I left the boarding school where I was being educated, and came to the city to try to make a living."
"But surely your guardian would try to provide for you?"
"He is no longer in the city."
"Who was he?" asked Otis Goodnow.
"Mr. Benjamin Fielding."
"Is it possible? Why, I lost three thousand dollars by him. He has treated you shamefully3."
"It was not intentional4, I am sure," said Rodney. "He was probably drawn5 into using my money by the hope of retrieving6 himself. He wrote me that he hoped at some time to make restitution7."
"You speak of him generously, my lad," said Mr. Mulgrave. "Yet he has brought you to absolute poverty."
"Yes, sir, and I won't pretend that it is not a hard trial to me, but if I can get a chance to earn my own living, I will not complain."
"Goodnow, a word with you," said the Englishman, and he drew his friend aside. "Can't you make room for this boy in your establishment?"
Otis Goodnow hesitated. "At present there is no vacancy," he said.
"Make room for him, and draw upon me for his wages for the first six months."
"I will do so, but before the end of that time I am sure he will justify8 my paying him out of my own pocket."
There was a little further conference, and then the two gentlemen came up to where Rodney was standing9 with Mr. O'Connor.
"My boy," said Mr. Mulgrave, "my friend here will give you a place at five dollars a week. Will that satisfy you?"
Rodney's face flushed with pleasure.
"It will make me very happy," he said.
"Come round to my warehouse10 -- here is my business card -- tomorrow morning," said the merchant. "Ask to see me."
"At what time shall I call, sir?"
"At half past nine o'clock. That is for the first morning. When you get to work you will have to be there at eight."
"There will be no trouble about that, sir."
"Now it is my turn," said the Englishman. "Here are five dollars to keep you till your first week's wages come due. I dare say you will find them useful."
"Thank you very much, sir. I was almost out of money."
After the two gentlemen left the Lodging11 House Rodney looked at the card and found that his new place of employment was situated12 on Reade Street not far from Broadway.
"It's you that's in luck, Rodney," said his friend Mike. "Who'd think that a gentleman would come to the Lodging House to give you a place?"
"Yes, I am in luck, Mike, and now I'm going to make you a proposal."
"What is it?"
"Why can't we take a room together? It will be better than living here."
"Sure you wouldn't room with a poor boy like me?"
"Why shouldn't I? You are a good friend, and I should like your company. Besides I mean to help you get an education. I suppose you're not a first class scholar, Mike?"
"About fourth class, I guess, Rodney."
"Then you shall study with me. Then when you know a little more you may get a chance to get out of your present business, and get into a store."
"That will be bully13!" said Mike with pleasure.
"Now we'd better go to bed; I must be up bright and early in the morning. We'll engage a room before I go to work."
There was no difficulty about rising early. It is one of the rules of the Lodging House for the boys to rise at six o'clock, and after a frugal14 breakfast of coffee and rolls they are expected to go out to their business whatever it may be. Mike and Rodney dispensed15 with the regulation breakfast and went out to a restaurant on Park Row where they fared better.
"Now where shall we go for a room?" asked Rodney.
"There's a feller I know has a good room on Bleecker Street," said Mike.
"How far is that?"
"A little more'n a mile."
"All right! Let us go and see."
Bleecker Street once stood in better repute than at present. It is said that A. T. Stewart once made his home there. Now it is given over to shops and cheap lodging houses.
Finally the boys found a room decently fumished, about ten feet square, of which the rental16 was two dollars and a half per week. Mike succeeded in beating down the lodging house keeper to two dollars, and at that figure they engaged it.
"When will you come?" asked Mrs. McCarty.
"Right off," said Mike.
"I'll need a little time to put it in order."
"Me and my partner will be at our business till six o'clock," returned Mike.
"You can send in your trunks during the day if you like."
"My trunk is at the Windsor Hotel," said Mike. "I've lent it to a friend for a few days."
Mrs. McCarty looked at Mike with a puzzled expression. She was one of those women who are slow to comprehend a joke, and she could not quite make it seem natural that her new lodger18, who was in rather neglige costume, should be a guest at a fashionable hotel.
"I will leave my valise," said Rodney, "and will send for my trunk. It is in the country."
Mike looked at him, not feeling quite certain whether he was in earnest, but Rodney was perfectly19 serious.
"You're better off than me," said Mike, when they reached the street. "If I had a trunk I wouldn't have anything to put into it."
"I'll see if I can't rig you out, Mike. I've got a good many clothes, bought when I was rich. You and I are about the same size. I'll give you a suit of clothes to wear on Sundays."
"Will you?" exclaimed Mike, his face showing pleasure. "I'd like to see how I look in good clo'es. I never wore any yet. It wouldn't do no good in my business."
"You won't want to wear them when at work. But wouldn't you like to change your business?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever tried?"
"What'd be the use of tryin'? They'd know I was a bootblack in these clo'es."
"When you wear a better suit you can go round and try your luck."
"I'd like to," said Mike wistfully. "I don't want you to tell at the store that you room with a bootblack."
"It isn't that I think of, Mike. I want you to do better. I'm going to make a man of you."
"I hope you are. Sometimes I've thought I'd have to be a bootblack always. When do you think you'll get the clo'es?"
"I shall write to the principal of the boarding school at once, asking him to forward my trunk by express. I want to economize20 a little this week, and shall have to pay the express charges."
"I'll pay up my part of the rent, Rodney, a quarter a day."
Rodney had advanced the whole sum, as Mike was not in funds.
"If you can't pay a dollar a week I will pay a little more than half."
"There ain't no need. I'll pay my half and be glad to have a nice room."
"I've got three or four pictures at the school, and some books. I'll send for them later on, and we'll fix up the room."
"Will you? We'll have a reg'lar bang up place. I tell you that'll be better than livin' at the Lodge17."
"Still that seems a very neat place. It is lucky for poor boys that they can get lodging so cheap."
"But it isn't like havin' a room of your own, Rodney. I say, when we're all fixed21 I'll ask some of me friends to come in some evenin' and take a look at us. They'll be s'prised."
"Certainly, Mike. I shall be glad to see any of your friends."
It may seem strange that Rodney, carefully as he had been brought up, should have made a companion of Mike, but he recognized in the warm hearted Irish boy, illiterate22 as he was, sterling23 qualities, and he felt desirous of helping24 to educate him. He knew that he could always depend on his devoted25 friendship, and looked forward with pleasure to their more intimate companionship.
After selecting their room and making arrangements to take possession of it, the boys went down town. Rodney stepped into the reading room at the Astor House and wrote the following letter to Dr. Sampson:
DR. PLINY SAMPSON:
DEAR SIR -- Will you be kind enough to send my trunk by express to No. 312 Bleecker Street? I have taken a room there, and that will be my home for the present. I have obtained a position in a wholesale26 house on Reade Street, and hope I may give satisfaction. Will you remember me with best wishes to all the boys? I don't expect to have so easy or pleasant a time as I had at school, but I hope to get on, and some time -- perhaps in the summer -- to make you a short visit.
Yours truly, RODNEY ROPES.
收听单词发音 |
1
needy
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| adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的 | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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shamefully
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| 可耻地； 丢脸地； 不体面地； 羞耻地 | |
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intentional
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| adj.故意的，有意（识）的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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6
retrieving
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| n.检索（过程），取还v.取回( retrieve的现在分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息） | |
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restitution
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| n.赔偿；恢复原状 | |
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justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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9
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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warehouse
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| n.仓库；vt.存入仓库 | |
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lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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14
frugal
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| adj.节俭的，节约的，少量的，微量的 | |
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dispensed
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| v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
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rental
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| n.租赁，出租，出租业 | |
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lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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lodger
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| n.寄宿人，房客 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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economize
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| v.节约，节省 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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illiterate
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| adj.文盲的；无知的；n.文盲 | |
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sterling
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| adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑) | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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