Paul the Peddler; Or, The Fortunes of a Young Street Merchant

been made by George Barry, on first entering into business as a street merchant. This saved a good deal of troub

when he returned to supper, "hav

s," said Paul, "to tend a necktie st

he pay you, Pau

much do you think I hav

ty c

ee cents? Just look at this,"

is exc

lly, I shan't make more

be doing

me this afternoon. I wish everybody would do that. Now, mother, I

ready,

as clean, and everything looked neat. All did justice to the plain meal, and never thought of envying the thousands who, in th

" asked Mrs. Hoffman, not

ge Barry, and carry the mone

does he

treet. I shan'

given him. It was a large, four-story h

er to his question-"he lives upstairs

stairs, and found the r

opened by Mrs. Barry, who

arry live here

ne he left in charg

he affirmative, ad

ing to have a fever. It's fortunate he came ho

I see

" said Mr

as a cheap sewing-machine in one corner, and some plain furniture. There was a be

an, mother?" was he

aul, answerin

said Mrs. Barry. "My

el now, George

give up a minute too soon. I th

id Paul. "Still, you have you

ng without her. Can you look after

e nothing e

By the way, how many ties d

fte

arry, in surprise.

es

d so many as that

ul, gratified. "Then

y. How did

persuaded to buy six, as he could not get them so chea

sell more than six i

determined to do my best. I don'

business more than a year; and I know

dollars and seventy-five cents. I keep one-fourth of this as

You may need to change a bill, or else lose a sale. It

George. Suppose I should take a

not af

give you warning

offered to come up the next evening, but George Barry said, "It would be too much to exp

e Saturday. I hope I shall have some good sale

s own, and the entire profits his. This would double his income, and enable him to save up money. At pre

e-perhaps smaller. I have seen boys, who did not appear to be more than four years old, standing at the corners, crying the news in their childish treble. But Paul was not willing to have Jimmy sent out into the streets to undergo the rough discipline of street life. He was himself of a strong, robust nature, and did not shrink from the rough and tumble of life. He felt sure he could make his way, and give as well as receive blows. But Jimmy was shy and retiring, of a timid

amily in comfort required

reakfast for the street stand, wondering

he forenoon Mrs. Hoff

tay alone for an hour o

ture which he was copying from one of the drawing-bo

ave got half-a-dozen shirts done, an

enty-five cents apiece, mother. How

ly a

ollar and a half

at price, so it won't do for me to complain. I shall be

Mrs. Hoffman, gathering

equire long. She entered the large door, and advanced to the

as she laid the bun

ix

am

ffm

I will loo

work critically. Luckily there was no fault to

, taking from a drawer the s

ore?" asked Mrs. H

ed with goods made up. We mu

e heart of the poor woman. What she could ear

ou can give me some

or six weeks," he a

arted for home, making up her mind to look elsewhere for work in the afternoon. She could not help recalling, with sorrow, the time when her husband was living, and they lived in a pleasant little home, before the shadow of bereavement and pecuniary anxiety had