章节正文
"Do you know what is in this letter?"
"I suppose, sir, it is a request that you give me a
place."
"Did you read it?"
"No," answered Phil indignantly.
"Humph! He wants me to give you the place of
errand boy."
"I will try to suit you, sir,"
"When do you want to begin?"
"As soon as possible, sir."
"Come to-morrow morning, and report to me
first."
"Another freak of Uncle Oliver's!" he muttered,
as he turned his back upon Phil, and so signified that
the interview was at an end.
CHAPTER XI.
PHIL ENTERS UPON HIS DUTIES.
Phil presented himself in good season the next
morning at the store in Franklin Street. As he
came up in one direction the youth whom he had
seen in the store the previous day came up in the
opposite direction. The latter was evidently surprised.
"Halloo, Johnny!" said he. "What's brought
you here again?"
"Business," answered Phil.
"Going to buy out the firm?" inquired the youth
jocosely.
"Not to-day."
"Some other day, then," said the young man,
laughing as if he had said a very witty thing.
As Phil didn't know that this form of expression,
slightly varied, had become a popular phrase of the
day, he did not laugh.
"Do you belong to the church?" asked the youth,
stopping short in his own mirth.
"What makes you ask?"
"Because you don't laugh."
"I would if I saw anything to laugh at."
"Come, that's hard on me. Honor bright, have
you come to do any business with us?"
It is rather amusing to see how soon the cheapest
clerk talks of "us," quietly identifying himself with
the firm that employs him. Not that I object to it.
Often it implies a personal interest in the success
and prosperity of the firm, which makes a clerk more
valuable. This was not, however, the case with G.
Washington Wilbur, the young man who was now
conversing with Phil, as will presently appear.
"I am going to work here," answered Phil simply.
"Going to work here!" repeated Mr. Wilbur in
surprise. "Has old Pitkin engaged you?"
"Mr. Pitkin engaged me yesterday," Phil replied.
"I didn't know he wanted a boy. What are you
to do?"
"Go to the post-office, bank, and so on."
"You're to be errand boy, then?"
"Yes."
"That's the way I started," said Mr. Wilbur patronizingly.
"What are you now?"
"A salesman. I wouldn't like to be back in my
old position. What wages are you going to get?"
"Five dollars."
"Five dollars a week!" ejaculated Mr. G.
Washington Wilbur, in amazement. "Come, you're chaffing."
"Why should I do that? Is that anything remarkable?"
"I should say it was," answered Mr. Wilbur
slowly.
"Didn't you get as much when you were errand
boy?"
"I only got two dollars and a half. Did Pitkin
tell you he would pay you five dollars a week."
"No; Mr Carter told me so."
"The old gentleman--Mr. Pitkin's uncle?"
"Yes. It was at his request that Mr. Pitkin took
me on."
Mr. Wilbur looked grave.
"It's a shame!" he commenced.
"What is a shame; that I should get five dollars
a week?"
"No, but that I should only get a dollar a week
more than an errand boy. I'm worth every cent of
ten dollars a week, but the old man only gives me
six. It hardly keeps me in gloves and cigars."
"Won't he give you any more?"
"No; only last month I asked him for a raise, and
he told me if I wasn't satisfied I might go elsewhere."
"You didn't?"
"No, but I mean to soon. I will show old Pitkin
that he can't keep a man of my experience for such
a paltry salary. I dare say that Denning or Claflin
would be glad to have me, and pay me what I am
worth."
Phil did not want to laugh, but when Mr. Wilbur,
who looked scarcely older than himself, and was in
appearance but a callow youth, referred to himself
as a man of experience he found it hard to resist.
"Hadn't we better be going up stairs?" asked Phil.
"All right. Follow me," said Mr. Wilbur, "and
I'll take you to the superintendent of the room."
"I am to report to Mr. Pitkin himself, I believe."
"He won't be here yet awhile," said Wilbur.
But just then up came Mr. Wilbur himself, fully
half an hour earlier than usual.
Phil touched his hat politely, and said:
"Good-morning."
"Good-morning!" returned his employer, regarding
him sharply. "Are you the boy I hired yesterday?"
"Yes, sir."
"Come up-stairs, then."
Phil followed Mr. Pitkin up-stairs, and they
walked together through the sales-room.
"I hope you understand," said Mr. Pitkin
brusquely, "that I have engaged you at the request
of Mr. Carter and to oblige him."
"I feel grateful to Mr. Carter," said Phil, not quite
knowing what was coming next.
"I shouldn't myself have engaged a boy of whom
I knew nothing, and who could give me no city references."
"I hope you won't be disappointed in me," said
Phil.
"I hope not," answered Mr. Pitkin, in a tone
which seemed to imply that he rather expected to
be.
Phil began to feel uncomfortable. It seemed evident
that whatever he did would be closely scrutinized,
and that in an unfavorable spirit.
Mr. Pitkin paused before a desk at which was
standing a stout man with grayish hair.
"Mr. Sanderson," he said, "this is the new errand
boy. His name is--what is it, boy?"
"Philip Brent."
"You will give him something to do. Has the
mail come in?"
"No; we haven't sent to the post-office yet."
"You may send this boy at once."
Mr. Sanderson took from the desk a key and
handed it to Philip.
"That is the key to our box," he said. "Notice
the number--534. Open it and bring the mail.
Don't loiter on the way."
"Yes, sir."
Philip took the key and left the warehouse.
When he reached the street he said to himself:
"I wonder where the post-office is?"
He did not like to confess to Mr. Sanderson that
he did not know, for it would probably have been
considered a disqualification for the post which he
was filling.
"I had better walk to Broadway," he said to
himself. "I suppose the post-office must be on the
principal street."
In this Phil was mistaken. At that time the post-
office was on Nassau Street, in an old church which
had been utilized for a purpose very different from
the one to which it had originally been devoted.
Reaching Broadway, Phil was saluted by a bootblack,
with a grimy but honest-looking face.
"Shine your boots, mister?" said the boy, with a
grin.
"Not this morning."
"Some other morning, then?"
"Yes," answered Phil.
"Sorry you won't give me a job," said the bootblack.
"My taxes comes due to-day, and I ain't got
enough to pay 'em."
Phil was amused, for his new quaintance" target="_blank" title="n.相识；熟人，相识的人">acquaintance scarcely
looked like a heavy taxpayer.
"Do you pay a big tax?" he asked.
"A thousand dollars or less," answered the knight
of the brush.
"I guess it's less," said Phil.
"That's where your head's level, young chap."
"Is the post-office far from here?"
"Over half a mile, I reckon."
"Is it on this street?"
"No, it's on Nassau Street."
"If you will show me the way there I'll give you
ten cents."
"All right! The walk'll do me good. Come on!"
"What's your name?" asked Phil, who had become
interested in his new quaintance" target="_blank" title="n.相识；熟人，相识的人">acquaintance.
"The boys call me Ragged Dick."
It was indeed the lively young bootblack whose
history was afterward given in a volume which is
probably familiar to many of my readers. At this
time he was only a bootblack, and had not yet begun
to feel the spur of that ambition which led to his
subsequent prosperity.
"That's a queer name," said Phil.
"I try to live up to it," said Dick, with a comical
glance at his ragged coat, which had originally been
worn by a man six feet in height.
He swung his box over his shoulder, and led the
way to the old post-office.
CHAPTER XII.
MR. LIONEL LAKE AGAIN.
Phil continued his conversation with Ragged
Dick, and was much amused by his quaint way
of expressing himself.
When they reached Murray Street, Dick said:
"Follow me. We'll cut across the City Hall Park.
"I suppose, sir, it is a request that you give me a
place."
"Did you read it?"
"No," answered Phil indignantly.
"Humph! He wants me to give you the place of
errand boy."
"I will try to suit you, sir,"
"When do you want to begin?"
"As soon as possible, sir."
"Come to-morrow morning, and report to me
first."
"Another freak of Uncle Oliver's!" he muttered,
as he turned his back upon Phil, and so signified that
the interview was at an end.
CHAPTER XI.
PHIL ENTERS UPON HIS DUTIES.
Phil presented himself in good season the next
morning at the store in Franklin Street. As he
came up in one direction the youth whom he had
seen in the store the previous day came up in the
opposite direction. The latter was evidently surprised.
"Halloo, Johnny!" said he. "What's brought
you here again?"
"Business," answered Phil.
"Going to buy out the firm?" inquired the youth
jocosely.
"Not to-day."
"Some other day, then," said the young man,
laughing as if he had said a very witty thing.
As Phil didn't know that this form of expression,
slightly varied, had become a popular phrase of the
day, he did not laugh.
"Do you belong to the church?" asked the youth,
stopping short in his own mirth.
"What makes you ask?"
"Because you don't laugh."
"I would if I saw anything to laugh at."
"Come, that's hard on me. Honor bright, have
you come to do any business with us?"
It is rather amusing to see how soon the cheapest
clerk talks of "us," quietly identifying himself with
the firm that employs him. Not that I object to it.
Often it implies a personal interest in the success
and prosperity of the firm, which makes a clerk more
valuable. This was not, however, the case with G.
Washington Wilbur, the young man who was now
conversing with Phil, as will presently appear.
"I am going to work here," answered Phil simply.
"Going to work here!" repeated Mr. Wilbur in
surprise. "Has old Pitkin engaged you?"
"Mr. Pitkin engaged me yesterday," Phil replied.
"I didn't know he wanted a boy. What are you
to do?"
"Go to the post-office, bank, and so on."
"You're to be errand boy, then?"
"Yes."
"That's the way I started," said Mr. Wilbur patronizingly.
"What are you now?"
"A salesman. I wouldn't like to be back in my
old position. What wages are you going to get?"
"Five dollars."
"Five dollars a week!" ejaculated Mr. G.
Washington Wilbur, in amazement. "Come, you're chaffing."
"Why should I do that? Is that anything remarkable?"
"I should say it was," answered Mr. Wilbur
slowly.
"Didn't you get as much when you were errand
boy?"
"I only got two dollars and a half. Did Pitkin
tell you he would pay you five dollars a week."
"No; Mr Carter told me so."
"The old gentleman--Mr. Pitkin's uncle?"
"Yes. It was at his request that Mr. Pitkin took
me on."
Mr. Wilbur looked grave.
"It's a shame!" he commenced.
"What is a shame; that I should get five dollars
a week?"
"No, but that I should only get a dollar a week
more than an errand boy. I'm worth every cent of
ten dollars a week, but the old man only gives me
six. It hardly keeps me in gloves and cigars."
"Won't he give you any more?"
"No; only last month I asked him for a raise, and
he told me if I wasn't satisfied I might go elsewhere."
"You didn't?"
"No, but I mean to soon. I will show old Pitkin
that he can't keep a man of my experience for such
a paltry salary. I dare say that Denning or Claflin
would be glad to have me, and pay me what I am
worth."
Phil did not want to laugh, but when Mr. Wilbur,
who looked scarcely older than himself, and was in
appearance but a callow youth, referred to himself
as a man of experience he found it hard to resist.
"Hadn't we better be going up stairs?" asked Phil.
"All right. Follow me," said Mr. Wilbur, "and
I'll take you to the superintendent of the room."
"I am to report to Mr. Pitkin himself, I believe."
"He won't be here yet awhile," said Wilbur.
But just then up came Mr. Wilbur himself, fully
half an hour earlier than usual.
Phil touched his hat politely, and said:
"Good-morning."
"Good-morning!" returned his employer, regarding
him sharply. "Are you the boy I hired yesterday?"
"Yes, sir."
"Come up-stairs, then."
Phil followed Mr. Pitkin up-stairs, and they
walked together through the sales-room.
"I hope you understand," said Mr. Pitkin
brusquely, "that I have engaged you at the request
of Mr. Carter and to oblige him."
"I feel grateful to Mr. Carter," said Phil, not quite
knowing what was coming next.
"I shouldn't myself have engaged a boy of whom
I knew nothing, and who could give me no city references."
"I hope you won't be disappointed in me," said
Phil.
"I hope not," answered Mr. Pitkin, in a tone
which seemed to imply that he rather expected to
be.
Phil began to feel uncomfortable. It seemed evident
that whatever he did would be closely scrutinized,
and that in an unfavorable spirit.
Mr. Pitkin paused before a desk at which was
standing a stout man with grayish hair.
"Mr. Sanderson," he said, "this is the new errand
boy. His name is--what is it, boy?"
"Philip Brent."
"You will give him something to do. Has the
mail come in?"
"No; we haven't sent to the post-office yet."
"You may send this boy at once."
Mr. Sanderson took from the desk a key and
handed it to Philip.
"That is the key to our box," he said. "Notice
the number--534. Open it and bring the mail.
Don't loiter on the way."
"Yes, sir."
Philip took the key and left the warehouse.
When he reached the street he said to himself:
"I wonder where the post-office is?"
He did not like to confess to Mr. Sanderson that
he did not know, for it would probably have been
considered a disqualification for the post which he
was filling.
"I had better walk to Broadway," he said to
himself. "I suppose the post-office must be on the
principal street."
In this Phil was mistaken. At that time the post-
office was on Nassau Street, in an old church which
had been utilized for a purpose very different from
the one to which it had originally been devoted.
Reaching Broadway, Phil was saluted by a bootblack,
with a grimy but honest-looking face.
"Shine your boots, mister?" said the boy, with a
grin.
"Not this morning."
"Some other morning, then?"
"Yes," answered Phil.
"Sorry you won't give me a job," said the bootblack.
"My taxes comes due to-day, and I ain't got
enough to pay 'em."
Phil was amused, for his new quaintance" target="_blank" title="n.相识；熟人，相识的人">acquaintance scarcely
looked like a heavy taxpayer.
"Do you pay a big tax?" he asked.
"A thousand dollars or less," answered the knight
of the brush.
"I guess it's less," said Phil.
"That's where your head's level, young chap."
"Is the post-office far from here?"
"Over half a mile, I reckon."
"Is it on this street?"
"No, it's on Nassau Street."
"If you will show me the way there I'll give you
ten cents."
"All right! The walk'll do me good. Come on!"
"What's your name?" asked Phil, who had become
interested in his new quaintance" target="_blank" title="n.相识；熟人，相识的人">acquaintance.
"The boys call me Ragged Dick."
It was indeed the lively young bootblack whose
history was afterward given in a volume which is
probably familiar to many of my readers. At this
time he was only a bootblack, and had not yet begun
to feel the spur of that ambition which led to his
subsequent prosperity.
"That's a queer name," said Phil.
"I try to live up to it," said Dick, with a comical
glance at his ragged coat, which had originally been
worn by a man six feet in height.
He swung his box over his shoulder, and led the
way to the old post-office.
CHAPTER XII.
MR. LIONEL LAKE AGAIN.
Phil continued his conversation with Ragged
Dick, and was much amused by his quaint way
of expressing himself.
When they reached Murray Street, Dick said:
"Follow me. We'll cut across the City Hall Park.
- interview [´intəvju:]
n.&vt.接见；会见；交谈 (初中英语单词) - previous [´pri:viəs] a.先，前，以前的 (初中英语单词)
- evidently [´evidəntli] ad.明显地 (初中英语单词)
- phrase [freiz] n.短语；词组；措词 (初中英语单词)
- prosperity [prɔ´speriti] n.繁荣；成功；幸运 (初中英语单词)
- presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)
- errand [´erənd] n.差使，使命 (初中英语单词)
- amazement [ə´meizmənt] n.惊愕；惊奇 (初中英语单词)
- employer [im´plɔiə] n.雇佣者，雇主 (初中英语单词)
- sharply [´ʃɑ:pli] ad.锋利地；剧烈地 (初中英语单词)
- oblige [ə´blaidʒ] vt.责成；迫使；使感激 (初中英语单词)
- grateful [´greitful] a.感谢的；令人愉快的 (初中英语单词)
- whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)
- confess [kən´fes] vt.供认；坦白；承认 (初中英语单词)
- acquaintance [ə´kweintəns] n.相识；熟人，相识的人 (初中英语单词)
- lively [´laivli] a.活泼的；热烈的 (初中英语单词)
- volume [´vɔlju:m, ´vɑljəm] n.卷；书籍；体积；容量 (初中英语单词)
- ambition [æm´biʃən] n.雄心，野心；企图 (初中英语单词)
- amusing [ə´mju:ziŋ] a.有趣的 (高中英语单词)
- repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)
- post-office [´pəust-´ɔfis] a.邮政的 (高中英语单词)
- salesman [´seilzmən] n.店员；推销员 (高中英语单词)
- superintendent [,su:pərin´tendənt, ,sju:-] n.管理人，负责人 (高中英语单词)
- politely [pə´laitli] ad.温和地；文雅地 (高中英语单词)
- uncomfortable [ʌn´kʌmftəbəl] a.不舒服的，不自在的 (高中英语单词)
- mistaken [mis´teikən] mistake的过去分词 (高中英语单词)
- originally [ə´ridʒənəli] ad.本来；独创地 (高中英语单词)
- broadway [´brɔ:dwei] n.&a.百老汇大街(的) (高中英语单词)
- ragged [´rægid] a.衣服破烂的 (高中英语单词)
- quaint [kweint] a.离奇的；奇妙的 (高中英语单词)
- varied [´veərid] a.各种各样的 (英语四级单词)
- loiter [´lɔitə] v.闲逛，消磨时间 (英语六级单词)
文章标签:名著
章节正文
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