章节正文
"It would be a good plan; and while you are about it you must not
forget your face."
"I ain't a-going to touch the candy with my face," added Ann,
triumphantly
"Very true; but if people saw you with such a dirty face, they
would be afraid your candy was not very clean."
"Any way you like. I will wash my face and hands both, if that's
all."
"But that isn't all. Your dress is very dirty and very ragged."
"I can't afford to dress like a lady," said Ann, who had some of
her brother's disposition, and under any other circumstances
would have resented Katy's plain home thrusts.
"You needn't dress like a lady; but the neater and cleaner you
are, the more candy you will sell."
"I will fix up as much as I can."
"Very well; if you will come to my house to-morrow morning, I
will let you have some candy."
"How much will you give me for selling it?" asked Ann.
"I can't tell now; I will think about it, and let you know when
you come."
Katy went her way, turning over and over in her mind the scheme
which Ann's application had suggested to her. She might employ a
dozen girls, or even more than that, and pay them so much a dozen
for selling the candy. She might then stop going out to sell
herself, and thus gratify her mother. She could even go to
school, and still attend to her business.
When she returned home at noon, she proposed the plan to her
mother. Mrs. Redburn was much pleased with it, though she
suggested many difficulties in the way of its success. The girls
might not be honest; but if they were not, they could be
discharged. Many of them were vicious; they would steal or be
saucy, so that people would not permit them to enter their stores
and offices, and the business would thus be brought into
disrepute. Katy determined to employ the best girls she could
find, and to tell them all that they must behave like ladies.
The next morning Ann Grippen appeared with her face and hands
tolerably clean, and wearing a dress which by a liberal
construction could be called decent. She brought a dirty, rusty
old tray, which was the best she could obtain; yet in spite of
all these disadvantages, the little candy merchant looked upon it
as a hopeful case.
"Now, Ann, you must be very civil to everybody you meet," said
Katy, as she covered the rusty tray with a sheet of clean white
paper.
"I hope I know how to behave myself," replied Ann, rather
crustily.
"I dare say you do;" and she might have hinted that there was
some difference between knowing how to do a thing and doing it.
"I was only going to tell you how to sell candy. If you don't
want me to tell you, I won't."
"I should like to have you tell me, but I guess I know how to
behave."
"You must be very civil to everybody, even when they don't speak
very pleasant to you."
"I don't know about that," replied Ann, doubtfully, for it was
contrary to the Grippen philosophy to be very civil to any one,
much less to those who were not civil to them.
"When any one buys any candy of you, you must always say, `Thank
you'; and then the next time you meet the person he will buy
again."
"How much you going to give me for selling?" demanded Ann,
abruptly cutting short the instructions.
"Mother thinks you ought to have four cents a dozen."
"Four cents? My mother says I ought to have half, and I ain't
going to sell your candy for no four cents a dozen."
"Very well; you needn't if you don't wish to do so;" and Katy
removed the sheet of white paper she had placed over the dirty
tray.
"You ought to give me half I get," added Ann, rather softened by
Katy's firmness and decision.
"Four cents is enough. I often sell a hundred sticks in a day."
"Well, I don't care; I will try it once."
"If we find we can afford to pay any more than four cents, we
will do so."
Katy covered the tray again, and arranged two dozen sticks on it
in an attractive manner. After giving Ann some further
instructions in the art of selling candy, she permitted her to
depart on her mission. She was not very confident in regard to
her success for Ann was too coarse and ill-mannered for a good
sales-woman. She hoped for the best, however, and after preparing
her own tray, she went out to attend to business as usual. In the
court she saw Master Simon Sneed, who was sitting on his father's
doorstep. She noticed that he looked sad and downhearted; and
when he spoke to her the tones of his voice indicated the same
depression of spirits.
"Have you seen the Mayor lately, Katy?" asked Simon, as he
approached.
"Not very lately"
"I should like to see him," added he, raising his eyes to her.
"Why don't you call upon him? You know where he lives--don't
you?"
"Yes, but----"
Master Simon paused, as though he did not like to explain the
reason. Katy waited for him to proceed, but as he did not, she
remarked that he looked very sad, and she hoped nothing had
happened.
"Something has happened," replied he, gloomily.
"Nothing bad, I hope."
"I have left my place at Sands & Co.'s.
"Left it? Why, how can they possibly get along without you?"
exclaimed Katy.
"It is their own fault; and though I say it who should not say
it, they will never find another young man who will do as much
for them as I have done."
"I shouldn't think they would have let you go."
"Nor I; but some men never know when they are well used."
"How did it happed?"
"I asked them for an increase of salary, and told them I could
stay no longer unless they did so. And what do you think they
did?"
"I don't know; I should suppose they would have raised your
salary."
"No, Katy," added Simon, bitterly. "Mr. Sands told me I might go;
he wouldn't have me at any rate. Wasn't that cool? Well, well; if
they don't know their own interest, they must bear the
consequences. If they fail, or lose all their trade, they can't
blame me for it. Now I have nothing to do; and I was just
thinking whether my friend the mayor couldn't help me into a
situation."
"I dare say he can. Why don't you call and see him at once?"
"I don't like to do so. He sees so many persons that I really
don't think he would recollect me. I must get something to do,
though; for my father is sick, and winter is coming on."
"How much salary did you get, Master Simon?" asked Katy, who
highly approved his determination not to be a burden upon his
father.
"Two dollars and a half a week."
"Is that all!"
"Yes; they ought to have given me ten. Even that was better than
nothing."
"I was thinking of something, Master Simon," said Katy, after a
pause.
"What, Katy?"
"I make four or five dollars a week."
"Is it possible!"
"If you have a mind to sell candy, I will furnish you all you
want, so that you can make at least three dollars a week."
The lip of Master Simon slowly curled, till his face bore an
expression of sovereigncontempt. He rose from his seat, and
fixed his eyes rather sternly upon the little candy merchant, who
began to think she had made a bad mistake, though all the time
she had intended to do a kind act.
"What have I done, Katy, that you should insult me? Do you think
I have sunk so low as to peddle candy about the streets?" said
he, contemptuously.
"Do you think I have sunk very low, Master Simon?" asked Katy,
with a pleasant smile on her face.
"Your business is very low," he replied, more gently.
"Is that business low by which I honestly make money enough to
support my sick mother and myself?"
"It would be low for me; my ideas run a little higher than that,"
answered Simon, rather disposed to apologize for his hard words;
for Katy's smile had conquered him, as a smile oftener will
conquer than a hard word.
"You know best; but if I can do anything for you, Master Simon, I
shall be very glad to do so."
"Thank you, Katy; you mean right, but never speak to me about
selling candy again. I think you can help me."
"Then I will."
"I will see you again when I get my plan arranged. In the
meantime, if you happen to meet my friend the mayor, just speak a
good word for me."
"I will;" and Katy left him.
CHAPTER XIV.
MASTER SIMON SNEED MAKES A MISTAKE.
Contrary to the expectations of Katy and her mother, Ann Grippen
returned at noon with her tray empty, having sold the whole two
dozen sticks.
"Well, Ann, how do you like the business?" asked Katy.
"First rate. Here is twenty-four cents," replied Ann; and it was
evident, from her good-natured laugh, that she was much
encouraged by her success.
"You may give me sixteen; the other eight belong to you."
"I think I can do something at it," added Ann, as she regarded
with much satisfaction the first money she had ever earned in her
life.
"You can, if you work it right; but you must be very gentle and
patient; you must keep yourself clean and----"
"Well, I guess I know all about that," interrupted Ann, who did
not like this style of remark.
"Katy," said her mother, who was sitting in her rocking-chair, by
the fire.
"What, mother?"
"Come here a moment."
Katy crossed the room to her mother, to hear what she wished to
say.
"You must not talk to her in that style," said Mrs. Redburn, in a
tone so low that Ann could not hear her.
"Why not, mother? I was only telling her how to do."
"But you speak in that tone of superiority which no one likes to
hear. You are but a child, as she is, and she will not listen to
such advice from you."
Katy wondered what her mother would have thought if she had heard
what she said to Ann the day before. Yet she was conscious that
she had "put on airs," and talked like a very old and a very wise
person.
"I suppose you would like to go out again this afternoon,"
resumed Katy, joining her assistant again.
"I don't care if I do."
"Well, come this afternoon, and you shall have some more candy;"
and Ann ran home to get her dinner.
forget your face."
"I ain't a-going to touch the candy with my face," added Ann,
triumphantly
"Very true; but if people saw you with such a dirty face, they
would be afraid your candy was not very clean."
"Any way you like. I will wash my face and hands both, if that's
all."
"But that isn't all. Your dress is very dirty and very ragged."
"I can't afford to dress like a lady," said Ann, who had some of
her brother's disposition, and under any other circumstances
would have resented Katy's plain home thrusts.
"You needn't dress like a lady; but the neater and cleaner you
are, the more candy you will sell."
"I will fix up as much as I can."
"Very well; if you will come to my house to-morrow morning, I
will let you have some candy."
"How much will you give me for selling it?" asked Ann.
"I can't tell now; I will think about it, and let you know when
you come."
Katy went her way, turning over and over in her mind the scheme
which Ann's application had suggested to her. She might employ a
dozen girls, or even more than that, and pay them so much a dozen
for selling the candy. She might then stop going out to sell
herself, and thus gratify her mother. She could even go to
school, and still attend to her business.
When she returned home at noon, she proposed the plan to her
mother. Mrs. Redburn was much pleased with it, though she
suggested many difficulties in the way of its success. The girls
might not be honest; but if they were not, they could be
discharged. Many of them were vicious; they would steal or be
saucy, so that people would not permit them to enter their stores
and offices, and the business would thus be brought into
disrepute. Katy determined to employ the best girls she could
find, and to tell them all that they must behave like ladies.
The next morning Ann Grippen appeared with her face and hands
tolerably clean, and wearing a dress which by a liberal
construction could be called decent. She brought a dirty, rusty
old tray, which was the best she could obtain; yet in spite of
all these disadvantages, the little candy merchant looked upon it
as a hopeful case.
"Now, Ann, you must be very civil to everybody you meet," said
Katy, as she covered the rusty tray with a sheet of clean white
paper.
"I hope I know how to behave myself," replied Ann, rather
crustily.
"I dare say you do;" and she might have hinted that there was
some difference between knowing how to do a thing and doing it.
"I was only going to tell you how to sell candy. If you don't
want me to tell you, I won't."
"I should like to have you tell me, but I guess I know how to
behave."
"You must be very civil to everybody, even when they don't speak
very pleasant to you."
"I don't know about that," replied Ann, doubtfully, for it was
contrary to the Grippen philosophy to be very civil to any one,
much less to those who were not civil to them.
"When any one buys any candy of you, you must always say, `Thank
you'; and then the next time you meet the person he will buy
again."
"How much you going to give me for selling?" demanded Ann,
abruptly cutting short the instructions.
"Mother thinks you ought to have four cents a dozen."
"Four cents? My mother says I ought to have half, and I ain't
going to sell your candy for no four cents a dozen."
"Very well; you needn't if you don't wish to do so;" and Katy
removed the sheet of white paper she had placed over the dirty
tray.
"You ought to give me half I get," added Ann, rather softened by
Katy's firmness and decision.
"Four cents is enough. I often sell a hundred sticks in a day."
"Well, I don't care; I will try it once."
"If we find we can afford to pay any more than four cents, we
will do so."
Katy covered the tray again, and arranged two dozen sticks on it
in an attractive manner. After giving Ann some further
instructions in the art of selling candy, she permitted her to
depart on her mission. She was not very confident in regard to
her success for Ann was too coarse and ill-mannered for a good
sales-woman. She hoped for the best, however, and after preparing
her own tray, she went out to attend to business as usual. In the
court she saw Master Simon Sneed, who was sitting on his father's
doorstep. She noticed that he looked sad and downhearted; and
when he spoke to her the tones of his voice indicated the same
depression of spirits.
"Have you seen the Mayor lately, Katy?" asked Simon, as he
approached.
"Not very lately"
"I should like to see him," added he, raising his eyes to her.
"Why don't you call upon him? You know where he lives--don't
you?"
"Yes, but----"
Master Simon paused, as though he did not like to explain the
reason. Katy waited for him to proceed, but as he did not, she
remarked that he looked very sad, and she hoped nothing had
happened.
"Something has happened," replied he, gloomily.
"Nothing bad, I hope."
"I have left my place at Sands & Co.'s.
"Left it? Why, how can they possibly get along without you?"
exclaimed Katy.
"It is their own fault; and though I say it who should not say
it, they will never find another young man who will do as much
for them as I have done."
"I shouldn't think they would have let you go."
"Nor I; but some men never know when they are well used."
"How did it happed?"
"I asked them for an increase of salary, and told them I could
stay no longer unless they did so. And what do you think they
did?"
"I don't know; I should suppose they would have raised your
salary."
"No, Katy," added Simon, bitterly. "Mr. Sands told me I might go;
he wouldn't have me at any rate. Wasn't that cool? Well, well; if
they don't know their own interest, they must bear the
consequences. If they fail, or lose all their trade, they can't
blame me for it. Now I have nothing to do; and I was just
thinking whether my friend the mayor couldn't help me into a
situation."
"I dare say he can. Why don't you call and see him at once?"
"I don't like to do so. He sees so many persons that I really
don't think he would recollect me. I must get something to do,
though; for my father is sick, and winter is coming on."
"How much salary did you get, Master Simon?" asked Katy, who
highly approved his determination not to be a burden upon his
father.
"Two dollars and a half a week."
"Is that all!"
"Yes; they ought to have given me ten. Even that was better than
nothing."
"I was thinking of something, Master Simon," said Katy, after a
pause.
"What, Katy?"
"I make four or five dollars a week."
"Is it possible!"
"If you have a mind to sell candy, I will furnish you all you
want, so that you can make at least three dollars a week."
The lip of Master Simon slowly curled, till his face bore an
expression of sovereigncontempt. He rose from his seat, and
fixed his eyes rather sternly upon the little candy merchant, who
began to think she had made a bad mistake, though all the time
she had intended to do a kind act.
"What have I done, Katy, that you should insult me? Do you think
I have sunk so low as to peddle candy about the streets?" said
he, contemptuously.
"Do you think I have sunk very low, Master Simon?" asked Katy,
with a pleasant smile on her face.
"Your business is very low," he replied, more gently.
"Is that business low by which I honestly make money enough to
support my sick mother and myself?"
"It would be low for me; my ideas run a little higher than that,"
answered Simon, rather disposed to apologize for his hard words;
for Katy's smile had conquered him, as a smile oftener will
conquer than a hard word.
"You know best; but if I can do anything for you, Master Simon, I
shall be very glad to do so."
"Thank you, Katy; you mean right, but never speak to me about
selling candy again. I think you can help me."
"Then I will."
"I will see you again when I get my plan arranged. In the
meantime, if you happen to meet my friend the mayor, just speak a
good word for me."
"I will;" and Katy left him.
CHAPTER XIV.
MASTER SIMON SNEED MAKES A MISTAKE.
Contrary to the expectations of Katy and her mother, Ann Grippen
returned at noon with her tray empty, having sold the whole two
dozen sticks.
"Well, Ann, how do you like the business?" asked Katy.
"First rate. Here is twenty-four cents," replied Ann; and it was
evident, from her good-natured laugh, that she was much
encouraged by her success.
"You may give me sixteen; the other eight belong to you."
"I think I can do something at it," added Ann, as she regarded
with much satisfaction the first money she had ever earned in her
life.
"You can, if you work it right; but you must be very gentle and
patient; you must keep yourself clean and----"
"Well, I guess I know all about that," interrupted Ann, who did
not like this style of remark.
"Katy," said her mother, who was sitting in her rocking-chair, by
the fire.
"What, mother?"
"Come here a moment."
Katy crossed the room to her mother, to hear what she wished to
say.
"You must not talk to her in that style," said Mrs. Redburn, in a
tone so low that Ann could not hear her.
"Why not, mother? I was only telling her how to do."
"But you speak in that tone of superiority which no one likes to
hear. You are but a child, as she is, and she will not listen to
such advice from you."
Katy wondered what her mother would have thought if she had heard
what she said to Ann the day before. Yet she was conscious that
she had "put on airs," and talked like a very old and a very wise
person.
"I suppose you would like to go out again this afternoon,"
resumed Katy, joining her assistant again.
"I don't care if I do."
"Well, come this afternoon, and you shall have some more candy;"
and Ann ran home to get her dinner.
- disposition [,dispə´ziʃən]
n.安排；性情；倾向 (初中英语单词) - application [,æpli´keiʃən] n.申请；申请书；应用 (初中英语单词)
- behave [bi´heiv] v.举止；表现；举止端正 (初中英语单词)
- obtain [əb´tein] v.获得；买到；得到承认 (初中英语单词)
- knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)
- philosophy [fi´lɔsəfi] n.哲学；人生观 (初中英语单词)
- attractive [ə´træktiv] a.有吸引力；诱人的 (初中英语单词)
- mission [´miʃən] n.代表团；使馆vt.派遣 (初中英语单词)
- coarse [kɔ:s] a.粗(糙)的；粗鲁的 (初中英语单词)
- lately [´leitli] ad.近来，不久前 (初中英语单词)
- bitterly [´bitəli] ad.悲痛地；憎恨地 (初中英语单词)
- sovereign [´sɔvrin] a.至高无上的 n.君主 (初中英语单词)
- insult [in´sʌlt, ´insʌlt] n.&vt.侮辱；损害 (初中英语单词)
- honestly [´ɔnistli] ad.诚实地，老实地 (初中英语单词)
- satisfaction [,sætis´fækʃən] n.满意；满足 (初中英语单词)
- conscious [´kɔnʃəs] a.意识的；自觉的 (初中英语单词)
- assistant [ə´sistənt] n.助手；助理；助教 (初中英语单词)
- gratify [´grætifai] vt.使高兴；满足 (高中英语单词)
- decent [´di:sənt] a.体面的，正派的 (高中英语单词)
- confident [´kɔnfidənt] a.有信心的，自信的 (高中英语单词)
- determination [di,tə:mi´neiʃən] n.决心；决定 (高中英语单词)
- contempt [kən´tempt] n.轻蔑；受辱；不顾 (高中英语单词)
- sternly [´stə:nli] ad.严厉地；坚定地 (高中英语单词)
- cleaner [´kli:nə] n.清洁工人；干洗商 (英语四级单词)
- vicious [´viʃəs] a.不道德的；刻毒的 (英语四级单词)
- hopeful [´həupfəl] a.有希望的，激励人的 (英语四级单词)
- firmness [´fə:mnis] n.坚定；坚硬；稳定 (英语四级单词)
- recollect [rekə´lekt] v.重新集合；恢复 (英语四级单词)
- good-natured [´gud-´neitʃəd] a.脾气好的，温厚的 (英语四级单词)
- superiority [su:piəri´ɔriti, sju:-] n.优越，卓越 (英语四级单词)
- doubtfully [´dautfuli] ad.怀疑地，可疑地 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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