Jr. Horatio Alger

“ I have estimated that I can do it for a hundred dollars,—the same that my last summer’s trip cost me.”
“It must be splendid to travel,” said John, enthusiastically. “I mean to see something of the world some day, though I suspect that I shall be a pretty old boy before I am able to. I have no guardian to send me money. I must earn my money before I spend it.”
“I never earned a dollar in my life,” said Gilbert. 14“I wonder how it would seem if I had to support myself, and make my own way in the world.” ”

“ Both mother and son could see that Gilbert and Laura Vivian were conversing pleasantly, judging from the smiles on the faces of each.
“Mr. and Mrs. Vivian are not very wise in permitting such an intimacy between their daughter and a penniless boy,” said Mrs. Briggs, frowning. “Some people are very unwise.”
“I dare say he pretends he is rich, and boasts of father’s being his guardian,” suggested Randolph. ”

“ Gilbert thanked her again.
“Now I must leave you. Good-morning.”
Mrs. Briggs sailed out of the room, and Gilbert, following her, let himself out into the street.
“So that’s what they call a city mansion,” he said to himself. “I’d ten times rather be in my room at Dr. Burton’s. I felt as if I was in danger of stifling in that showy parlor. I hope I am not going to live there.”
Gilbert had nowhere to go; but the city was a novelty, and he wandered about the streets, looking about him with the keen interest of a country visitor.
A short walk brought him to the Fifth Avenue Hotel. ”

“ He, too, had been under the impression that Gilbert was at least comfortably provided for.
“Well, Greyson,” he said, “I suppose this letter surprises you.”
“Yes, sir, it does,” answered Gilbert, slowly. “I always supposed that I had money to depend upon.”
“I don’t like to reflect upon your guardian, but it seems to me he ought to have apprised you beforehand of what you had to expect.”
26“I wish he had.”
“Do you feel very much disappointed?” asked the doctor, eying his pupil with interest.
“Considerably, sir. It is hard to fancy myself a poor boy, with my own way to make in the world.” ”

“ Jones,” said Gilbert, “but my own acquaintance is too limited to allow me to take such a liberty.”
“Just as you say, of course,” said Alphonso, crestfallen. “I dare say I shall soon meet them at some fashionable party.”
“So it will really not make much difference,” suggested Ingalls.
“Oh, very little,” said Mr. Jones, nonchalantly. “I thought perhaps Mr. Greyson might like the company of one who was used to society. I think, on the whole, I will call on my friends, the Montmorencys, this evening.”
“Where do they live, Mr. Jones?” asked Mr. Ingalls. ”

“ Briggs?” asked Mr. Ingalls.
“Oh, no, I am preparing for college,” said Randolph; “there is no need of my going into business.”
“I wish I could have gone to college,” said Gilbert, regretfully.
“It takes money to go to college,” said Randolph, complacently; “I intend to live in style when I go there.”
“I am afraid, Gilbert,” said young Ingalls, “we must put off going till our wages are raised.” ”

“ GILBERT’S PLANS. Gilbert left the house of Mrs. Briggs, not cast down, but with a full understanding of his situation. Until now he had had his guardian’s assistance, and, with the income from his position as office-boy, had felt no anxiety. Now, both had failed him, for the time at least, and he must shift for himself. Disaster develops the manhood in a boy as well as a man. So Gilbert did not indulge in any gloomy anticipations of starvation or pauperism. ”

“ Briggs and Randolph have returned,” 344said the merchant. “One word, Gilbert, of what has passed between us, let it only be known that you have received a large legacy, and that I am your guardian in reality as well as in name.”
“All right, sir. Perhaps I had better go. Mrs. Briggs don’t like me.”
Her husband laughed.
“She will change when she knows you are rich,” he said. “Don’t be surprised. It is the way of the world.”
He had scarcely finished when Mrs. Briggs entered, followed by Randolph. She remarked Gilbert’s presence with displeasure. ”

“ Vivian. “Was it your idea, or his, to go to a boarding-house?”
“I suspect,” said Gilbert, hesitating, for he was not clear whether he ought to tell this, “that it was Mrs. Briggs’ idea. From the first, she has not seemed to like me.”
137“I don’t like her looks,” said Laura; “I have seen her several times. You know, papa, she was at the same hotel with us at Saratoga. She looks cross.”
“You must not speak too hastily against people, Laura,” said Mrs. Vivian.
“I suspect Laura only shares the general feeling,” said Mr. Vivian. “Mrs. Briggs is, by no means, a favorite in society.” ”

“ Gilbert had no trouble in finding it, for he had been there before. Now, however, he had a new feeling as he entered the handsomely fitted-up room. He was no longer the wealthy ward, but as it appeared the humble dependent of the rich merchant whom he was to meet. The change was not an agreeable one, but he had made up his mind that he must face whatever was disagreeable in his position in a manly way.
“Is Mr. Briggs in?” he inquired, of a clerk who was writing at a desk. ”

“ Talbot?”
“I ought to know him. I was his book-keeper up to the time of his death.”
“Is it possible?” ejaculated Gilbert. “How glad I am to meet you! I know nothing of my father except what Mr. Briggs has told me.”
“One thing I do not understand,” continued the sick man. “You say you have no property; but this cannot be. Your father left seventy-five thousand dollars.”
“Seventy-five thousand dollars! Are you sure, Mr. Talbot?”
“No one can be surer. I knew all about your father’s business and the extent of his property.”
“Was this money entrusted to my guardian?” asked Gilbert, quickly. ”

“ There is no company—no one but ourselves.”
“Ahem!” said Mr. Briggs, clearing his throat: “there was a very small property, but it has all been spent on Gilbert’s education.”
“Who left him the property?” asked Randolph, persistently.
Gilbert was interested in the answer to this question, and he looked with eager inquiry at his guardian, hoping that he would reveal what he had so long desired to know.
“You are very curious,” said Mr. Briggs, displeased.
“There’s no reason why you shouldn’t tell me; is there, father?” ”

“ He was shocked at the meanness and wickedness of John and the book-keeper in forming such a conspiracy against him. He was already learning the lesson of distrust, and that is never a pleasant lesson for any of us. Fortunately, we need not distrust everybody. He must be indeed unfortunate who does not find some true friends to keep up his faith in humanity. Our hero had found one, who, though but a boot-black, was likely to be of essential service to him.
It is said that ill news travels fast. That very evening Mrs. Briggs learned that Gilbert had lost his situation, and from what cause. ”

“ Briggs is no longer Gilbert’s guardian. Our hero is of age, and has assumed the charge of his own property. He is always sure of a cordial welcome from Mrs. Briggs now, and Randolph cultivates his intimacy; but Gilbert does not find him congenial. He is inclined to be dissipated, and, I am afraid, will not turn out well. But his mother upholds him on all occasions; and her ill-judged indulgence is partly the cause of her son’s lack of promise.
356Gilbert sometimes visits the old boarding-house. Mr. Ingalls is prospering. Alphonso Jones now boasts of his intimacy with Gilbert. ”

“ He shouldn’t have made such a fool of himself.”
“That fellow don’t care much about Gilbert, John,” said Simon Moore, after Randolph’s departure.
“That’s so,” said John.
“If he has no warmer friends than that, we shan’t have any applications to take him back.”
“I hope not,” said John. “What do you think Mr. Sands will say when he finds me here?”
“If I tell him you have done your duty, and done all I required, he’ll probably keep you. You must do better than you did last time. No fooling away your time in the streets when you are sent on an errand. It won’t do.” ”

“ My old teacher would stare if he should learn that I had set myself up as a classical professor.”
“Your fortune has changed wonderfully. From a newsboy to professor is rather a startling transformation.”
300“My career as a newsboy is ended. I abandon the field to my competitors, and devote myself to the dissemination of learning.”
“Alphonso Jones thinks you are a very remarkable young man. He told me so to-night.”
“I can return the compliment,” said Gilbert, laughing. “If you can change a ten-dollar bill, Mr. Ingalls, I will pay you the six dollars advanced for my board.” ”

“ Now, John, I have a large income,—much more than I can use,—and I want to do what good I can with it. I know you want to keep at school, but cannot, on account of your father’s circumstances. I have a proposal to make to you. Give up work, and go back to Dr. Burton’s school. I will allow you three hundred dollars a year till you are ready to go to college. Then you shall come to Yale, and room with me. I will provide for you in college. After you graduate, your education will command a position that will make you independent. ”

“ My brother from Boston, who was here for a while, complained a good deal of the long distances in New York. In Boston business men have much less distance to travel.”
“I never was in Boston,” said Gilbert. “Is it a pleasant city?”
“It is the ‘Hub of the Universe,’ you know; so 100Dr. Holmes calls it, at any rate. Yes, it is a pleasant city, but small, of course, compared with New York. How did you happen to come to this boarding-house?” ”

“ The conversation was interrupted by Miss Brintnall, who was expressing her views on woman’s rights.
“In my opinion,” she said, “man is a cruel and despotic tyrant. He monopolizes the good things of this life, and only throws an occasional crumb to poor, ill-used women. Women, for the same work, are paid less than half as much as men. Take myself, for example. I work just as hard as the principal of my school, yet he gets three dollars to my one. ”

“ Gilbert had already formed a favorable opinion of Mr. Sands and he answered promptly, “I am very 81much obliged to him, and shall be glad to be in his employ.”
Mr. Sands looked pleased.
“May I ask what is your business, sir?” continued Gilbert.
“I am a broker; my office is at No. — Wall Street.”
“I am afraid you will find me very ignorant of business,” said Gilbert; “but I hope to learn rapidly.”
“There is nothing that will puzzle you at first. If you remain any length of time, there will be something to learn.”
“I have assured Mr. Sands,” said Mr. Briggs, “that he can rely upon your honesty. ”

“ WITH FRIENDLY REGARD.
v PREFACE. “Shifting for Himself” records the experiences of a boy who, in the course of a preparation for college, suddenly finds himself reduced to poverty. He is obliged to leave his books, and give up his cherished plans. How cheerfully Gilbert Greyson accepted the situation, and settled down to regular work, what obstacles he encountered and overcame, and what degree of success he met with in the end, the reader of this story will learn. ”

“ Vivian, in a voice of sympathy.
“Indeed I have no relatives that I am aware of; Mr. Richard Briggs, a merchant of this city, is my guardian.”
“Richard Briggs? I know of him.”
“I ought to say, however,” added Gilbert, who did not wish to sail under false colors, “that I can hardly continue to call him my guardian, as he informs me that my little property has been all expended on my education, and that I am now penniless, and must work for my living.”
“I don’t consider that a misfortune,” said Mr. Vivian. “It will make a man of you the sooner. ”

“ I need not say that it will be a very great help to me.”
“I know that, Gilbert; and I am glad to be able to serve you, at the same time that I serve myself. When I was a boy I was in limited circumstances. The memory of my own past makes me considerate of others. Now, when will you begin?”
“This evening, if you like.”
“I should like it. We will expect you then. Here is a week’s pay in advance.”
Mr. Vivian took from his pocket-book a ten-dollar bill and placed it in Gilbert’s hands. ”

“ When at school I used to walk ten miles sometimes, on holidays.”
“Mind, Gilbert, I only recommend it. I will see that you have money enough to get along comfortably, even if you choose to ride constantly.”
“I shall enjoy the walk when it is pleasant.”
“Clinton Place is the western portion of Eighth Street,” said Mr. Briggs. “East Eighth Street is known as St. Mark’s Place. There are numerous boarding-houses there also, but I think you will like Clinton Place better. I suppose you are not very familiar with the streets yet?” ”

“ Mr. Sands is not such a fool as to believe you.”
“Are you going?” demanded the book-keeper, menacingly. “John, put him out.”
John advanced cautiously towards our hero, who smiled unterrified.
“Come, go out!—do you hear?” he said.
“I won’t put you to the trouble of putting me out,” said Gilbert, good-naturedly. “I’ll step out for the present.”
“And go away from here,—do you hear? Don’t you hang around the office.”
Gilbert, however, did not see fit to obey this last order. He waited in the neighborhood for Mr. Sands to arrive.
“He means to make trouble, Cousin Simon,” said John, uneasily. ”

“ Gilbert told his story in the fewest possible words.
“It’s a great shame,” said Fred, indignantly; “I’d like to put a head on that book-keeper.”
“I sympathize with you, Fred,” said Laura; “but I think you might have expressed yourself differently.”
“Your sister is right, Fred,” said Mr. Vivian; “you must not be too ready to employ street phrases.”
“That’s what I mean, any way,” said Fred.
231“Do you think your employer will do you justice when he returns?” asked Mr. Vivian.
“Yes, sir. Mr. Sands is an excellent man, and he knows very well that Mr. Moore is prejudiced against me.” ”

“ When this money is expended, Gilbert will let us know, and then we will see what else is to be done.”
“You are a dear, good boy, to offer the money,” said Laura, giving her brother an unexpected kiss; “you have got a good heart, though you don’t always keep your face and hands clean.”
233“A fellow can’t be always washing his face and hands,” said Fred. “You needn’t kiss me if you are afraid of the dirt.”
Laura laughed. “I will risk it this time,” she said.
“Won’t you play me a game of checkers, Gilbert?” asked Fred. ”

“ Ingalls squeezed Gilbert’s hand under the table, with a comic look, which proved very trying to our hero’s gravity.
Miss Brintnall received unexpected help from Mrs. McDonald.
“I agree with you entirely, Miss Brintnall,” said that lady, “and I don’t believe there are any exceptions. Men always try to domineer over women.” ”

“ Even when his fortunes were at the lowest, he never failed to buy a bouquet of her daily. More than this he did not feel able to do then. But as soon as he obtained the position of Fred’s teacher, he again visited Mr. Talbot in his poor lodgings, and gave him more substantial assistance. The sick man improved steadily in health and spirits. It did him great good to feel that he had a friend, though that friend was only a boy, dependent on his earnings for support.
On the day after he had heard of Mr. Briggs’ return from Europe, Gilbert made a hurried call during his dinner-hour. ”

“ Though it must be admitted that Gilbert was more fortunate than the majority of boys in his position, it is claimed that he displayed qualities which may wisely be imitated by all boys who are called upon to vishift for themselves. In the last three years many thousand American boys have been compelled, like Gilbert, to give up their cherished hopes, and exchange school-life for narrow means and hard work. ”

“ While Gilbert was gone, Randolph said, “I am glad Gilbert has got a place, for he is poor and needs it. My father has done a great deal for him; but then he can afford it, for he is a rich man. I have no friends in this neighborhood; but I thought I would come down to see how he was getting along.”
“Gilbert ought to be very grateful,” said Mr. Ingalls, dryly.
123“I think so, too. It is not every poor boy who has a rich man to help him.”
Here Gilbert re-entered with the water, and shortly after Randolph left.
“What do you think of him, Mr. Ingalls?” asked Gilbert. ”

“ After I graduate I may devote myself to business; but a good education won’t interfere with that.”
350“I approve your plan,” said Mr. Vivian. “Of course you will resign your place at the broker’s.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then I shall submit a plan for your future. We all like you, and you can be of use to Fred. Come and live with us. You can complete your preparation for college at some first-class school in the city, and enter next summer, if you like.”
“I hope you will come, Gilbert,” said Laura. ”