Harry Walton

“ BOSTON BAR, THIS VOLUME INSCRIBED WITH FRIENDLY REGARD PREFACE. "Risen from the Ranks" contains the further history of Harry Walton, who was first introduced to the public in the pages of "Bound to Rise." Those who are interested in learning how far he made good the promise of his boyhood, may here find their curiosity gratified. For the benefit of those who may only read the present volume, a synopsis of Harry's previous life is given in the first chapter. ”

“ Harry Walton, in my opinion, is a true gentleman, without reference to his purse, and he is bound to rise hereafter, take my word for it."
"There's plenty of room for him to rise," said Fletcher with a sneer. ”

“ CHAPTER XXXI. ONE STEP UPWARD. In real life the incidents that call for notice do not occur daily. Months and years pass, sometimes, where the course of life is quiet and uneventful. So it was with Harry Walton. He went to his daily work with unfailing regularity, devoted a large part of his leisure to reading and study, or writing sketches for the Boston papers, and found himself growing steadily wiser and better informed. His account in the savings-bank grew slowly, but steadily; and on his nineteenth birthday, when we propose to look in upon him again, he was worth five hundred dollars. ”

“ Imitating the other's frankness, he also took off his hat and replied,—
"Let me introduce myself, in turn, as Harry Walton, junior apprentice in the office of the 'Centreville Gazette,' sometimes profanely called 'printer's devil.'"
"Good!" said Oscar, laughing. "How do you like the business?"
"I think I shall like it, but I have only just started in it. I went into the office for the first time to-day."
"I have an uncle who started as you are doing," said Oscar. "He is now chief editor of a daily paper in Boston."
"Is he?" said Harry, with interest. "Did he find it hard to rise?" ”

“ The same President and Vice-President were chosen; but as the Secretary declined to serve another term, Harry Walton, considerably to his surprise, found himself elected in his place.
Fitzgerald Fletcher did not vote for him. Indeed, he expressed it as his opinion that it was a shame to elect a "printer's devil" Secretary of the Society.
"Why is it?" said Oscar. "Printing is a department of literature, and the Clionian is a literary society, isn't it?"
"Of course it is a literary society, but a printer's devil is not literary."
"He's as literary as a tin-pedler," said Tom Carver, maliciously. ”

“ Oscar Vincent spent several years abroad, after graduation, acting as foreign correspondent of his father's paper. He is now his father's junior partner, and is not only respected for his ability, but a general favorite in society, on account of his sunny disposition and cordial good nature. He keeps up his intimacy with Harry Walton. Indeed, there is good reason for this, since Harry, four years since, married his sister Maud, and the two friends are brothers-in-law. ”

“ Harry hesitated, and Oscar observed it.
"Well, what's the matter now?" he said; "out with it."
"I'll tell you, Oscar," said Harry, coloring a little. "Your father is a rich man, and lives handsomely. I haven't any clothes good enough to wear on a visit to your house."
"Oh, hang your clothes!" said Oscar, impetuously. "It isn't your clothes we invite. It's yourself."
"Still, Oscar—"
"Come, I see you think I am like Fitz Fletcher, after all. Say you think me a snob, and done with it." ”

“ Harry looked over to Fletcher, who, with a sour expression, was sitting upright, and looking straight before him.
"He don't look happy, does he?" whispered Oscar, comically.
Harry came near laughing aloud, but luckily for Fletcher's peace of mind, succeeded in restraining himself.
"He won't call you up again in a hurry; see if he does," continued
Oscar.
"I am sure we have all been gratified by Mr. Walton's spirited declamation," said the President, rising. "We congratulate ourselves upon adding so fine a speaker to our society, and hope often to have the pleasure of hearing him declaim." ”

“ Harry was indeed made happy by his promotion. Having been employed for some months on board-wages, he had been compelled to trench upon the small stock of money which he had saved up when in the employ of Prof. Henderson, and he had been unable to send any money to his father, whose circumstances were straitened, and who found it very hard to make both ends meet. That evening he wrote a letter to his father, in which he inclosed ten dollars remaining to him from his fund of savings, at the same time informing him of his promotion. ”

“ At table Harry sat between Maud and Oscar. If at first he felt a little bashful, the feeling soon wore away. The dinner hour passed very pleasantly. Mr. Vincent chatted very agreeably about men and things. There is no one better qualified to shine in this kind of conversation than the editor of a city daily, who is compelled to be exceptionally well informed. Harry listened with such interest that he almost forgot to eat, till Oscar charged him with want of appetite. ”

“ Fletcher," said Harry, and made his exit.
"You're a strange fellow, Oscar," said Fletcher, after Harry's departure.
"Very likely, but what particular strangeness do you refer to now?"
"No one but you would think of giving lessons to a printer's devil."
"I don't know about that."
"No one, I mean, that holds your position in society."
"I don't know that I hold any particular position in society."
"Your family live on Beacon Street, and move in the first circles. I am sure my mother would be disgusted if I should demean myself so far as to give lessons to any vulgar apprentice." ”

“ Walton, looking up from her mending.
"No, he fully expected to get Harry for little or nothing. It was ridiculous to offer two dollars a month for a boy of his age."
"I am afraid he will be more disposed to be hard on you, when the time comes to pay for the cow. He told you he wouldn't extend the time."
"He is not likely to after this; but, wife, we won't borrow trouble. Something may turn up to help us."
"I am sure I shall be able to help you about it, father," said Harry.
"I hope so, my son, but don't feel too certain. You may not succeed as well as you anticipate." ”

“ Walton, in surprise.
"I don't know where; but somewhere where I can earn my own living."
"But you can do that here. You can give me your help on the farm, as you always have done."
"I don't like farming, father."
"You never told me that before. Is it because of the hard work?"
"No," said Harry, earnestly. "I am not afraid of hard work; but you know how it is, father. This isn't a very good farm, and it's all you can do to make a living for the rest of us out of it. If I could go somewhere, where I could work at something else, I could send you home my wages." ”

“ While he was absent, Harry had a welcome visitor. It was no other than Professor Henderson, the magician, in whose employ he had spent three months some years before, as related in "Bound to Rise."
"Take a seat, professor," said Harry, cordially. "I am delighted to see you."
"How you have grown, Harry!" said the professor. "Why, I should hardly have known you!"
"We haven't met since I left you to enter this office."
"No; it is nearly three years. How do you like the business?"
"Very much indeed."
"Are you doing well?"
"I receive fifteen dollars a week." ”

“ I came to you to-day to see if you will exert your influence to get me a government clerkship, even of the lowest class. You may rest assured, Mr. Walton, that I need it."
Was this the proud Fitzgerald Fletcher, suing, for the means of supporting himself, to one whom, as a boy, he had despised and looked down upon? Surely, the world is full of strange changes and mutations of fortune. Here was a chance for Harry to triumph over his old enemy ”

“ To send a boy out into the world to earn his own living is a hazardous experiment, and fathers are less sanguine than their sons. Their experience suggests difficulties and obstacles of which the inexperienced youth knows and possesses nothing. But in the present case Mr. Walton reflected that the little farming town in which he lived offered small inducements for a boy to remain there, unless he was content to be a farmer, and this required capital. His farm was too small for himself, and of course he could not give Harry a part when be came of age. ”

“ His father is in a good business, and may be rich—I don't know about that—but that isn't much to boast of."
"I don't think we shall be very intimate," said Harry, smiling.
"Evidently a printer's apprentice is something very low in his eyes."
"When you are an influential editor he will be willing to recognize you. ”

“ Walton Heath, Oct. 6.—After a delightful visit from Harry Lee at Holmhurst, I have come here to Miss Davenport Bromley at a quaint cottage, partly built out of a church, in a corner of the vast Walton Heath, but full of artistic comfort and brightness within. We drove on Thursday to Box Hill, which is most beautiful, the high steep chalky ground covered with such a luxuriance of natural wood, box grown into trees and the billows of pink and blue distance so wonderfully luxuriant and wooded. ”

“ Did you write it, Walton?"
"Yes, air."
"Why didn't you tell me of it?"
"He was too bashful," said Ferguson.
"I am glad to know that you can write," said the editor. "I shall call upon you for assistance, in getting up paragraphs occasionally."
"I shall be very glad to do what I can," said Harry, gratified.
"Harry is learning to be an editor," said Ferguson.
"I will give him a chance for practice, then," and Mr. Anderson returned to his exchanges.
"By the way, Oscar," said Harry, "I am not a printer's devil any longer. I am promoted to be a journeyman." ”

“ But though circumstances compelled him to submit, it put him in bad humor, and made him more disposed to sneer than ever. He had an unreasoning prejudice against Harry, which was stimulated by Luke Harrison, who had this very sufficient reason for hating our hero, that he had succeeded in injuring him. As an old proverb has it "We are slow to forgive those whom we have injured."
CHAPTER XV. A LITERARY DEBUT. Harry waited eagerly for the next issue of the "Weekly Standard." It was received by Mr. Anderson in exchange for the "Centreville Gazette," and usually came to hand on Saturday morning. ”

“ It is very possible that Harry rose in the estimation of his employer, from his intimacy with the son of a man who stood so high in his own profession. At all events, Harry found himself from this time treated with greater respect and consideration than before, and Mr. Anderson often called upon him to write paragraphs upon local matters, so that his position might be regarded except as to pay, as that of an assistant editor. ”

“ You'd better keep him here, and let him work for me."
"If he stayed at home, I should find work for him on my farm."
Mr. Walton would not have been willing to have Harry work for the squire, knowing well his meanness, and how poorly he paid his hired men.
"I wanted to help you pay for that cow," said the squire, crossly. "If you can't pay for't when the time comes you mustn't blame me."
"I shall blame no one. I can't foresee the future; but I hope to get together the money somehow."
"You mustn't ask for more time. Six months is a long time to give." ”

“ Why, it's worthy of a man of twice your age!"
"Thank you, professor," said Harry, gratified.
"Where did you learn to write?"
Harry gave his old employer some account of his literary experiences, mentioning his connection with the two Boston weekly papers.
"You ought to be an editor," said the professor. "If you can do as much at nineteen, you have a bright future before you."
"That depends a little on circumstances. If I only could buy this paper, I would try to win reputation as well as money."
"What is your difficulty?"
"The want of money."
"How much do you need?"
"Eight hundred dollars." ”

“ Some of my readers who are favored by fortune may regard this as a small sum. It is small in itself, but it was not small for a youth in Harry's position to have saved from his small earnings. But of greater value than the sum itself was the habit of self-denial and saving which our hero had formed. He had started in the right way, and made a beginning which was likely to lead to prosperity in the end. It had not been altogether easy to save this sum. Harry's income had always been small, and he might, without incurring the charge of excessive extravagance, have spent the whole. ”

“ Academy boys, is teaching me. I am to take two lessons a week, on
Tuesday and Friday evenings."
"Indeed, that is a good arrangement. How did it come about?"
Harry related the particulars of his meeting with Oscar.
"He's a capital fellow," he concluded. "Very different from another boy I met in his room. I pointed him out to you in the street. Oscar seems to be rich, but he doesn't put on any airs, and he treated me very kindly."
"That is to his credit. It's the sham aristocrats that put on most airs. I believe you will make somebody, Walton. You have lost no time in getting to work." ”

“ Let that stimulate your ambition."
"It isn't easy for a half-educated boy to rise to such a position. I feel that I know very little."
"If I can help you any, Harry, I shall be very glad to do it. I'm not much of a scholar, but I can help you a little. For instance, if you wanted to learn French, I could hear your lessons, and correct your exercises."
"Will you?" said Harry, eagerly. "There is nothing I should like better." ”

“ If he undertakes to say anything to her against you, she will take him down, depend upon it."
Saturday evening came, and Harry, with Oscar and his sister, started for the party. Our hero, having confessed his inability to dance, had been diligently instructed in the Lancers by Oscar, so that he felt some confidence in being able to get through without any serious blunder.
"Of course you must dance, Harry," he said. "You don't want to be a wall-flower." ”