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��THE OLD FARM.
��u Be seated," said Mr. Johnson, point- ing to a chair, as he proceeded to read the letter. Having finished the same he said : "It would certainly give me pleas- ure to be able to render any assistance to one whom my old friend John Austin considers entitled to his regard. He and I have been friends from boyhood. To- gether we fought the battle against pov- erty in yonth. Together we left our humble homes in New England to seek success and fortune here in the West. Side by side, as it were, we toiled and struggled for more than thirty years, and our efforts have been measurably suc- cessful ; though my old friend has been sadly bereaved of late. Whoever has rendered him a service has put me under obligation also, and whatever I can do to aid vou, my young friend, I shall do most cheerfully. I will say, however, in the outset, that if you have come to the West with the expectation or hope of making a great fortune in a few years you are pretty sure to be disappointed. Not one in ten thousand here or any where gain great wealth, and ninety-nine out of every hundred who do acquire it, succeed only by a life time of close, per- sistent application and toil. While my friend Austin and myself have succeeded in good degree, hundreds and thousands of others who came West with like am- bition and hopes, and many of whom have labored as industriously, have ut- terly failed. Here as everywhere the rule holds good— here no more readily than elsewhere are fortunes made. But I do not wish to discourage you in the start. You want work, and are doubt- less anxious to secure an engagement as soon as possible. Come here again to- morrow morning at this time, and mean- awhile I will see if a favorable opening is anywhere to be found."
With many thanks Charles withdrew, and, having the day before him, first sought out a boarding-house of moder- ate pretensions, and then spent the re- maining time, till night, in further ex- ploration of the city, which he found, after all, not so very different from Bos- ton. Every where were the same indi- cations of wealth possessed by the few, and poverty and want shared by the
��many. Every where life seemed a con- stant struggle with little prospect of brilliant success, and when he retires at night, if with more courage thau on the evening previous, it is with the simple resolution to make the best of any op- portunity which may offer, rather than any expectation of easy and rapid ad- vancement on the road to fortune.
The next morning at the proper hour, Charles hastened to Mr. Johnson's store, and, entering the counting-room, was kindly greeted by that gentleman, who informed him that he had been able, as yet, to learn of no situation of a desira- ble nature open to any one. Every where there were a dozen applications in ad- vance for every position liable to become vacant. Yet if he was willing to take a place in his store at moderate wages, while waiting ior something better, he would find something for him to do so that he could support himself at least.
To this proposition Charles readily as- sented, at the same time expressing his gratitude to Mr. Johnson for the interest manifested in his welfare, and the sub- stantial encouragement offered. Signi- fying his desire to commence work at once, he was conducted to the shipping room, where several young men were al- ready employed in packing goods to be forwarded to customers among the retail dealers in all parts of the West, in ac- cordance with orders received. Here he was introduced to the clerk in charge of the department, and by him instructed as to the character of the labor to be performed. Although the work was en- tirely different from anything he had done before, his natural aptness, and his earnest determination to give full satis- faction to his employer soon made Charles " master of the situation," so far as his sphere of labor was concerned. Ere many weeks had passed his efficiency was generally recognized, and had at- tracted the attention and hearty commen- dation of Mr. Johnsou himself, who no longer thought of getting him a situa- tion elsewhere, but rather congratulated himself in having secured the services of one so ready and faithful as Charles had proved himself to be.
Time passed, and Charles Bradley re-
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