The Pedler of Dust Sticks | Page 3

his canes on his
shoulder, through the public promenade on the banks of the little bay
around which was the public walk. The waves looked so blue, and the
air was so delicious, that he was resolved he would treat himself to a
row upon the sparkling waters; so he hired a little boat, and then got
some long branches from the trees on the shore, and stuck them all
around the edges of his boat, and tied them together by their tops, so as
to make an arbor in the boat, and got in and rowed himself about,
whistling all the tunes he knew for his music, to his heart's content. He
went alone, for he had no companion that he liked; and he would have
none other.
At last what should he see but his father, walking on the bank.

Henry knew that his father would be very angry with him, for he was a
severe man; but he determined to bear his punishment, let it be what it
would, patiently; for he knew, when he went, that his father would not
like it; and yet he said, in telling this story to a friend, "I was so happy,
and this pleasure was so innocent, that I could not feel as sorry as I
ought to feel."
Henry bore his punishment like a brave boy.
It was too bad for the poor fellow to have no pleasures; nothing but
work all the time. This was especially hard for him, for no one loved
amusement better than he.
He relished a piece of fun exceedingly. In the city of Hamburg there
was a place where young girls were always to be seen with flowers in
their hands to sell. He had observed that the Jews, of whom he bought
the pretty canes, were often rude to them, and he determined to punish
some of them. There was one who wore a wig, with a long queue to it.
The girls had their long hair braided and left hanging down behind.
One day this man was sitting in this flower market, with his back to one
of these girls, and Henry took the opportunity, and before either knew
what he did, he tied the two queues together; the young girl happened
not to like her seat very well, and got up rather suddenly to change it,
and off she went with the Jew's wig dangling behind her, much to the
amusement of the spectators, and especially of Henry, who saw and
enjoyed it all highly, though pretending to be very busy selling a cane
to a gentleman, who joined in the general laugh.
Lucky it was for Henry that the Jew did not discover who it was that
had played this roguish trick.
Henry saw how difficult it was for his father to support the family, and
was very earnest to get money in any honest way. One day the
managers of a theatre hired him to take part in a play, where they
wanted to make a crowd. He was pleased at the thought of making
some money to carry home; but when he went behind the scenes, and
saw all that the actors did, he ran away and left them, caring not for the

money, so he could but get away from such disgusting things.
Thus did Henry live, working from early morning till night, going to
school with a little of the money he had earned, when his father would
allow him to take it; keeping himself unstained by the wickedness that
he often saw and heard in his walks through the city; observing every
thing worth noticing, and making friends every where by his honesty,
purity, and kind-heartedness.
At this time the French were in Hamburg, provisions were dearer than
ever, and Henry's father, with all the help he received from his son,
could not support his family in the city.
One day he called Henry, and said, "Do you think you could support
your mother and younger sister and brother in some other place?"
Henry replied directly, "Yes, dear father, I can; at least, I will try." So
his father sent him with this part of his family to a cheaper place, about
fifty miles inland. He gave him five dollars and his blessing, as they
parted.
Here was our friend Henry in a strange town, a small place, with no
friends there, but just fifteen years old, and with his mother, and
brother, and sister depending upon him for their daily bread.
Henry was a brave boy; so he did not allow himself to fear. With his
five dollars he secured small, cheap rooms for a week, bought some
bread and milk for the family, and after a good night's sleep set out, the
next morning,