Part 15 (2/2)
”Please, sir, I am the tother chambermaid.”
Finding it easier to give s.h.i.+llings than half-crowns, Jerome handed the woman a s.h.i.+lling, and again restored his purse to his pocket, glad that another woman was not to be seen.
Scarcely had he commenced congratulating himself, however, before three men made their appearance, one after another.
”What have _you_ done for me?” he asked of the first.
”I am the boots, sir.”
The purse came out once more, and a s.h.i.+lling was deposited in the servant's hand.
”What do I owe you?” he inquired of the second.
”I took your honor's letter to the post, yesterday, sir.”
Another s.h.i.+lling left the purse.
”In the name of the Lord, what am I indebted to you for?” demanded Jerome, now entirely out of patience, turning to the last of the trio.
”I told yer vers.h.i.+p vot time it vas, this morning.”
”Well!” exclaimed the indignant man, ”ask here who o'clock it is, and you have got to pay for it.”
He paid this last demand with a sixpence, regretting that he had not commenced with sixpences instead of half-crowns.
Having cleared off all demands in the house, he started for the railway station; but had scarcely reached the street, before he was accosted by an old man with a broom in his hand, who, with an exceedingly low bow, said,--
”I is here, yer lords.h.i.+p.”
”I did not send for you; what is your business?” demanded Jerome.
”I is the man what opened your lords.h.i.+p's cab-door, when your lords.h.i.+p came to the house on Monday last, and I know your honor won't allow a poor man to starve.”
Putting a sixpence in the old man's hand, Jerome once more started for the depot. Having obtained letters of introduction to persons in Manchester, he found no difficulty in getting a situation in a large manufacturing house there. Although the salary was small, yet the situation was a much better one than he had hoped to obtain. His compensation as out-door clerk enabled him to employ a man to teach him at night, and, by continued study and attention to business, he was soon promoted.
After three years in his new home, Jerome was placed in a still higher position, where his salary amounted to fifteen hundred dollars a year.
The drinking, smoking, and other expensive habits, which the clerks usually indulged in, he carefully avoided.
Being fond of poetry, he turned his attention to literature. Johnson's ”Lives of the Poets,” the writings of Dryden, Addison, Pope, Clarendon, and other authors of celebrity, he read with attention. The knowledge which he thus picked up during his leisure hours gave him a great advantage over the other clerks, and caused his employers to respect him far more than any other in their establishment. So eager was he to improve the time that he determined to see how much he could read during the unemployed time of night and morning, and his success was beyond his expectations.
CHAPTER x.x.x. NEW FRIENDS
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