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Ebook has 195 lines and 8644 words, and 4 pages

Release date: November 8, 2023

Original publication: Boston: Lee and Shepard, 1870

The Riverdale Books.

THE LITTLE MERCHANT.

A STORY FOR LITTLE FOLKS.

BY OLIVER OPTIC,

BOSTON: LEE AND SHEPARD, 1870.

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1862, by WILLIAM T. ADAMS In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

ELECTROTYPED AT THE BOSTON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.

THE LITTLE MERCHANT.

There were rich people and poor people in Riverdale, as there are in almost every other place, and my story begins in the humble cottage of a poor widow. It was not a pretty white cottage, with green blinds, and a nice flower garden in front of it, but it was a dingy old house that had never been painted. Nothing had been done to make it look pretty, and it seemed hardly fit to live in.

The poor widow's name was Jane White. Her husband, who had been a laborer, died only a year before, and left her with a family of four children. She had to work very hard to get money enough to buy food and clothes for her little boys and girls, and you may be sure they did not have any nice things to eat, nor any fine clothes to wear.

Her oldest boy's name was David White. He was not quite nine years old. But he was big enough to help his mother a great deal, as any little boy of that age may do, if he only tries.

David used to take care of the baby, bring in the wood and water, see to the fire, and do a great many other things that were not beyond his strength. His mother sent him to school, for she wanted her boy to be a wise and good man when he grew up. It was very kind of her to let David go to school, when she wanted him so much to help her take care of the children, and to do the chores.

Mrs. White used to earn money by "closing" shoes;--that is, by sewing up the seams. David could not help seeing that she had to work very hard, and he often wished that he could close shoes, and thus get a little money. He tried two or three times to sew up some strips of leather, but he did not make out very well; and his mother told him he was not big enough to do such work.

A great many times did David wish he was a great man, so that he could take care of his mother, and his little brother and sisters. He thought if he was, he would earn lots of money. Then he would not let his mother sit up so late nights to close shoes.

It was of no use to wish he was a man, for he was only a little boy. The next best thing he could do was to help her all he could; and Mrs. White had no reason to find fault with him, for he did all he was able, and was willing to do a great deal more. Still he could not help thinking what a fine thing it would be to earn money for his mother. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to do something.

Those who are willing to help themselves are almost always sure to find some one who is willing to help them. If we try to do well, there are plenty of friends who will do all they can for us.

David's mother used to let him go to the river to catch fish, but she always told him, when he was going, to be very careful not to fall into the water. He used to mind what she said, for he knew how sad she would feel if he should be drowned, as John Piper had been only the year before. He felt that it was his duty to take care of his mother when he got big enough. If he should be lost, what would become of her, when she was too old to work?

He had a fish-pole and line that had been his father's, and with these he used to catch pouts, perch, and shiners; and once he had caught a great pickerel. These fish were all good to eat, and when David had caught a mess of them, he felt that he had done something to feed the family.

One day he wanted to go a fishing, and like a good boy, he asked his mother. The baby was asleep, and Arthur and Susan were building a house in the sand before the cottage; and so she told him he might.

David took down his fish-pole, got a little basket from the wood-shed, and started for the river. He felt just as though he wanted to do some great thing. He wanted to catch something better than perch and shiners. So he took a big stick, and when he came to the river, he walked till he heard a "chug"--which is the noise that a bull-frog makes.

Then he stopped, and pretty soon he saw the green head of a frog sticking out of the water. Froggy looked at him slyly, as though he knew what he meant to do. As David crept up to him, Froggy gave another "chug," and darted into the water, hiding himself under a lily-pad that grew near the shore.

David could not find him; so he walked along till he saw another. He was more careful, and I don't think Froggy heard him this time.

"You just sit still half a second more," said he to himself, "and I'll have you. You need not wink at me; I want one of your hind legs for bait."

As soon as he got near enough, he raised the big stick, and brought it down upon the head of poor Froggy. It was a hard blow, and the frog was killed by it.

Perhaps some of my kind-hearted little readers will say it was too bad for David to kill the frog. It would have been very wicked, if he had not wanted the frog for bait. He had done the act in order to get food for his mother and his brother and sisters.

Taking out his knife, he cut off one of the hind legs of the frog, and put it on the hook. There were a great many pickerel in the river. They are a very fine fish, and often grow to be quite large. A frog's leg is the best bait to catch them with, and David wished ever so much that he could catch a big pickerel.

He dragged the frog's leg over the water for half an hour, hoping a pickerel would jump up and catch hold of it. At last he heard a splash, and felt a fish pulling very hard at the line.

He hoped he should catch him, and even before he had seen the fish, he began to think what he should do with him. But he had a little plan in his head, and if he could only get the fish, he was almost sure of doing a great thing.

"Hold on tight, Fishy," said David, as he tugged away at the fish-pole.

I don't think the fish would have minded what he said, if he could have helped himself. But the pickerel was well hooked, and could not get away. The pole bent as David pulled, and he was afraid it would break. He was very careful, and after a deal of tugging he pulled the fish out of the water, and landed him on the grass.

It was a nice large pickerel, and David felt like a great man then, for he had caught a big fish. He put him in the basket, and put some grass over him. Then he tried again, but could get no more pickerel; so he put a worm on the hook for bait, and pretty soon he caught perch and shiners enough for dinner the next day.

While he sat on the rock, David kept thinking of something. He wanted to earn some money for his mother; and this was what he was thinking about. He had now formed a plan by which he hoped to do it. After winding up his line, he took the basket of fish on his arm, and started for home.

Just before he came to the house, he took the pickerel out of the basket, and hid it in the grass, for he did not want his mother to see this fish. Then he carried the basket into the house, and asked his mother if he might stay out a little while longer. She said he might; and he ran back to the place where he had put the pickerel.

Putting the fish into another basket he had brought, he laid some fresh grass upon it, and walked up to the village. He stopped before a large, fine house, with a grove and a nice garden before it. He did not feel so brave then as before, and he paused for some time before he dared to enter the garden.

At last he pushed the gate open, and went in. As he was walking up to the house, a great dog ran out at him, and barked as though he meant to tear him in pieces. David was afraid of the big dog, but he did not like to go away without seeing Mr. Lee, who lived in the fine house.

"Be still, Watch," said the sweet voice of a little girl; "what do you make all that noise for?"

In a moment, David saw the little girl running towards him. She was not more than eight years old, and had such pretty curls that David thought she must be an angel. She went up to the big dog, and with her little hand struck him on the head, and told him again to be still.

"You are naughty, Watch, to bark at a little boy, and if you don't hold your tongue, you shall have no supper. Go, lie down!"

Watch wagged his great bushy tail, and kissed the little girl's hand, just as though he loved her very much. The blow she had given him did not hurt him, and Watch did not seem to be afraid of her.

"What do you want, little boy?" asked Flora Lee; for that was her name.

"I have got a great big pickerel that I caught in the river; and I want to sell him to your father," replied David.

"Do let me see him!" said Flora.

David pulled out the grass, and the little girl looked at the fish, said he was a monster, and did not see how David could have caught him.

"He pulled very hard," added David, "but I got him out. He is a very nice fish, and I heard a man say that your father was very fond of pickerel."

"He is."

"My mother is poor, and has to work very hard; I want to get some money to help her, if I can."

"You are a nice boy to help your mother, and my father shall buy the fish; if he won't, I will," said Flora.

"Thank you, little miss."

"Now come with me, and I will take you to my pa," added Flora.

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