THE CLIMBERS.
PUBLISHED BY THE
AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY
150 NASSAU-STREET, NEW YORK.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by theAmerican Tract Society, in the Clerk’s Office of the District Courtof the United States for the Southern District of New York.
THE CLIMBERS
I.
“It’s of no use, and what’s more, Idon’t believe it’s right,” said Mr. Jeffries,“this filling every boy’s head withthoughts of rising in the world. It looksall very well in books; but is quite adifferent thing in reality. I tell youwhat, it’s doing a mighty deal of damagein the world. Why, it’s almost impossiblefor anybody that wants help to getany of the right sort. Once find a boythat has any grit in him, and he’s off assoon as he can scrape up enough moneyto go to school with. There’s that stable-boyof mine, as good a little fellow as I’dever care to have; but in the room of[4]playing like other boys, when he has amoment’s leisure, he’s off to the barnwith a book in his hand. I’ve told himmany a time ’twould be the ruin of him;but he seems to take to it as naturally as aduck does to water;” and the little hotel-keeperlooked around complacently.
“I thought that was the very spiritthat was commendable in this country,Mr. Jeffries,” said I, turning my gazefrom the mountain towering above us tothe face of my host. “Hope is thegrand incentive to the American boy,the hope of knowing more, and doingbetter for himself and others, than hisfather and grandfather did before him.Look around you and see who are themen of the present; ten to one they arepoor men’s sons. They felt that theycould do something, and they accomplishedit.”
“It looks all fair, I allow; but the[5]thing is carried too far; it makes themdiscontented and unsteady, changing fromone thing to another. In my opinion, ifyou want to make any thing in the world,you must stick to one thing. It is an oldsaying, ‘A rolling stone gathers no moss.’”
“True; but may not these poor boyshave a higher aim and purpose, and carryit out quite as effectually as if itrequired no changes? Your stable-boymay have mapped out, vaguely perhaps,his future, and to reach it must make useof such stepping-stones as come withinhis reach. He does his work well, doeshe not?”
“Oh, there’s nothing to say againsthim, only I don’t like to see him alwaysreading; he can’t go by a newspaper—andmy wife keeps them hung up by theside of the roller—without stopping fora bit, catching as a hungry horse does ata spear of grass or hay that comes within[6]his reach. I give him pretty goodwages for a boy, and the women folkspatch up his clothes and see that he hasplenty to eat. It seems to me that heought to be contented and happy, withjests and frolic