CHAPTER XVI BEN FINDS TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT

“Oh, Ben, what shall we do?” exclaimed Mrs. Barclay, when she heard Mr. Crawford had sold out his business.

“We’ll get along somehow, mother.  Something will be sure to turn up.”

Ben spoke more cheerfully than he felt.  He knew very well that Pentonville presented scarcely any field for a boy, unless he was willing to work on a farm.  Now, Ben had no objections to farm labor, provided he had a farm of his own, but at the rate such labor was paid in Pentonville, there was very little chance of ever rising above the position of a “hired man,” if he once adopted the business.  Our young hero felt that this would not satisfy him.  He was enterprising and ambitious, and wanted to be a rich man some day.

Money is said, by certain moralists, to be the root of all evil.  The love of money, if carried too far, may indeed lead to evil, but it is a natural ambition in any boy or man to wish to raise himself above poverty.  The wealth of Amos Lawrence and Peter Cooper was a source of blessing to mankind, yet each started as a poor boy, and neither would have become rich if he had not striven hard to become so.

When Ben made this cheerful answer his mother shook her head sadly.  She was not so hopeful as Ben, and visions of poverty presented themselves before her mind.

“I don’t see what you can find to do in Pentonville, Ben,” she said.

“I can live a while without work while I am looking around, mother,” Ben answered.  “We have got all that money I brought from New York yet.”

“It won’t last long,” said his mother despondently.

“It will last till I can earn some more,” answered Ben hopefully.

Ben was about to leave the house when a man in a farmer’s frock, driving a yoke of oxen, stopped his team in the road, and turned in at the widow’s gate.

It was Silas Greyson, the owner of a farm just out of the village.

“Did you want to see mother?” asked Ben.

“No, I wanted to see you, Benjamin,” answered Greyson.  “I hear you’ve left the store.”

“The store has changed hands, and the new storekeeper don’t want me.”

“Do you want a job?”

“What is it, Mr. Greyson?” Ben replied, answering one question with another.

“I’m goin’ to get in wood for the winter from my wood lot for about a week,” said the farmer, “and I want help.  Are you willin’ to hire out for a week?”

“What’ll you pay me?” asked Ben.

“I’ll keep you, and give you a cord of wood.  Your mother’ll find it handy.  I’m short of money, and calc’late wood’ll be just as good pay.”

Ben thought over the proposal, and answered:  “I’d rather take my meals at home, Mr. Greyson, and if you’ll make it two cords with that understanding, I’ll agree to hire out to you.”

“Ain’t that rather high?” asked the farmer, hesitating.