Oscar did not find his duties as temporary store-boy quite so irksome or disagreeable as he anticipated.  The work was light, and the novelty of it served to offset the confinement, which he had dreaded more than anything else.  With some assistance from Ralph, he managed to do all that was required of him, and still have several hours each day for play.  He also had an opportunity to learn some useful lessons during the week.

One morning, his father sent him up-stairs to sweep out a room which was devoted to a certain branch of the business.  Happening to go into it an hour or two after, Mr. Preston observed that it was in a dirty state, and called to Oscar to get a broom and sprinkler, and come up.

“I told you to sweep this room out,” said he, as Oscar made his appearance; “did you forget it?”

“I have swept it,” said Oscar, in a tone of surprise.

“You have?” exclaimed Mr. Preston, with an air of incredulity; “I guess you are mistaken.  You may have shaken the broom at it, but I don’t think you swept it.  See there—­and there—­and there,”—­and he pointed out numerous little heaps of dirt, and scraps of paper, which had escaped Oscar’s broom.  “Now,” he continued, “let me show you how to sweep.  In the first place, always sprinkle the floor a little, to prevent the dust flying, as I told you a day or two ago.  You omitted that this morning, did n’t you?”

“Yes, sir,” replied Oscar.

“Well, just remember it hereafter, for the dust injures the goods.  There ’s water enough, now pass me the broom, and I ’ll show you how to handle it.  Look, now—­that ’s the way to sweep—­get all the dirt out from the corners and crevices, and along the edges, and under the counters.  Use the broom as though you meant to do something, and were not afraid of it.  There, that ’s the way to sweep clean—­so—­and so,” and Mr. Preston continued his explanations and illustrations, until he had swept the entire floor.

“There, now, does n’t that look better?” he added, after he had finished sweeping.  “If a thing is worth doing at all, it is worth doing well—­that’s the true doctrine, Oscar.  I hope you won’t get in the habit of making half-way work with whatever you undertake.  If I never expected to do anything but sweep chimneys or dig clams for a living, I would do it thoroughly and faithfully.  Of all things, I despise a lazy, slovenly workman.”

It was a very common thing with Oscar to slight his work, when he could not get rid of it entirely.  This was partly the result of a want of interest in it, and partly the result of habit.  The child who performs a task reluctantly, will not be very likely to do it well.

The day before Thanksgiving, as Oscar was on his way to the store, after dinner, he met Alfred Walton.

“You ’re just the chap I ’m after, Oscar,” said Alfred; “I’m going out to Cambridge, all alone in a wagon, and I want you to go with me.  Come, jump in and go, won’t you?”