CHAPTER XXXV.
FLETCHER'S OPINION OF HARRY WALTON.
In two weeks all the business arrangements were completed, andFerguson and Harry became joint proprietors of the "CentrevilleGazette," the latter being sole editor. The change was received withfavor in the village, as Harry had, as editor pro tem. for twomonths, shown his competence for the position. It gave himprominence also in town, and, though only nineteen, he already wasclassed with the minister, the doctor and the lawyer. It helped himalso with the weekly papers to which he contributed in Boston, andhis pay was once more raised, while his sketches were more frequentlyprinted. Now this was all very pleasant, but it was not long beforeour hero found himself overburdened with work.
"What is the matter Harry? You look pale," said Ferguson, onemorning.
"I have a bad headache, and am feeling out of sorts."
"I don't wonder at it. You are working too hard."
"I don't know about that."
"I do. You do nearly as much as I, as a compositor. Then you do allthe editorial work, besides writing sketches for the Boston papers."
"How can I get along with less? The paper must be edited, and Ishouldn't like giving up writing for the Boston papers."
"I'll tell you what to do. Take a boy and train him up as a printer.After a while he will relieve you almost wholly, while, by the timehe commands good wages, we shall be able to pay them."
"It is a good idea, Ferguson. Do you know of any boy that wants tolearn printing?"
"Haven't you got a younger brother?"
"The very thing," said Harry, briskly. "Father wrote to me last weekthat he should like to get something for ----."
"Better write and offer him a place in the office."
"I will."
The letter was written at once. An immediate answer was received, ofa favorable nature. The boy was glad to leave home, and the fatherwas pleased to have him under the charge of his older brother.
After he had become editor, and part proprietor of the "Gazette,"Harry wrote to Oscar Vincent to announce his promotion. Though Oscarhad been in college now nearly two years, and they seldom met, thetwo were as warm friends as ever, and from time to time exchangedletters.
This was Oscar's reply:--
"HARVARD COLLEGE, June 10.
"DEAR MR. EDITOR: I suppose that's the proper way to address you now.I congratulate you with all my heart on your brilliant success andrapid advancement. Here you are at nineteen, while I am only arattle-brained sophomore. I don't mind being called that, by theway, for at least it credits me with the possession of brains. Notthat I am doing so very badly. I am probably in the first third ofthe class, and that implies respectable scholarship here.
"But you--I can hardly realize that you, whom I knew only two orthree years since as a printer's apprentice (I won't use Fletcher'sword), have lifted yourself to the responsible position of soleeditor. Truly you have risen from the ranks!
"Speaking of Fletcher, by the way, you know he is my classmate. Heoccupies an honorable position somewhere near the foot of the class,where he is likely to stay, unless he receives from the faculty leaveof absence for an unlimited period. I met him yesterday, swinginghis little cane, and looking as dandified as he used to.
"'Hallo! Fletcher,' said I, 'I've just got a letter from a friend ofyours.'
"'Who is it?' he asked.
"'Harry Walton.'
"'He never was a friend of mine,' said Fitz, turning up hisdelicately chiselled nose,--'the beggarly printer's devil!'
"I hope you won't feel sensitive about the manner in which Fitz spokeof you.
"'You've made two mistakes,' said I. 'He's neither a beggar nor aprinter's devil.'
"'He used to be,' retorted Fitz.
"'The last, not the first. You'll be glad to hear that he's gettingon well.'
"'Has he had his wages raised twenty-five cents a week?' sneered Fitz.
"'He has lost his place,' said I.
"Fletcher actually looked happy, but I dashed his happiness byadding, 'but he's got a better one.'
"'What's that?' he snarled.
"'He has bought out the paper of Mr. Anderson, and is now sole editorand part proprietor.'
"'A boy like him buy a paper, without a cent of money and noeducation!'
"'You are mistaken. He had several hundred dollars, and as a writerhe is considerably ahead of either of us.'
"'He'll run the paper into the ground,' said Fitz, prophetically.
"'If he does, it'll only be to give it firmer root.'
"'You are crazy about that country lout,' said Fitz. 'It isn't muchto edit a little village paper like that, after all.'
"So you see what your friend Fitz thinks about it. As you may be indanger of having your vanity fed by compliments from other sources, Ithought I would offset them by the candid opinion of a disinterestedand impartial scholar like Fitz.
"I told my father of the step you have taken. 'Oscar,' said he,'that boy is going to succeed. He shows the right spirit. I wouldhave given him a place on my paper, but very likely he does better tostay where he is.'
"Perhaps you noticed the handsome notice he gave you in his paperyesterday. I really think he has a higher opinion of your talentsthan of mine; which, of course, shows singular lack ofdiscrimination. However, you're my friend, and I won't make a fussabout it.
"I am cramming for the summer examinations and hot work I find it, Ican tell you. This summer I am going to Niagara, and shall return byway of the St. Lawrence and Montreal, seeing the Thousand Islands,the rapids, and so on. I may send you a letter or two for the'Gazette,' if you will give me a puff in your editorial columns."
These letters were actually written, and, being very lively andreadable, Harry felt quite justified in referring to them in acomplimentary way. Fletcher's depreciation of him troubled him verylittle.
"It will make me neither worse nor better," he reflected. "The timewill come, I hope, when I shall have risen high enough to be whollyindifferent to such ill-natured sneers."
His brother arrived in due time, and was set to work as Harry himselfhad been three years before. He was not as smart as Harry, nor washe ever likely to rise as high; but he worked satisfactorily, andmade good progress, so that in six months he was able to relieveHarry of half his labors as compositor. This, enabled him to givemore time to his editorial duties. Both boarded at Ferguson's, wherethey had a comfortable home and good, plain fare.
Meanwhile, Harry was acknowledged by all to have improved the paper,and the most satisfactory evidence of the popular approval of hisefforts came in an increased subscription list, and this, of course,made the paper more profitable. At the end of twelve months, the twopartners had paid off the money borrowed from Professor Henderson,and owned the paper without incumbrance.
"A pretty good year's work, Harry," said Ferguson, cheerfully.
"Yes," said Harry; "but we'll do still better next year."
CHAPTER XXXVI.
CONCLUSION.
I have thus traced in detail the steps by which Harry Walton ascendedfrom the condition of a poor farmer's son to the influential positionof editor of a weekly newspaper. I call to mind now, however, thathe is no longer a boy, and his future career will be of less interestto my young readers. Yet I hope they may be interested to hear,though not in detail, by what successive steps he rose still higherin position and influence.
Harry was approaching his twenty-first birthday when he was waitedupon by a deputation of citizens from a neighboring town, invitinghim to deliver a Fourth of July oration. He was at first disposed,out of modesty, to decline; but, on consultation with Ferguson,decided to accept and do his best. He was ambitious to produce agood impression, and his experience in the Debating Society gave hima moderate degree of confidence and self-reliance. When the timecame he fully satisfied public expectation. I do not say that hisoration was a model of eloquence, for that could not have beenexpected of one whose advantages had been li
mited, and one for whom Ihave never claimed extraordinary genius. But it certainly was wellwritten and well delivered, and very creditable to the young orator.The favor with which it was received may have had something to do ininfluencing the people of Centreville to nominate and elect him, tothe New Hampshire Legislature a few months later.
He entered that body, the youngest member in it. But his longconnection with a Debating Society, and the experience he had gainedin parliamentary proceedings, enabled him at once to become a usefulworking Member. He was successively re-elected for several years,during which he showed such practical ability that he obtained aState reputation. At twenty-eight he received a nomination forCongress, and was elected by a close vote. During all this time heremained in charge of the Centreville "Gazette," but of course hadlong relinquished the task of a compositor into his brother's hands.He had no foolish ideas about this work being beneath him; but hefelt that he could employ his time more profitably in other ways.Under his judicious management, the "Gazette" attained a circulationand influence that it had never before reached. The income derivedfrom it was double that which it yielded in the days of hispredecessor; and both he and Ferguson were enabled to lay by a fewhundred dollars every year. But Harry had never sought wealth. Hewas content with a comfortable support and a competence. He likedinfluence and the popular respect, and he was gratified by theimportant trusts which he received. He was ambitious, but it was acreditable and honorable ambition. He sought to promote the publicwelfare, and advance the public interests, both as a speaker and as awriter; and though sometimes misrepresented, the people on the wholedid him justice.
A few weeks after he had taken his seat in Congress, a young man wasushered into his private room. Looking up, he saw a man of about hisown age, dressed with some attempt at style, but on the whole wearinga look of faded gentility.
"Mr. Walton," said the visitor, with some hesitation.
"That is my name. Won't you take a seat?"
The visitor sat down, but appeared ill at ease. He nervously fumbledat his hat, and did not speak.
"Can I do anything for you?" asked Harry, at length.
"I see you don't know me," said the stranger.
"I can't say I recall your features; but then I see a great manypersons."
"I went to school at the Prescott Academy, when you were in theoffice of the Centreville 'Gazette.'"
Harry looked more closely, and exclaimed, in astonished recognition,"Fitzgerald Fletcher!"
"Yes," said the other, flushing with mortification, "I am FitzgeraldFletcher."
"I am glad to see you," said Harry, cordially, forgetting the oldantagonism that had existed between them.
He rose and offered his hand, which Fletcher took with an air ofrelief, for he had felt uncertain of his reception.
"You have prospered wonderfully," said Fletcher, with a shade of envy.
"Yes," said Harry, smiling. "I was a printer's devil when you knewme; but I never meant to stay in that position. I have risen fromthe ranks."
"I haven't," said Fletcher, bitterly.
"Have you been unfortunate? Tell me about it, if you don't mind,"said Harry, sympathetically.
"My father failed three years ago," said Fletcher, "and I foundmyself adrift with nothing to do, and no money to fall back upon. Ihave drifted about since then; but now I am out of employment. Icame to you to-day to see if you will exert your influence to get mea government clerkship, even of the lowest class. You may restassured, Mr. Walton, that I need it."
Was this the proud Fitzgerald Fletcher, suing, for the means ofsupporting himself, to one whom, as a boy, he had despised and lookeddown upon? Surely, the world is full of strange changes andmutations of fortune. Here was a chance for Harry to triumph overhis old enemy; but he never thought of doing it. Instead, he wasfilled with sympathy for one who, unlike himself, had gone down inthe social scale, and he cordially promised to see what he could dofor Fletcher, and that without delay.
On inquiry, he found that Fletcher was qualified to discharge theduties of a clerk, and secured his appointment to a clerkship in theTreasury Department, on a salary of twelve hundred dollars a year.It was an income which Fletcher would once have regarded as whollyinsufficient for his needs; but adversity had made him humble, and hethankfully accepted it. He holds the position still, discharging theduties satisfactorily. He is glad to claim the Hon. Harry Waltonamong his acquaintances, and never sneers at him now as a "printer'sdevil."
Oscar Vincent spent several years abroad, after graduation, acting asforeign correspondent of his father's paper. He is now his father'sjunior partner, and is not only respected for his ability, but ageneral favorite in society, on account of his sunny disposition andcordial good nature. He keeps up his intimacy with Harry Walton.Indeed, there is good reason for this, since Harry, four years since,married his sister Maud, and the two friends are brothers-in-law.
Harry's parents are still living, no longer weighed down by poverty,as when we first made their acquaintance. The legacy which came soopportunely improved their condition, and provided them with comfortsto which they had long been strangers. But their chief satisfactioncomes from Harry's unlooked-for success in life. Their past life ofpoverty and privation is all forgotten in their gratitude for thisgreat happiness.
The next and concluding volume of this series will be
HERBERT CARTER'S LEGACY.
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