not know a situation in
which a boy is more apt to attract attention, which is all a really
clever boy requires in order to rise. Wise men are always looking out
for clever boys.

One great excitement of this life was the extra charge of ten cents
which we were permitted to collect for messages delivered beyond a
certain limit. These "dime messages," as might be expected, were
anxiously watched, and quarrels arose among us as to the right of
delivery. In some cases it was alleged boys had now and then taken a
dime message out of turn. This was the only cause of serious trouble
among us. By way of settlement I proposed that we should "pool" these
messages and divide the cash equally at the end of each week. I was
appointed treasurer. Peace and good-humor reigned ever afterwards.
This pooling of extra earnings not being intended to create artificial
prices was really cooeperation. It was my first essay in financial
organization.

The boys considered that they had a perfect right to spend these
dividends, and the adjoining confectioner's shop had running accounts
with most of them. The accounts were sometimes greatly overdrawn. The
treasurer had accordingly to notify the confectioner, which he did in
due form, that he would not be responsible for any debts contracted by
the too hungry and greedy boys. Robert Pitcairn was the worst offender
of all, apparently having not only one sweet tooth, but all his teeth
of that character. He explained to me confidentially one day, when I
scolded him, that he had live things in his stomach that gnawed his
insides until fed upon sweets.

CHAPTER IV

COLONEL ANDERSON AND BOOKS

With all their pleasures the messenger boys were hard worked. Every
other evening they were required to be on duty until the office
closed, and on these nights it was seldom that I reached home before
eleven o'clock. On the alternating nights we were relieved at six.
This did not leave much time for self-improvement, nor did the wants
of the family leave any money to spend on books. There came, however,
like a blessing from above, a means by which the treasures of
literature were unfolded to me.

Colonel James Anderson--I bless his name as I write--announced that he
would open his library of four hundred volumes to boys, so that any
young man could take out, each Saturday afternoon, a book which could
be exchanged for another on the succeeding Saturday. My friend, Mr.
Thomas N. Miller, reminded m