hear that. Will you give me Mr. Middleton's address?"
"His--which, sir?"
"Tell me where I can write to him."
"Oh! he is at Washington, present speaking; Franklin Square, Washington
City; that will find him."
"Thank you." And shaking hands with the worthy overseer Ishmael
departed.
And the same day he wrote and posted a letter to Mr. Middleton.
The intervening two weeks between that day and Christmas were spent by
Ishmael, as usual, in work and study. He made up the whole year's
accounts for Reuben Gray, and put his farm books in perfect order. While
Ishmael was engaged in this latter job, it occurred to him that he could
not always be at hand to assist Reuben, and that it would be much
better for Gray to learn enough of arithmetic and bookkeeping to make
him independent of other people's help in keeping his accounts.
So when Ishmael brought him his books one evening and told him they were
all in order up to that present day, and Reuben said:
"Thank you, Ishmael! I don't know what I should do without you, my lad!"
Ishmael answered him, saying very earnestly:
"Uncle Reuben, all the events of life are proverbially very uncertain;
and it may happen that you may be obliged to do without me; in which
case, would it not be well for you to be prepared for such a
contingency?"
"What do you mean, Ishmael?" inquired Gray, in alarm.
"I mean--had you not better learn to keep your books yourself, in case
you should lose me?"
"Oh, Ishmael, I do hope you are not going to leave us!" exclaimed
Reuben, in terror.
"Not until duty obliges me to do so, and that may not be for years. It
is true that I have taken the Rushy Shore schoolhouse, which I intend to
open on the third of January; but then I shall continue to reside here
with you, and walk backward and forward between this and that."
"What! every day there and back, and it such a distance!"
"Yes, Uncle Reuben; I can manage to do so, by rising an hour earlier
than usual," said Ishmael cheerfully.
"You rise airly enough now, in all conscience! You're up at daybreak. If
you get up airlier nor that, and take that long walk twice every day, it
will wear you out and kill you--that is all."
"It will do me good, Uncle Reuben! It will be just the sort of exercise
in the open air that I shall require to antidote the effect of my
sedentary work in the schoolroom," said Ishmael cheerfully.
"That's you, Ishmael! allers looking on the bright side of everythin
|