,
JACOB MARLOWE.

"I am to go to New York!" thought Bert joyfully. "Perhaps Uncle Jacob
will find me a place there. I shall enjoy that ever so much. Let me see,
I am to go next week, Thursday, and it is now Saturday. I wish the time
had come!"

Of course, Bert carried the letter home and showed it to his mother.

"How kind Uncle Jacob is!" she murmured. "But I am afraid he is too
generous. He is a poor man. He cannot afford to be giving us money all
the time."

"He is earning a good salary, you know, mother."

"Only twelve dollars a week, Bert."

"But that is a good deal. If I were earning twelve dollars a week I
should feel rich."

"It doesn't go very far in a large and expensive city like New York."

"I could save half of it, if I had it. Would you mind much, mother, if I
should take a place in New York?"

"It would be terribly lonely for me, Bert," sighed Mrs. Barton.

"But you would not oppose it?"

"Not if your Uncle Jacob thought it best. He seems to be our only friend
just now."

"Yes; I don't know what we should have done without him."

On Monday morning, considerably to his surprise, Bert received an offer
of employment.

About a mile from his mother's cottage lived Silas Wilson, an old farmer
about sixty years of age, who had the reputation of being one of the
meanest men in Lakeville. Even his horses and cows had a hungry look,
and it was easy to see that they were not pampered or injured by
over-feeding. This was the man who stopped his farm wagon in front of
Mrs. Barton's dwelling, and spoke to Bert, who was just coming out of
the front door.

"Here, you, Bert Barton!"

"Good-morning, Mr. Wilson," replied Bert.

"Squire Marlowe tells me you are out of a job."

"Yes, sir."

"And I've been thinkin' I could give you work on my farm."

Bert was not overjoyed at this announcement, but he felt that he ought
to take into consideration any offer that might be made to him.

"Would you expect me to board at your house?" he asked.

"Sartin! All my boys board with me."

"How much wages would you be willing to pay?"

"Fifty cents a week and board. I calculate that would be about right."

"Fifty cents a week and board?" repeated Bert, by no means dazzled by
the tempting offer.

"Yes. What do you say?"

"I shouldn't be willing to work for that."

"You wouldn't, hey? What did you get in the shoe shop?"

"Four dollars a week."

"Board's worth that, so I