【英文读物】Facing the World.docx

【英文读物】Facing the WorldPREFACE Horatio Alger, Jr., in “Facing the World,” gives us as his hero a boy whose parents have both died and the man appointed as his guardian is unjust and unkind to him. In desperation he runs away and is very fortunate in finding a true friend in a man who aids him and makes him his helper in his work as magician.They travel over the country and have many interesting experiences, some narrow escapes and thrilling adventures.CHAPTER I HARRY RECEIVES A LETTER “Heres a letter for you, Harry,” said George Howard. “I was passing the hotel on my way home from school when Abner Potts called out to me from the piazza, and asked me to bring it.”The speaker was a bright, round-faced boy of ten. The boy whom he addressed was five or six years older. Only a week previous he had lost his father, and as the family consisted only of these two, he was left, so far as near relatives were concerned, alone in the world.Immediately after the funeral he had been invited home by Mr. Benjamin Howard, a friend of his father, but in no manner connected with him by ties of relationship.“You can stay here as long as you like, Harry,” said Mr. Howard, kindly. “It will take you some time to form your plans, perhaps, and George will be glad to have your company.”“Thank you, Mr. Howard,” said Harry, gratefully.“Shall you look for some employment here?”“No; my father has a second cousin in Colebrook, named John Fox. Before he died he advised me to write to Mr. Fox, and go to his house if I should receive an invitation.”“I hope for your sake, he will prove a good man. What is his business?”“I dont know, nor did my father. All I know is, that he is considered a prosperous man. This letter is from him.”It was inclosed in a brown envelope, and ran as follows:“HARRY VANE: I have received your letter saying that your father wants me to be your guardeen. I dont know as I have any objections, bein a business man it will come easy to me, and I think your father was wise to seleck me. I am reddy to receave you any time. You will come to Bolton on the cars. That is eight miles from here, and there is a stage that meats the trane. It wouldnt do you any harm to walk, but boys aint so active as they were in my young days. The stage fare is fifty cents, which I shall expect you to pay yourself, if you ride.“There is one thing you dont say anything abouthow much proparty your pa left. I hope it is a good round sum, and I will take good care of it for you. Ennybody round here will tell you that John Fox is a good man of business, and about as sharp as most people. Mrs. Fox will be glad to see you, and my boy, Joel, will be glad to have someone to keep him company. He is about sixteen years old. You dont say how old you are, but from your letter I surmise that you are as much as that. You will find a happy united famerly, consistin of me and my wife, Joel and his sister, Sally. Sally is fourteen, just two years younger than Joel. We live in a comfortable way, but we dont gorge ourselves on rich, unhelthy food. No more at present. Yours to command,“JOHN FOX.” Harry smiled more than once as he read this letter.“Your relative isnt strong on spelling,” remarked Mr. Howard, as he laid the letter on the table.“No, sir; but he appears to be strong on economy. It is a comfort to know that I shall not be injured by rich, unhelthy food.”“When do you mean to start for Colebrook?” asked Mr. Howard.“To-morrow morning. I have been looking at a railroad guide, and I find it will bring me to Colebrook in time for supper.”“We should be glad to have you stay with us as long as possible, Harry.”“Thank you, Mr. Howard, I dont doubt that, but the struggle of life is before me, and I may as well enter upon it at once.”At four oclock in the afternoon the conductor of the train on which Harry was a passenger called out Bolton.Harry snatched up his carpetbag, and made his way to the door, for this was the place where he was to take the stage for Colebrook.Two other passengers got out at the same time. One was an elderly man, and the other a young man of twenty-five. They appeared to be father and son, and, as Harry learned afterward they were engaged in farming.“Any passengers for Colebrook?” inquired the driver of the old-fashioned Concord stage, which was drawn up beside the platform.“Theres Obed and me,” said the old farmer.“May I ride on the seat with you?” asked Harry of the driver.“Sartain. Where are you going?”“To Colebrook.”“Then this is your team.”Harry climbed up with a boys activity, and sat down on the broad seat, congratulating himself that he would have a chance to see the country, and breathe better air than those confined inside.Soon the driver sat down on the box beside him, and started the horses.“Youre a stranger, aint you?” he remarked, with an inquisitive glance at his young traveling companion.“Yes; Ive never been here before.”“Are you going to the tavern?”“No; Im going to the house of Mr. John Fox. Do you know him?”“I reckon everybody round here knows John Fox.”“I dont know him. He is to be my guardian.”“Sho! Youll have a queer guardeen.”“Why queer?”“The fact is, old Johnll cheat you out of your eye teeth ef he gets a chance. Hes about the sharpest man round.”“He cant cheat me out of much,” returned Harry, not especially reassured by this remark. “What is the business of Mr. Fox?”“Well, hes got some land, but he makes his livin chiefly by tradin hosses, auctioneerin, and such like.”“What sort of a woman is Mrs. Fox?”“Shes a good match for the old man. Shes about as mean as he is.”“Mr. Fox wrote me that he had two children.”“Yes, theres Joelhes about your age. Hes a chip of the old blockred-headed and freckled, just like the old man. I dont believe Joel ever spent a cent in his life. He hangs on to money as tight as ef his life depended on it.”“Theres a girl, too, isnt there?”“Yes, Sally. She looks like her ma, except shes red-headed like her pa.”“Im glad to know something of the family, but Im afraid I shant enjoy myself very much among the Foxes.”With such conversation Harry beguiled the way. On the whole, he enjoyed the ride. There were hills and here and there the road ran through the woods. He could hear the singing of birds, and, notwithstanding what he had heard he felt in good spirits.At length the stage entered the village of Colebrook. It was a village of moderate sizeabout two hundred houses being scattered over a tract half a mile square. Occupying a central position was the tavern, a square, two-story building, with a piazza in front, on which was congregated a number of villagers. After rapidly scanning them, the driver said:“Do you see that tall man over there leanin against a post?”“Yes.”“Thats your guardeen! Thats John Fox himself, as large as life, and just about as homely.”CHAPTER II THE DANGER SIGNAL The man pointed out to Harry as his guardian was tall, loosely put together, with a sharp, thin visage surrounded by a thicket of dull-red hair. He came forward as Harry jumped to the ground after descending from the elevated perch, and said: “I reckon this is Harry Vane?”“That is my name, sir.”“Glad to see you. Just take your traps, and come along with me. Mrs. Fox will have supper ready by the time we come.”Harry was not, on the whole, attracted by the appearance of his guardian. There was a crafty look about the eyes of Mr. Fox which seemed to make his name appropriate. He surveyed his young ward critically.“Youre pretty well grown,” he said.“Yes, sir.”“And look stout and strong.”“I believe I am both.”“My boy, Joel, is as tall as you, but not so hefty. Hes goin to be tall like me. Hes a sharp boyJoel.”“By the way, you didnt write how much property your father left.”“After the funeral bills are paid, I presume therell be only about three hundred dollars left.”Mr. Fox stopped short and whistled.“Father hadnt much talent at making money,” said Harry, soberly.“I should say not. Why, that money wont last you no time at all.”“I am old enough to work for a living. Isnt there something I can find to do in Colebrook?”“I guess I can give you work myselfTheres always more or less to do round a place. I keep a man part of the time, but I reckon I can let him go and take you on instead. You see, that will count on your board, and you dont want to spend your money too fast.”“Very well, sir. Theres only one thing I will stipulate; I will wait a day or two before going to work. I want to look about the place a little.”While this conversation was going on, they had traveled a considerable distance. A little distance ahead appeared a square house, painted yellow, with a barn a little back on the left, and two old wagons alongside.“Thats my house,” said John Fox. “Theres Joel.”Joel, a tall boy in figure, like his father, came forward and eyed Harry with sharp curiosity.“How are ye?” said Joel, extending a red hand, covered with warts.“Pretty well, thank you,” said Harry, not much attracted to his new acquaintance.“Heres Sally, too!” said John Fox. “Sally, this is my ward, Harry Vane.”Sally, who bore a striking family resemblance to her father and brother, giggled.Mrs. Fox, to whom Harry was introduced at the supper table, was as peculiar in her appearance and as destitute of beauty as the rest of the family.The next day, Harry, feeling it must be confessed, rather homesick, declined Joels company, and took an extended stroll about the town. He found that though the railway by which he had come was eight miles distant, there was another, passing within a mile of the village. He struck upon it, and before proceeding far made a startling discovery. There had been some heavy rains, which had washed out the road for a considerable distance, causing the track to give way.“Good heavens!” thought Harry, “if a train comes over the road before this is mended, therell be a wreck and loss of life. What can I do?”Just across the field stood a small house. In the yard the weeks washing was hung out. Among the articles was a red tablecloth.“May I borrow that tablecloth?” asked Harry, in excitement, of a woman in the doorway.“Land sakes! what for?” she asked.“To signal the train. The roads washed away.”“Yes, yes; Im expectin my darter on that train,” answered the woman, now as excited as our hero. “Hurry up! the trains due in fifteen minutes.”Seizing the tablecloth, Harry gathered it quickly into a bundle and ran back to the railroad. He hurried down the track west of a curve which was a few hundred feet beyond the washout, and saw the train coming at full speed. He jumped on a fence skirting the tracks, and waved the tablecloth wildly.“Will they see it?” he asked himself, anxiously.It was an anxious moment for Harry as he stood waving the danger signal, uncertain whether it would attract the attention of the engineer. It did! The engineer, though not understanding the meaning of the signal, not knowing indeed, but it might be a boys freak, prudently heeded it, and reversing the engine, stopped the train a short distance of the place of danger.“Thank God!” exclaimed Harry, breathing a deep sigh of relief.The engineer alighted from the train, and when he looked ahead, needed no explanation.“My boy!” he said, with a shudder, “you have saved the train.”“I am glad of it, sir. My heart was in my mouth, lest you should not see my signal.”By this time the passengers, whose curiosity had been roused by the sudden halt, began to pour out of the cars.When they saw the washout, strong men turned pale, and ladies grew faint, while many a fervent ejaculation of gratitude was heard at the wonderful escape.“We owe our lives to this boy!” said the engineer. “It was he who stood on the fence and signaled me. We owe our deliverance to thistablecloth.”A small man, somewhat portly, pushed his way up to Harry.“What is your name, my lad?” he asked, brusquely.“Harry Vane.”“I am the president and leading stockholder of the road, and my property has come very near being the death of me. Gentlemen”here the president turned to the group of gentlemen around him“dont you think this boy deserves a testimonial?”“Yes, yes!” returned the gentlemen, in chorus.“So do I, and I lead off with a subscription of twenty dollars.”One after another followed the presidents lead, the president himself making the rounds bareheaded, and gathering the contributions in his hat.“Oh, sir!” said Harry, as soon as he understood what was going forward, “dont reward me for what was only my duty. I should be ashamed to accept anything for the little I have done.”“You may count it little to save the lives of a train full of people,” said the president, dryly, “but we set a slight value upon our lives and limbs. Are you rich?”“No, sir.”“So I thought. Well, you neednt be ashamed to accept a little testimonial of our gratitude. You must not refuse.”When all so disposed had contributed, the president gathered the bills from the hat and handed the pile to Harry.“Take them, my boy,” he said, “and make good use of them. I shall owe you a considerable balance, for I value my life at more than twenty dollars. Here is my card. If you ever need a friend, or a service, call on me.”Then the president gave directions to the engineer to run back to the preceding station, where there was a telegraph office, from which messages could be sent in both directions to warn trains of the washout.Harry was left with his hands full of money, hardly knowing whether he was awake or dreaming.One thing seemed to him only fairto give the owner of the tablecloth some small share of the money, as an acknowledgment for the use of her property.“Here, Madam,” said Harry, when he had retraced his steps to the house, “is your tablecloth, for which I am much obliged. It saved the train.”“Well, Im thankful! Little did I ever think a tablecloth would do so much good. Why, it only cost me a dollar and a quarter.”“Allow me to ask your acceptance of this bill to pay you for the use of it.”“Land sakes! why, youve given me ten dollars!”“Its all right. It came from the passengers. They gave me something too.”“You didnt tell me your name.”“My name is Harry Vane.”“Do you live round here? I never heerd the name afore.”“Ive just come to the village. Im going to live with John Fox.”“You dont say! Be you any kin to Fox?”“Not very near. Hes my guardian.”“If he hears youve had any money give you, hell want to take care of it for you.”This consideration had not occurred to Harry. Indeed, he had for so short a time been the possessor of the money, of which he did not know the amount, that this was not surprising.“Well, good-morning!” he said.“Good-morning! Its been a lucky mornin for both of us.”“I