"
The next week was a busy one for the Moore household, and Austin helped
them with their moving, staying with them till the hard work was over, and
then found himself a place. This was not hard, for he was well known and
universally liked. Those who would hire him knew him to be reliable beyond
his years. The wages he received were small, pitifully so, but they were
sufficient to again clothe him suitably, and to give him that feeling of
independence and self-respect that is good for any boy.
Though he was satisfied with his present lot so far as his own self was
concerned, his mind was never at rest about the children. In spirit he
lived constantly with them, and was ever longing to return to them and bear
their burdens. Not once did he contemplate entirely forsaking them. He
believed the cloud which now overshadowed him and them would pass away and
he again be welcome under the home roof. He built great air-castles of the
time when he should become rich and return and care for them. But he could
not overcome the feeling of repugnance toward his father, nor did he really
try to do so.
When Austin had again fitted himself with a suitable wardrobe, he
remembered his uncle's advice about going to school. Spring was at hand
now, and the country-school term at a close, so he could do nothing for the
present. But when Mr. Coles, a neighbor of his uncle's, offered him a place
for the summer at reasonable wages with the understanding that when the
summer was over he might remain with him and attend school the coming
winter, Austin thought it wise to accept the offer, though the wages were
considerably less than he could have gotten elsewhere.
Pages:
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72