CHAPTER XIII.
BETTER LET SLEEPING DOGS ALONE.
WHEN John Rhines went into the blacksmith’s shop, he found two otherboys there, apprentices, who had been at work some time. They allboarded with the master, as was the custom at that day.
It was customary for the boys to do some chores about the house,cut and bring in the wood, and on Monday mornings, the water forthe washing. It was also the wont of all mechanics, at eleven andfour o’clock, to have a glass of liquor, and most of them had aluncheon--crackers and salt fish. Then the men on the roofs came downfrom their ladders, carpenters laid aside their axes, and masons theirtrowels, and all set down to “wet their eye,” as they called it. Thusapprentices were early initiated into the practice of dram-drinking.
The names of these boys--both of whom were older than John, and oneof them nearly out of his time--were Sam Glacier and William Lewis.The younger of these, Sam Glacier, had sprung from a very poor, lowfamily, was of a jealous, suspicious disposition, didn’t love work, wascareless, and rather slow to learn.
Sam was very glad when Rhines came, because he knew that the choresthat he had been compelled to do would devolve upon Rhines; that heshould be put behind the anvil, and Rhines would have to blow andstrike for him. But in other respects he did not like John. Indeed, itwas impossible that there could be any friendship between two naturesso entirely opposite. Sam despised John because he _didn’t_ swear, andwould work whether Mr. Starrett was in the shop or not. John despisedSam because he _did_ swear, and would sit on the anvil whenever hismaster’s back was turned. Sam despised John because he knelt down andsaid his prayers when he went to bed, and wouldn’t drink liquor ateleven and four o’clock. John despised Sam because he lay down justlike a hog.
Sam spent his Sundays strolling about the wharves, sailing in boats,or getting together other boys, and spending the time in smoking andcard-playing, and disliked John because he would not go with him, anddo as he did. John had not been in the shop a month before Sam sawthat Mr. Starrett liked him a great deal better than himself, anddidn’t hesitate to show it.
Sam, imputing this to the fact that John was the son of a rich and heof a poor man, was embittered against both him and his master. It wasnot, however, for any such reason. Mr. Starrett was a rugged, driving,resolute, generous-hearted man. Indeed, he was something of the turn ofCaptain Rhines, whom he considered one of the finest of men.
He wanted boys to work, and work hard, as he did himself; but he fedthem well, treated them kindly, did all in his power to put them aheadas fast as they developed capacity, and, when the work permitted, gavethem a few hours to themselves, and would let them have iron and coalto do any little job, and make any little thing to sell to boys or theneighbors.
The facts in the matter were just these: If Mr. Starrett sent Sam onboard a vessel to back out bolts, or to drive them in, or to take themeasure of anything, he would be gone at least twice as long as wasneedful, and very likely come back with the wrong dimensions; andafter the work was done, it would all have to be done over again, andperhaps the vessel all ready for sea except that. He would neglect tofore-lock a bolt. It would draw in a gale of wind, and cause seriousdamage. But if he sent John, it was all done well, and in the shortesttime. There was another reason. He forged a great many anchors forfishermen, which was heavy work, and required a great deal of strikingwith a large sledge; and John always struck with a good will, wasnever tired, and would draw the iron more at one blow than Sam, oreven Lewis, at two. No wonder then that Mr. Starrett liked John best,put him ahead, and gave him jobs, that, in the usual course of things,belonged to Sam. It was just the same at the anvil as everywhere else.The boy that does the best for his employer does the best for himself.
But the matter did not stop even here. It was the same in the house.Mrs. Starrett and Betty, the maid, conceived the strongest liking forJohn, and for equally substantial reasons as his master. If asked todo anything, he did it willingly, and on this very account was morelightly taxed.
“I hate to ask John to wait on me,” said Mrs. Starrett, “because hedoes it so willingly; for I know he works hard, and I had rather do itmyself.”
“He’s a gentleman, every inch of him,” replied Betty. “He wasn’tbrought up on a dunghill,--that’s plain to be seen. I often bring watermyself rather than ask him. But as for that Glacier, I made him waiton me by inches, he was so hoggish and lazy. If he gave me any of hisimpudence, I went straight to his master with the tale.”
It chanced one day that John was absent at dinner-time, his masterhaving sent him to the wharf. A plate was set on for Sam that wascracked, and had a piece taken out of the edge. He was so put out aboutit that he went off without his dinner.
Mrs. Starrett told Betty to put it on for John when he came.
“I’ll do no such thing! I’ll not put him below that growling creature!”
“Do as I tell you, Betty.”
When John came in, he sat down and ate his dinner, neither noticing norcaring whether the plate was cracked or not.
“There,” said Mrs. Starrett, “what do you think of that?”
“That is just what I should expect,” said Mr. Starrett, who happened tobe in the house. “If you want a boy that’s difficult, always growling,never satisfied, and all the time afraid he shall be imposed upon, getone that never had any bringing up, nor half enough to eat at home.”
There was another circumstance that tended to foster, even in the mindof Lewis, who was a very different boy from Glacier, a dislike to John;they were bound to serve a regular apprenticeship, John was not; and itwas plain to see, that with his ambition and capacity he would get thetrade and be working for wages long before they were out of their time.
The boys had but very little leisure; men worked then upon no ten-hoursystem, but from sun to sun.
Ship-carpenters worked till there was just light enough left to seeto pick up their tools; and blacksmiths, during short days in winter,worked in the evenings. When they happened to have any leisure, Lewis,with Glacier and others, pitched quoits, jumped, and wrestled, orplayed pull-up, or ball, on a green plat, behind the shop. John was notinvited to go with them; they considered him strait-laced, stuck up,and longed to take him down a peg or two.
One day, as they were going down a descending piece of ground, on theirway to dinner, Lewis proposed to Glacier to trip him up. Glacieraccordingly thrust his foot between John’s legs, thinking to trip andthrow him down hill; but he did not accomplish his purpose. John then,putting one hand on his shoulder, apparently with very little effort,sent him head foremost down the hill, and skinned his nose and chin inthe fall. John was so quiet, free from all pretensions, amiable in hisdisposition, didn’t swear, said his prayers, and went to meeting, thatalthough they knew his strength, they thought it impossible for him toknow anything about wrestling or scuffling; accordingly, after workthat evening, they invited him to go behind the shop and wrestle.
“You can throw him, Sam; if you can’t, I can,” said Lewis; “he isstrong to strike with a sledge; but he don’t know anything aboutwrestling.”
Never were boys more mistaken: he flung Glacier and Lewis the moment hetook hold of them, and every apprentice they could bring; and the worstof it was, he didn’t seem to think it worth crowing over, or that hehad found worthy antagonists. Mr. Starrett was mightily pleased when itcame to his ears.
“I’ve twigged their motions,” he said; “they’ve been itching this fourweeks to impose upon John, just because he’s a better boy than theyare; they’ve found out now it’s better to let a sleeping dog alone;better not meddle with anybody that’s got any Rhines blood in them.I wonder what they would think of Ben, or this boy’s grandfather. O,he was an awful strong man. I remember him when I was a small boy; helooked to me like a tree walking about.”
A short time after this circumstance, Mr. Starrett said to Glacier,--
“Sam, you’ve been with me more than two years. I’ve done my best to putyou forward and learn you; but yo
u are lazy and careless, and don’tcare whether you learn or not. Rhines has learned more in four monthsthan you have in the whole two years. I shall now put him behind theanvil, and you must blow and strike for him.”
Sam was grouty, and did all in his power to plague John, and spoilhis work. One day, when John was at work upon something where itwas necessary to be accurate, he irritated him beyond the limits offorbearance.
“Glacier,” said John, “if you keep on striking after I make the signalto stop, and if when you take anything out of the fire to weld, youhold it askew, and don’t keep it in its place till it’s stuck, I’lllay you across this anvil, and put the hammer handle on you till yousee stars.”
This settled the matter. Sam did very well after that, till he ranaway, and a better boy came in his place. John now went on apace.
Just before noon, one day, he was strapping a dead-eye, when JoeGriffin came into the shop. If ever anybody received a hearty welcome,Joe did from John.
“How are father and mother?”
“First rate; they are all well at home, and on the island. Uncle Isaacand our Henry are with me in the schooner,” replied Joe, by way ofsumming up.
“What is Charlie doing?”
“O, Charlie, he’s in kingdom come; he’s put the nub on now.”
“Do tell; what is it?”
“You mustn’t mention it aboard the schooner; but he has taken mouldsfrom the old boat that you and he split in two, timbered out andplanked up a boat of the same size, and I’m going to get the paint topaint her; then he’s coming out, I tell you; and here’s a letter fromhim.”
“O, how I wish I could be there, to go with him! but the boy time, withCharlie and me, is about over; we have got to put our bones to it now.How is Fred Williams getting along?”
“First rate; has all the fish he can make, and buys a good many. Sothey’ve put you behind the anvil, and set you to strapping dead-eyes.Pretty good job for a boy who has worked no longer than you have; theydon’t set bunglers to strapping dead-eyes.”
It was now twelve o’clock; Mr. Starrett invited Joe to dinner, and gaveJohn the afternoon to spend with his friend, and they went on boardthe Perseverance. John sat up half the night to make an anchor forCharlie’s boat, to send by Joe; he also made some iron bow pins forUncle Isaac and Ben, and an eel spear for his father.