Captain Bayley's Heir: A Tale of the Gold Fields of California — John Shaqi
Captain Bayley's Heir: A Tale of the Gold Fields of CaliforniaHenty, G. A. (George Alfred)
General
Captain Bayley's Heir: A Tale of the Gold Fields of California
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
California -- Gold discoveries -- Juvenile fiction
"There are such lots of things I should like to buy," Evan said. "I
should like to buy mother a new Sunday bonnet, and I should like to get
you a pound of bacca; and Winnie wants a new pair of boots and
stockings, and there's lots of things I should like to get for Harry,
and some warm gloves for Sue, and--and no end of things."
"Two pounds," John Holl said, "is a nice little lump of money, Evan; but
when you gets as old as I am you will know as two pounds don't go wery
far. My advice to you is this, whatever you get yer sure a while
afterwards to want something else, and to wish as you had bought that
instead; that's human nature, and it's the same with men, women, and
boys--at least that's my 'sperience, and mother will tell you the same.
My advice is, give that money to mother to keep for you, say for a
month. Well then, every day you can settle fresh what you mean to buy,
and that will be most as good as buying it; perhaps towards the end of
the month you will have settled yer mind on to something which really
seems to you better than all the others: that's my advice."
"And capital good advice too, father," Harry said.
And thus the approval of the two authorities of the family having been
obtained, the matter was considered as settled.
"And who was the young gent as went in and fetched you out, Evan?" John
Holl asked, when the important business of tea was concluded, and he
again settled himself to his pipe. "He must have been a good sort; I
should like to shake hands with that chap."
"He told me as his name were Frank Norris," Evan replied; "he is one of
the scholars we see going along to Vincent Square; I knew him again
directly. He was one of those chaps as fought so well the day they got
attacked going back to the School. A fine-looking chap he is too, with a
pleasant face, and a nice sort of way about him. No nonsense, you know;
he talked just pleasant and nice, as Harry might talk to me, just as if
he was a sort of pal, and not a swell no-how."
"I should like to shake hands with him," John Holl repeated; "he saved
your life, that's sure enough"--for by this time Harry had related the
full details of the affair. "I think, Sarah, as it would be only right
and proper, come Sunday, for you and I to go round to that young
fellow's house and tell him how we feels about it. If it had been a chap
of our own station in life I suppose there ain't nothing we wouldn't do
for him, if we saw our way to it; and though I don't see as it's likely
as we can do nothing for this young fellow, the least as we can do is to
go and tell him what we thinks about it. Did he tell you where he lived,
Evan?"
"No, father. He didn't say where he lived; but he writ down in a
pocket-book my name and where we lived, and said as how he would look in
one of these days and see that I was none the worse for my ducking."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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