Haste and Waste; Or, the Young Pilot of Lake Champlain. A Story for Young PeopleOptic, Oliver
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Haste and Waste; Or, the Young Pilot of Lake Champlain. A Story for Young People
Optic, Oliver
Steamboats -- Juvenile fiction
"No, sir; the _Woodville_ is a gift, and I should not be
willing to sell her at any price."
"Well, Lawry, I am as glad as you are at your success. Do you want
any help yet?"
"No, sir; we are just going on board of her to stay overnight, for
we are afraid the heavy wind will do mischief."
"I wouldn't do that. You must rest to-night."
"I'm afraid something will happen if we don't look out for her."
"Are you going to pump her out to-night?"
"We may begin pretty early in the morning," said Lawry, with a smile.
"Haste and waste, my boy. If you stay on board of her to-night, and
get sick, you will not make anything by your labor."
"If the wind goes down, we shall sleep ashore as usual. I don't
think it blows quite so hard as it did."
"I don't," added Ethan.
"Boys, you mustn't overdo this thing," added Mr. Sherwood seriously.
His wife whispered to him just then.
"Yes, Bertha," he continued. "I'll tell you what I'm going to do,
Lawry. I have four men at work for me. I can spare them one day, and
they shall pump out the _Woodville_ for you."
"You needn't object," interposed Mrs. Sherwood.
"Indeed you must not, Lawry," added Miss Fanny. "I am afraid you
will both be sick if you work so hard."
"We can easily pump her out ourselves," said Ethan.
"You needn't say a word, Ethan," added Fanny Jane.
"I suppose we shall have to submit," replied Lawry, laughing. "We
can't oppose the ladies."
"Just as you say, Lawry," said Ethan.
"You shall have the men to-morrow, boys. Now you must go to bed, and
not think of the steamer till morning," continued Mr. Sherwood.
As the wind seemed to be subsiding, the boys went into the house;
and though it was not quite dark, they "turned in," tired enough to
sleep without rocking. Ben was at his supper, in no pleasant frame of
mind. He was dissatisfied with himself, and with his brother, who had
succeeded in his undertaking contrary to his prophecy. He was envious
and jealous of Lawry. Now that his father was away, he thought he
ought to be the chief person about the house, being the oldest boy.
"I'm not going to stay at home, and be a nobody," said he angrily.
"We don't wish you to be a nobody," replied his mother.
"Yes, you do; Lawry is everybody, and I'm nobody."
"You've been drinking, Benjamin."
"What if I have! I'm not going to stay here, and play second fiddle
to a little boy."
"What are you talking about, Benjamin? Lawry has not interfered with
you. He will treat you kindly and respectfully, as he treats
everybody."
"He don't mind any more what I say than he does the grunting of the
pigs."
"What do you want him to do?"
"I want him to pay some attention to what I say," snarled Ben. "I
suppose he thinks that steamboat belongs to him."
"Certainly he does," replied Mrs. Wilford.
"I don't."
"Don't you? Whom does it belong to, then?"
"I'm not a fool, mother; I know a thing or two as well as some
others. Lawry is not of age."
"Neither are you."
"I know that, but I'm older than he is."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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