【英文读物】Chester Rand or The New Path to Fortune.docx
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1、【英文读物】Chester Rand or The New Path to FortuneCHAPTER I. SILAS TRIPP. Probably the best known citizen of Wyncombe, a small town nestling among the Pennsylvania mountains, was Silas Tripp. He kept the village store, occasionally entertained travelers, having three spare rooms, was town treasurer, and
2、conspicuous in other local offices. The store was in the center of the village, nearly opposite the principal churchthere were twoand here it was that the townspeople gathered to hear and discuss the news. Silas Tripp had one assistant, a stout, pleasant-looking boy of fifteen, who looked attractive
3、, despite his well-worn suit. Chester Rand was the son of a widow, who lived in a tiny cottage about fifty rods west of the Presbyterian church, of which, by the way, Silas Tripp was senior deacon, for he was a leader in religious as well as secular affairs. Chesters father had died of pneumonia abo
4、ut four years before the story commences, leaving his widow the cottage and about two hundred and fifty dollars. This sum little by little had melted, and a month previous the last dollar had been spent for the winters supply of coal. Mrs. Rand had earned a small income by plain sewing and binding s
5、hoes for a shoe shop in the village, but to her dismay the announcement had just been made that the shop would close through the winter on account of the increased price of leather and overproduction during the year. What shall we do, Chester? she asked, in alarm, when the news came. We cant live on
6、 your salary, and I get very little sewing to do. No, mother, said Chester, his own face reflecting her anxiety; we cant live on three dollars a week. I have been earning two dollars by binding shoes, said Mrs. Rand. It has been hard enough to live on five dollars a week, but I dont know how we can
7、manage on three. Ill tell you what Ill do, mother. Ill ask Mr. Tripp to raise my pay to four dollars a week. But will he do it? He is a very close man, and always pleading poverty. But I happen to know that he has ten thousand dollars invested in Pennsylvania Railroad stock. I overheard him saying s
8、o to Mr. Gardner. Ten thousand dollars! It seems a fortune! sighed Mrs. Rand. Why do some people have so much and others so little? It beats me, mother. But I dont think either of us would exchange places with Silas Tripp with all his money. By the way, mother, Mr. Tripp is a widower. Why dont you s
9、et your cap for him? Mrs. Rand smiled, as her imagination conjured up the weazened and wrinkled face of the village storekeeper, with his gray hair standing up straight on his head like a natural pompadour. If you want Mr. Tripp for a stepfather, she said, I will see what I can do to ingratiate myse
10、lf with him. No, a thousand times no! replied Chester, with a shudder. Id rather live on one meal a day than have you marry him. I agree with you, Chester. We will live for each other, and hope for something to turn up. I hope the first thing to turn up will be an increase of salary. To-morrow is Ne
11、w Years Day, and it will be a good time to ask. Accordingly, that evening, just as the store was about to close, Chester gathered up courage and said: Mr. Tripp. Well, thats my name, said Silas, looking over his iron-bowed spectacles. To-morrow is New Years Day. What if tis? I reckon I knew that wit
12、hout your tellin me. I came here last New Years Day. Ive been here a year. What if you have? And I thought perhaps you might be willing to raise my salary to four dollars a week, continued Chester, hurriedly. Oho, thats what youre after, is it? said Silas, grimly. You think Im made of money, I recko
13、n. Now, dont you? No, I dont; but, Mr. Tripp, mother and I find it very hard to get along, really we do. She wont have any more shoes to bind for three months to come, on account of the shoe shops closing. Its going to hurt me, too, said Silas, with a frown. When one business suspends it affects all
14、 the rest. Ill have mighty hard work to make both ends meet. This struck Chester as ludicrous, but he did not feel inclined to laugh. Here was Silas Tripp gathering in trade from the entire village and getting not a little in addition from outlying towns, complaining that he would find it hard to ma
15、ke both ends meet, though everyone said that he did not spend one-third of his income. On the whole, things did not look very encouraging. Perhaps, he said, nervously, you would raise me to three dollars and a half? What is the boy thinkin of? You must think Im made of money. Why, three dollars is h
16、ansome pay for what little you do. Why, I work fourteen hours a day, retorted Chester. Im afraid youre gettin lazy. Boys shouldnt complain of their work. The fact is, Chester, I feel as if I was payin you too much. Too much! Three dollars a week too much! Too much, considerin the state of business,
17、and yourself bein a boy. Ive been meanin to tell you that Ive got a chance to get a cheaper boy. Who is it? asked Chester, in dismay. Its Abel Wood. Abel Wood is every mite as big and strong as you are, and he come round last evenin and said hed work for two dollars and a quarter a week. I couldnt w
18、ork for that, said Chester. I dont mind bein generous, considerin youve been working for me more than a year. Ill give you two dollars and a half. Thats twenty-five cents moren the Wood boy is willin to take. Abel Wood doesnt know anything about store work. Ill soon learn him. Sitooated as I am, I f
19、eel that I must look after every penny, and Mr. Tripps face looked meaner and more weazened than ever as he fixed his small, bead-like eyes on his boy clerk. Then I guess Ill have to leave you, Mr. Tripp, said Chester, with a deep feeling of disgust and dismay. Do just as you like, said his employer
20、. Youre onreasonable to expect to get high pay when business is dull. High pay! repeated Chester, bitterly. Three dollars a week! Its what I call high pay. When I was a boy, I only earned two dollars a week. Money would go further when you were a boy. Yes, it did. Boys wasnt so extravagant in them d
21、ays. I dont believe you were ever extravagant, Mr. Tripp, said Chester, with a tinge of sarcasm which his employer didnt detect. No, I wasnt. I dont want to brag, but I never spent a cent foolishly. Do you know how much money I spent the first three months I was at work? A dollar? guessed Chester. A
22、 dollar! repeated Mr. Tripp, in a tone of disapproval. No, I only spent thirty-seven cents. Then I dont wonder you got rich, said Chester, with a curl of the lip. I aint rich, said Silas Tripp, cautiously. Who told you I was? Everybody says so. Then everybody is wrong. Im a leetle forehanded, thats
23、all. Ive heard people say you could afford to give up work and live on the interest of your money. Silas Tripp held up his hands as if astounded. Taint so, he said, sharply. If I gave up business, Id soon be in the poorhouse. Well, what do you say? Will you stay along and work for two dollars and a
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