Poor and Proud; Or The Fortunes of Katy Redburn: A Story for Young Folks Read online

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  POOR AND PROUD

  OR

  THE FORTUNES OF KATY REDBURN

  A STORY FOR YOUNG FOLKS

  BY

  OLIVER OPTIC

  TO ALICE MARIE ADAMS, This Book IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED BY HER FATHER.

  Poor and Proud.

  PREFACE.

  Bobby Bright and Harry West, whose histories were contained in the lasttwo volumes of the "Library for Young Folks," were both smart boys. Theauthor, very grateful for the genial welcome extended to these younggentlemen, begs leave to introduce to his juvenile friends a smartgirl,--Miss Katy Redburn,--whose fortunes, he hopes, will provesufficiently interesting to secure their attention.

  If any of my adult readers are disposed to accuse me of being a littleextravagant, I fear I shall have to let the case go by default; but Ishall plead, in extenuation, that I have tried to be reasonable, evenwhere a few grains of the romantic element were introduced; for BaronMunchausen and Sindbad the Sailor were standard works on my shelf inboyhood, and I may possibly have imbibed some of their peculiar spirit.But I feel a lively satisfaction in the reflection that, whateverexaggerations the critic may decide I have perpetrated in this volume,I have made the success of Katy Redburn depend upon her goodprinciples, her politeness, her determined perseverance, and herovercoming that foolish pride which is a snare to the feet. In theserespects she is a worthy exemplar for the young.

  Pride and poverty do not seem to agree with each other; but there is apride which is not irreconcilable with the humblest station. This prideof character finds an illustration in the life of my heroine.

  Thanking my young friends again for the pleasant reception given to myformer books I submit this volume in the hope that Katy Redburn willprove to be a worthy and agreeable companion for their leisure hours.

  WILLIAM T. ADAMS. DORCHESTER, Sept. 29, 1858.

  CONTENTS.

  CHAPTER.

  I. Katy Redburn and Others Are Introduced II. The History of the Silver Watch III. Katy and Master Simon Sneed Visit the Pawnbroker's Shop IV. Katy Matures a Magnificent Scheme V. Katy Visits Mrs. Gordon, and Gets Rid of Dr. Flynch VI. Katy Prepares a Stock of Merchandise VII. Katy Makes a Large Sale VIII. Katy Sells Out, and Visits the Mayor IX. Katy talks with the Mayor, and Recovers the Watch X. Katy, in Distress, finds a Champion XI. Katy Meets with Extraordinary Success XII. Katy Pays Her Debts, and Tommy Goes to Sea XIII. Katy Employs an Assistant XIV. Master Simon Sneed Makes a Mistake XV. Katy Gets a Letter from Liverpool XVI. Ann Grippen Plays Tricks upon Travelers XVII. The Sun Sets, and the Night Comes On XVIII. Katy Struggles Bravely through a Series of Trials XIX. Katy Resorts to a Loan XX. Mrs. Gordon Feels Faint, and Katy Enters a New Sphere XXI. Katy Goes to Church, and Has a Birthday Party

  POOR AND PROUD; OR, THE FORTUNES OF KATY REDBURN.

  CHAPTER I.

  KATY REDBURN AND OTHERS ARE INTRODUCED.

  "Give me a flounder, Johnny?" said a little girl of eleven, dressed incoarse and ragged garments, as she stooped down and looked into thebasket of the dirty young fisherman, who sat with his legs hanging overthe edge of the pier.

  "I'll bet I won't," replied Johnny, gruffly, as he drew the basket outof the reach of the supplicant. "You needn't come round here tryin' tohook my fish."

  "You hooked 'em," said another juvenile angler who sat on the capsillof the pier by Johnny's side.

  "Who says I hooked 'em?" blustered Johnny, whose little dirty pawsinvoluntarily assumed the form of a pair of fists, scientificallydisposed and ready to be the instruments of the owner's vengeance uponthe traducer of his character.

  "I say so," added Tommy Howard, who did not seem to be at all alarmedat the warlike attitude of his fellow-angler.

  "Say it again, and I'll smash your head," continued Johnny, jumping upfrom his seat.

  "Didn't you hear me? Once is enough."

  Tommy coolly hauled up a large flounder at that moment, and threw thefish into his basket. It was rather refreshing to see how regardless hewas of that pair of menacing fists.

  "Jest you say that once more, and see what I'll do," persisted Johnny.

  "I won't do it."

  "You dasn't say it again."

  "Perhaps I dasn't; at any rate, I shan't."

  "Do you mean to say I hooked them fish?" exclaimed Johnny, desperately,for it seemed as though he must do something to vindicate his injuredhonor.

  "That's just what I did say."

  But Tommy was so confoundedly cool that his fellow-angler had somedoubts about the expediency of "pitching into him." Probably a visionof defeat flashed through his excited brain and discretion seemed thebetter part of valor. Yet he was not disposed to abandon his position,and advanced a pace or two toward his provoking companion; a movementwhich, to an unpracticed eye, would indicate a purpose to do something.

  "Don't fight, Tommy," said the little ragged girl.

  "I don't mean to fight, Katy,"--Johnny, at these words, assumed anartistic attitude, ready to strike the first blow,--"only if Johnnyhits me, I shall knock him into the middle of next week."

  Johnny did not strike. He was a prudent young man.

  "Don't fight, Johnny," repeated the girl, turning to the excitedaspirant for the honors of the ring.

  "Do you suppose I'll let him tell me I hooked them fish?" blusteredJohnny.

  "He didn't mean anything."

  "Yes, I did," interposed Tommy. "He caught 'em on a hook; so of coursehe hooked em. I hooked mine too."

  "Is that what you meant?" asked Johnny, a broad grin overspreading hisdirty face, and his fists suddenly expanding into dirty paws again.

  "That's just what I meant; and your skull is as thick as a two-inchplank, or you would have seen what I meant."

  "I see now."

  Johnny was not disposed to resent this last insinuation about thesolidity of his cranium. He was evidently too glad to get out of thescrape without a broken head or a bloody nose. Johnny was a bully, andhe had a bully's reputation to maintain; but he never fought when theodds were against him; and he had a congressman's skill in backing outbefore the water got too hot. On the whole, he rather enjoyed the pun;and he had the condescension to laugh heartily, though somewhatunnaturally, at the jest.

  "Will you give me a flounder, Tommy?" said the little ragged girl, asshe glanced into his well-filled basket.

  "What do you want of him, Katy?" asked Tommy turning round and gazingup into her sad, pale face.

  Katy hesitated; her bosom heaved, and her lips compressed, as thoughshe feared to answer the question.

  "To eat," she replied, at last, in a husky tone.

  "What's the matter, Katy?"

  The face of the child seemed to wear a load of care and anxiety, and asthe young fisherman gazed a tear started from her eye, and slid downher cheek. Tommy's heart melted as he saw this exhibition of sorrow. Hewondered what could ail her.

  "My mother is sick," replied Katy, dashing away the tell-tale tear.

  "I know that; but what do you want of flounders?"

  "We have nothing to eat now," said Katy, bursting into tears. "Motherhas not been able to do any work for more than three months: and wehaven't got any money now. It's all gone. I haven't had any breakfastto-day."

  "Take 'em all, Katy!" exclaimed Tommy, jumping up from his seat on thecapsill of the pier. "How will you carry them? Here, I will string 'emfor you."

  Tommy was all energy now, and thrust his hands down into the depths ofhis p
ockets in search of a piece of twine. Those repositories of smallstores did not contain a string, however; but mixed up with a piece ofcord, a slate pencil, an iron hinge, two marbles, a brass ring, and sixinches of stovepipe chain, were two cents, which the owner thereofcarefully picked out of the heap of miscellaneous articles and thrustthem into the hand of Katy.

  "Here, take them; and as you go by the grocery at the corner of thecourt, buy a two-cent roll," whispered he. "Got a bit o' string,Johnny?" he added aloud, as Katy began to protest against taking themoney.

  "Hain't got none; but I'll give you a piece of my fish line, if youwant," replied the bully, who was now unusually obliging.

  "There's a piece of spunyarn, that's just the thing I want;" and Tommyran half way up the pier to the bridge, picked up the line, andcommenced stringing the flounders on it.

  "I don't want them all, Tommy; only give me two or three. I never shallforget you, Tommy," said Katy, her eyes suffused with tears ofgratitude.

  "I'm sorry things go so bad with you, Katy, and I wish I could dosomething more for you."

  "I don't want anything more. Don't put any more on the string. There'ssix. We can't eat any more."

  "Well, then, I'll bring you some more to-morrow," replied Tommy, as hehanded her the string of fish. "Stop a minute; here's a first-ratetom-cod; let me put him on;" and he took the string and added the fishto his gift.

  "I never shall forget you, Tommy; I shall only borrow the two cents; Iwill pay you again some time," said she, in a low tone, so that Johnnycould not hear her.

  "Never mind 'em, Katy. Don't go hungry again for a minute. Come to me,and I'll help you to something or other."

  "Thank you, Tommy;" and with a lighter heart than she had brought withher, she hastened up the pier, no doubt anticipating a rich feast fromthe string of fish.

  The pier of the new South Boston bridge was then, as now, a favoriteresort for juvenile fishermen. Flounders, tom-cod, and eels, to saynothing of an occasional sculpin, which boys still persist in calling"crahpies," or "crahooners," used to furnish abundant sport to a motleygroup of youngsters wherein the sons of merchants mingleddemocratically with the dirty, ragged children of the "Ten-footers" inthe vicinity. The pier was neutral ground, and Frederic Augustus made afriend of Michael or Dennis, and probably neither was much damaged bythis free companionship; for Michael or Dennis often proves to be moreof a gentleman in his rags and dirty face than Frederic Augustus in hisbroadcloth and white linen.

  Katy walked as fast as her little feet would carry her, till she cameto a court leading out of Essex Street. The bells were ringing for oneo'clock as she entered the grocery at the corner and purchased thetwo-cent roll which Tommy Howard's bounty enabled her to add to herfeast. Elated with the success of her mission, she quickened her paceup the court to a run, rushed into the house and up-stairs to hermother's room with as much enthusiasm as though she had found a bag ofgold, instead of having obtained a very simple dinner.

  "O, mother, I've got a lot of flounders and some bread for you!"exclaimed she, as she bolted into the room.

  "Then you have money," said a cold voice in the chamber; and Katyperceived, standing near the bed on which her mother lay, a man who wasno stranger to her.

  It was Dr. Flynch; but let not my young reader make a mistake. He wasno good Samaritan, who had come to pour oil and wine into the wounds ofthe poor sick woman; not even a physician, who had come to givemedicine for a fee, to restore her to health and strength. It is truehe was called a doctor, and he had been a doctor, but he did notpractice the healing art now. If he had failed to make a physician, itwas not because his heart was so tender that he could not bear to lookupon pain and suffering. He was the agent of Mrs. Gordon, a widow lady,who owned the house in which Katy's mother lived. He collected herrents, and transacted all her business; and as far as dollars and centswere concerned, he had certainly been a faithful servant. Dr. Flynchwas a prudent and discreet man, and did not hurt the feelings of thegood lady who employed him by telling her about the difficulties heencountered in the discharge of his duty, or by describing the harshand even cruel means to which he was sometimes obliged to resort, inorder to obtain the rent of poor tenants.

  "Mrs. Redburn," said Dr. Flynch, when he had heard the exclamation ofKaty, "you have told me a falsehood. You said you had no money, not acent. Where did you get that roll, child?"

  "At the store at the corner of the court," replied Katy, abashed by thecold dignity of the agent.

  "Precisely so, Mrs. Redburn; but you do not buy bread without money.You have attempted to deceive me. I have pitied you up to the presenttime, and indulged you in the non-payment of your rent for over a weekI can do so no longer, for you have told me a falsehood."

  "No, sir, I have not," pleaded the sick woman.

  "Your child buys bread."

  "I did not give her the money."

  "Where did you get the money to buy that roll with?" demanded Dr.Flynch, turning sharply to Katy.

  "Tommy Howard gave it to me."

  "Who is Tommy Howard?"

  "He lives on the other side of the court."

  "Very probable that a dirty, ragged boy gave her the money! This isanother false-hood, Mrs. Redburn. I lament that a person in yoursituation should have no higher views of Christian morality than to lieyourself, and teach your child to lie, which is much worse."

  The poor woman burst into tears, and protested that she had told thetruth, and nothing but the truth; declaring that Katy was a good girl,that she had eaten nothing that day, and would not tell a lie. Dr.Flynch was a man of method, and when a tenant did not pay the rent, itwas his purpose to get rid of that tenant in the quietest way possible.In the present case there was a difficulty, and public opinion wouldnot justify him in turning a sick woman out of the house; but if shelied, had money concealed, and would not pay her rent, it would alterthe matter. As he wished to believe this was the case, he had nodifficulty in convincing himself, and thus quieting his poor apologyfor a conscience.

  Besides being a man of method, Dr. Flynch was a man of upright walk andconversation; at least, he passed for such with those who did not knowanything about him. If Mrs. Gordon should happen to hear that he hadturned out the sick woman, he could then inform her how feelingly hehad pointed out to her the wickedness of her conduct, which he thoughtwould sound exceedingly well.

  "Mrs. Redburn," he continued, "I will give you till this time to-morrowto get out of the house; if you are not gone then, I shall be under thepainful necessity of removing your goods into the street. Goodmorning;" and Dr. Flynch turned upon his heel, and walked out of theroom.

  "My poor child! what will become of us?" sobbed the sick woman, as shegrasped Katy's hand, and pressed it to her bosom with convulsive energy.

  "Don't cry, mother; something can be done. I will go and see Mrs.Gordon, and beg her to let you stay here."

  "You must not do that; Dr. Flynch told me, if I troubled her about thehouse, I should not stay in it another minute, even if I paid the rent."

  "He is a bad man, mother; and I don't believe Mrs. Gordon knows what hedoes here."

  "There is one thing more we can do, Katy," continued Mrs. Redburn,wiping away her tears, and taking from under her pillow a heavy silverwatch. "This was your father's; but we must sell it now. It is all wehave left."

  "I should hate to have that sold, mother."

  "We must sell it, or pawn it."

  "We will pawn it then."

  "How shall we do it? I have not strength to rise, and they will cheatyou if you offer it."

  "I will tell you what I can do, mother; I will get Simon Sneed to gowith me to the pawnbroker's shop. He is very kind to me, and I know hewill. He comes home to dinner at two o-clock."

  This plan was agreed to, and Katy then went to work to clean and cookthe flounders.