p enough to
get just such a boat as I want."

"You might take the money from the life insurance; for Mr. Freeman will
perhaps sell us the house, if we pay nine hundred dollars down."

"I won't do that, mother. My boat shall be bought with my own earnings."

"I will lend you the money, then."

"No, I won't get in debt."

"But a new boat would be safer."

"The old one is safe enough; all the fault I find with her is, that it
takes her so long to get down to the fishing ground."

Paul resolutely refused to run in debt, or to touch the money which had
been appropriated for the purchase of the house. He intended, when he
had time, to fix up the old boat, and rig a jib on, which he thought
would overcome his principal objection to her.

When he went to bed that night, he entered the proceeds of this day's
work in his book, and then with pardonable pride, he congratulated
himself on the sum total of the earnings of the two days.

CHAPTER VIII.

PAUL TAKES A COLD BATH.

The limits of our little volume do not permit us to follow Paul Duncan
into the minutiae of his prosperous business, and we are reminded that
great events in his experience are yet to be introduced. He was
successful in his undertaking, though, like all in this inconstant
world, he was subjected to trials and disappointments. There were some
days when it was so rough off the rocks that he could not fish; and
there were others when he had to travel many miles before he could sell
his fish. During John's vacation, his receipts amounted to about two
dollars a day, which went a great way in counter-balancing the ill luck
of the next week. On an average, he earned about a dollar a day.

He had won a reputation in Bayville which helped him a great deal in
disposing of his merchandise. People saw him working hard to supply the
place of his father, and they were glad to encourage him, as there are
always found enough who are willing to help those that help themselves.
The sympathy and kindness of his neighbors were a great assistance to
him, and no doubt without them his fish would have oftener been a drug
in the market.

Paul inherited some portion of his father's mechanical skill; and on the
first stormy day after he set up in business, he commenced his
contemplated improvements upon the old boat. She was a very poor subject
to work upon, but he got out the wood for building a half deck over her,
which he fitted on as he had opportunity. A shor