ents a week," said Mr. Graham, after a pause.

"That won't do! You seem to think I am only six or seven years old!"

Finally, after considerable haggling, Mr. Graham agreed to pay his son
a dollar and a half a week, in cash, besides board and clothes. He
reflected that he should be obliged to board and clothe his son at any
rate, and should save a dollar and a half from Herbert's wages.

"Well," he said, "when will you be ready to go to work?"

"I must have a few days to loaf, father. I have been hard at work for a
long time, and need some rest."

"Then you can begin next Monday morning. I'll get Herbert to show you
how to prepare the mail, so that you won't have any trouble about the
post-office work."

"By the way, father, how do you happen to have the post office? I
thought Mrs. Carr was to carry it on."

"So she did, for a time, but a woman ain't fit for a public position of
that kind. So I applied for the position, and got it."

"What's Mrs. Carr going to do?"

"She's got her pension," said Ebenezer, shortly.

"Eight dollars a month, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"That ain't much to support a family."

"She'll have to do something else, then, I suppose."

"There isn't much to do in Wayneboro."

"That isn't my lookout. She can take in sewing, or washing," suggested
Ebenezer, who did not trouble himself much about the care of his
neighbors. "Besides there's Herbert--he can earn something."

"But I'm to take his place."

"Oh well, I ain't under any obligations to provide them a livin'. I've
got enough to take care of myself and my family."

"You'd better have let her keep the post office," said Eben. He was
not less selfish than his father, but then his own interests were not
concerned. He would not have scrupled, in his father's case, to do
precisely the same.

"It's lucky I've got a little extra income," said Ebenezer, bitterly;
"now I've got your bills to pay."

"I suppose I shall have to accept your offer, father," said Eben, "for
the present; but I hope you'll think better of my California plan after
a while. Why, there's a fellow I know went out there last year, went up
to the mines, and now he's worth five thousand dollars!"

"Then he must be a very different sort of a person from you," retorted
his father, sagaciously. "You would never succeed there, if you can't in
Boston."

"I've never had a chance to try," grumbled Eben.

There was sound sense in what his father said. Failure at home is v