cher's
brother was somebody in her estimation; he was a new kind of boy. The
other boys she had known all her life, commonplace, tiresome teasers or
clowns. That awkward impediment, a rival, I had not to contest or fear.
All went well with us until I fell from the ranks of the aristocracy and
became a menial shop boy in a store. But before that eclipse there were
other happy days and joyous experiences. Together we visited the grave
of the Indian Uncas, and the remnant of his tribe at Montville; we drove
often to Fishville, where was an estate laid out in a foreign fashion
with grottoes, mazes, fountains, strange trees and shrubbery and a
museum of curiosities.

Doubtless it was not the intention of my sister at this time to educate
me. Perhaps she saw nothing in me worthy of it. I do not much wonder at
her conviction, if such it was, as I look at a daguerreotype of myself
taken about that period, a round head, mostly hair, a low forehead, a
pair of round eyes, thick nose and lips and short neck, altogether just
such a solid, stolid child as one would expect to see from the country,
bred in the sun and cold, and fed on brown bread and milk. My being with
my sister, and a pupil in her school was a temporary expedient until a
place could be found for me. At length it was found, a situation in a
dry goods store, where I could earn my board and clothing. Thus without
warning I fell completely out of the ranks of the elect and again
returned to servitude as a shop boy, a runner of errands, a builder of
fires and floor-sweeper.

SHOP BOY

In country stores the man or boy behind the counter was an enviable
person. Many boys had no higher ambition than to be a store-keeper. I was
now behind the counter, and although there was nothing in a dry goods
shop to interest me as in the country store, with its varied assortment
of goods, tools, crockery and candies, I felt rather proud of my
position, especially when permitted to wait on a customer. He seemed an
inferior sort of a person, and I had no idea at first of conciliating
him and making a sale. It was not then the custom to observe a fixed
price and simply show the goods; but clerks were expected and instructed
to use persuasion, to expatiate on quality and beauty, and to take less
than they first asked. The cost price was marked with secret characters;
the selling price was variable. The more you could get out of a gullible
customer, the better; and he who could get