Thus this man of the world, without a thought of pity, mercy, or kindly feeling in either case, gave one of his clerks a new impetus toward the devil, and another an important lift toward better things, and then went his way, congratulating himself that all things had worked together for his good, that morning, though where he would find another Dennis Fleet to fill Pat’s place, again vacant, he did not know.
But Miss Ludolph looked at Dennis somewhat kindly, and with a little honest admiration in her face. He was very different from what she had as a matter of course supposed him to be, and had just done in a quiet, manly way a thing most pleasing to her, so she said with a smile that seemed perfectly heavenly to him, “You are above blacking boots, sir.”
XVI
Just in Time
At the close of the day on which Dennis received his promotion, and his horizon was widened so unexpectedly, Mr. Ludolph, in passing out, noticed him engaged as usual on one of Pat Murphy’s old tasks. He stopped and spoke kindly, “Well, Fleet, where am I going to find a man to fill your place made vacant today?”
“Would you be willing to listen to a suggestion from me?”
“Certainly.”
“If a young boy was employed to black boots, run errands, and attend to minor matters, I think that by industry I might for a while fill both positions. In a short time the furnace will require no further attention. I am a very early riser, and think that by a little good management I can keep the store in order and still be on hand to attend to my counter when customers are about.”
Mr. Ludolph was much pleased with the proposition, and said, promptly, “You may try it, Fleet, and I will pay you accordingly. Do you know of a boy who will answer?”
“I think I do, sir. There is a German lad in my mission class who has interested me very much. His father is really a superior artist, but is throwing himself away with drink, and his mother is engaged in an almost hopeless effort to support the family. They have seen much better days, and their life seems very hard in contrast with the past.”
“Can we trust such a boy? Their very necessities may lead to theft.”
“They are not of the thieving sort, sir. I am satisfied that they would all starve rather than touch a penny that did not belong to them.”
“Very well, then, let him come and see me; but I will hold you responsible for him.”
Mr. Ludolph, being in a good humor, was disposed to banter Dennis, so he added: “Do you find time to be a missionary, also? Are you not in danger of becoming a jack-at-all-trades?”
“I am not entitled to the first character, and hope to shun the latter. I merely teach a dozen boys in a mission school on Sundays.”
“When you ought to be taking a good long nap, or a row on the lake for fresh air and recreation.”
“I should be dishonest if I spent my Sabbaths in that way.”
“How so?”
“I should give the lie to my profession and belief. I must drop the name of Christian when I live for myself.”
“And if you should drop it, do you think you would be much the loser?”
“Yes, sir,” said Dennis, with quiet emphasis.
“You are expecting great reward, in some sort of Paradise, for your mission work, etc.?”
“Nothing done for God is forgotten or unrewarded.”
“Believing that, it seems to me that you are looking after self-interest as much as the rest of us,” said his employer, with a shrewd smile.
Looking straight into Mr. Ludolph’s eyes, Dennis said, earnestly: “Without boasting, I think that I can say that I try to serve you faithfully. If you could see my heart, I am sure you would find that gratitude for your kindness is a part of my motive, as well as my wages. In the same manner, while I do not lose sight of the rich rewards God promises and daily gives for the little I can do for Him, I am certain that I can do much out of simple gratitude and love, and ask no reward.”
“Ignorance is certainly bliss in your case, young man. Stick to your harmless superstition as long as you can.”
And he walked away, muttering: “Delusion, delusion! I have not said a word or done a thing for him in which I had not in view my interests only, and yet the poor young fool sees in the main disinterested kindness. Little trouble have the wily priests in imposing on such victims, and so they get their hard-earned wages and set them propagating the delusion in mission schools, when mind and body need change and rest. Suppose there is a Supreme Being in the universe, what a monstrous absurdity to imagine that He would trouble Himself to reward this Yankee youth for teaching a dozen ragamuffins in a tenement-house mission school!”
Thus Mr. Ludolph’s soliloquy proved that his own pride and selfishness had destroyed the faculty by which he could see God. The blind are not more oblivious to color than he was to those divine qualities which are designed to win and enchain the heart. A man may sadly mutilate his own soul.
At a dainty dinner-table Mr. Ludolph and his daughter discussed the events of the day.
“I am glad,” said the latter, “that he is willing to fill Pat’s place, for he keeps everything so clean. A dusty, slovenly store is my abomination. Then it shows that he has no silly, uppish notions so common to these Americans.” (Though born here,
