As the boys pursued their way up Broadway, di*k pointed out the
prominent hotels and places of amusement. Frank was particularly
struck with the imposing fronts of the St. Nicholas and Metropolitan
Hotels, the former of white marble, the latter of a subdued brown
hue, but not less elegant in its internal appointments. He was not
surprised to be informed that each of these splendid structures cost
with the furnishing not far from a million dollars.
At Eighth Street di*k turned to the right, and pointed out the
Clinton Hall Building now occupied by the Mercantile Library,
comprising at that time over fifty thousand volumes.*
* Now not far from one hundred thousand.
A little farther on they came to a large building standing by itself
just at the opening of Third and Fourth Avenues, and with one side
on each.
"What is that building?" asked Frank.
"That's the Cooper Institute," said di*k; "built by Mr. Cooper,
a particular friend of mine. Me and Peter Cooper used to go to
school together."
"What is there inside?" asked Frank.
"There's a hall for public meetin's and lectures in the basement,
and a readin' room and a picture gallery up above," said di*k.
Directly opposite Cooper Institute, Frank saw a very large building
of brick, covering about an acre of ground.
"Is that a hotel?" he asked.
"No," said di*k; "that's the Bible House. It's the place where they
make Bibles. I was in there once,--saw a big pile of 'em."
"Did you ever read the Bible?" asked Frank, who had some idea of the
neglected state of di*k's education.
"No," said di*k; "I've heard it's a good book, but I never read one.
I ain't much on readin'. It makes my head ache."
"I suppose you can't read very fast."
"I can read the little words pretty well, but the big ones is what
stick me."
"If I lived in the city, you might come every evening to me, and I
would teach you."
"Would you take so much trouble about me?" asked di*k, earnestly.
"Certainly; I should like to see you getting on. There isn't much
chance of that if you don't know how to read and write."
"You're a good feller," said di*k, gratefully. "I wish you did live
in New York. I'd like to know somethin'. Whereabouts do you live?"
"About fifty miles off, in a town on the left bank of the Hudson.
I wish you'd come up and see me sometime. I would like to have you
come and stop two or three days."
"Honor bright?"
"I don't understand."
"Do you mean it?" asked di*k, incredulously.
"Of course I do. Why shouldn't I?"
"What would your folks say if they knowed you asked a boot-black to
visit you?"
"You are none the worse for being a boot-black, di*k."
"I ain't used to genteel society," said di*k. "I shouldn't know how
to behave."
"Then I could show you. You won't be a boot-black all your life, you
know."
"No," said di*k; "I'm goin' to knock off when I get to be ninety."
"Before that, I hope," said Frank, smiling.
"I really wish I could get somethin' else to do," said di*k,
soberly. "I'd like to be a office boy, and learn business, and grow
up 'spectable."
"Why don't you try, and see if you can't get a place, di*k?"
"Who'd take Ragged di*k?"
"But you ain't ragged now, di*k."
"No," said di*k; "I look a little better than I did in my Washington
coat and Louis Napoleon pants. But if I got in a office, they
wouldn't give me more'n three dollars a week, and I couldn't live
'spectable on that."
"No, I suppose not," said Frank, thoughtfully. "But you would get
more at the end of the first year."
"Yes," said di*k; "but by that time I'd be nothin' but skin and
bones."
Frank laughed. "That reminds me," he said, "of the story of an
Irishman, who, out of economy, thought he would teach his horse to
feed on shavings. So he provided the horse with a pair of green
spectacles which made the shavings look eatable. But unfortunately,
just as the horse got learned, he up and died."
"The hoss must have been a fine specimen of architectur' by the time
he got through," remarked di*k.
"Whereabouts are we now?" asked Frank, as they emerged from Fourth
Avenue into Union Square.
"That is Union Park," said di*k, pointing to a beautiful enclosure,
in the centre of which was a pond, with a fountain playing.
"Is that the statue of General Washington?" asked Frank, pointing to
a bronze equestrian statue, on a granite pedestal.
"Yes," said di*k; "he's growed some since he was President. If
he'd been as tall as that when he fit in the Revolution, he'd have
walloped the Britishers some, I reckon."
Frank looked up at the statue, which is fourteen and a half feet
high, and acknowledged the justice of di*k's remark.
"How about the coat, di*k?" he asked. "Would it fit you?"
"Well, it might be rather loose," said di*k, "I ain't much more'n
ten feet high with my boots off."
"No, I should think not," said Frank, smiling. "You're a queer boy,
di*k."
"Well, I've been brought up queer. Some boys is born with a silver
spoon in their mouth. Victoria's boys is born with a gold spoon, set
with di'monds; but gold and silver was scarce when I was born, and
mine was pewter."
"Perhaps the gold and silver will come by and by, di*k. Did you ever
hear of di*k Whittington?"
"Never did. Was he a Ragged di*k?"
"I shouldn't wonder if he was. At any rate he was very poor when he
was a boy, but he didn't stay so. Before he died, he became Lord
Mayor of London."
"Did he?" asked di*k, looking interested. "How did he do it?"
"Why, you see, a rich merchant took pity on him, and gave him a
home in his own house, where he used to stay with the servants,
being employed in little errands. One day the merchant noticed di*k
picking up pins and needles that had been dropped, and asked him
why he did it. di*k told him he was going to sell them when he got
enough. The merchant was pleased with his saving disposition, and
when soon after, he was going to send a vessel to foreign parts, he
told di*k he might send anything he pleased in it, and it should
be sold to his advantage. Now di*k had nothing in the world but a
kitten which had been given him a short time before."
"How much taxes did he have to pay on it?" asked di*k.
"Not very high, probably. But having only the kitten, he concluded
to send it along. After sailing a good many months, during which the
kitten grew up to be a strong cat, the ship touched at an island
never before known, which happened to be infested with rats and
mice to such an extent that they worried everybody's life out, and
even ransacked the king's palace. To make a long story short, the
captain, seeing how matters stood, brought di*k's cat ashore,
and she soon made the rats and mice scatter. The king was highly
delighted when he saw what havoc she made among the rats and mice,
and resolved to have her at any price. So he offered a great
quantity of gold for her, which, of course, the captain was glad
to accept. It was faithfully carried back to di*k, and laid the
foundation of his fortune. He prospered as he grew up, and in time
became a very rich merchant, respected by all, and before he died
was elected Lord Mayor of London."
"That's a pretty good story," said di*k; "but I don't believe all the
cats in New York will ever make me mayor."
"No, probably not, but you may rise in some other way. A good many
distinguished men have once been poor boys. There's hope for you,
di*k, if you'll try."
"Nobody ever talked to me so before," said di*k. "They just called
me Ragged di*k, and told me I'd grow up to be a vagabone (boys who
are better educated need not be surprised at di*k's blunders) and
come to the gallows."
"Telling you so won't make it turn out so, di*k. If you'll try to
be somebody, and grow up into a respectable member of society, you
will. You may not become rich,--it isn't everybody that becomes
rich, you know--but you can obtain a good position, and be
respected."
"I'll try," said di*k, earnestly. "I needn't have been Ragged di*k
so long if I hadn't spent my money in goin' to the theatre, and
treatin' boys to oyster-stews, and bettin' money on cards, and
such like."
"Have you lost money that way?"
"Lots of it. One time I saved up five dollars to buy me a new
rig-out, cos my best suit was all in rags, when Limpy Jim wanted
me to play a game with him."
"Limpy Jim?" said Frank, interrogatively.
"Yes, he's lame; that's what makes us call him Limpy Jim."
"I suppose you lost?"
"Yes, I lost every penny, and had to sleep out, cos I hadn't a cent
to pay for lodgin'. 'Twas a awful cold night, and I got most froze."
"Wouldn't Jim let you have any of the money he had won to pay for a
lodging?"
"No; I axed him for five cents, but he wouldn't let me have it."
"Can you get lodging for five cents?" asked Frank, in surprise.
"Yes," said di*k, "but not at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. That's it
right out there."