Miscellany: The Girl With A Tin Pail

Some seventeen years ago, -i was %a 'prentice boy" in the thcn nimbus ''-City of Mud," now the goodly city of Rochester. The business of which I was obtaining a knowiedge,was condücted upon Exchange street, though I boarded in one of the streets in the western paft of the city. In going to my tea I was in the habit of meeting, almost every evening, for many weeks in succession, a s'mall welldressed and good-lobking girl, whh a iittJe tin pail in her hand. Af length myriosity became excited, and I resolved to ascrtain if possibie, the dnily errand of thegirl. Having met her the following evening, I according]}' turned upon my hed, and following her nía distancethat would not excite suspicion in any ono. at length saw her enter asmallshoeshop on South St Paul strect. I subsoqunntly learned that the shop was owned by an excellent mechanic, and that the girl's - Husband. He hnd been married a few months, and possessed no oí her capital than a good trnde, a good name and a robuat constitution, had resolved to econoKiize in the article of rent, by hiring a house in the suburbs öf the cit}r. Hisbreakfast was alway3 . ready for him by day break, and taking his dinner with him, he saved tho hour each day which most persons spend in going to and from that meal. Many economists would have-been iatisiied with the saving of as much time as this between the risi.'ig and going down of tlie sun; but notso vith the youngshoenraker. He also wished to save the hour usually devoted to tea, and therefore had that meal daily taken to him by his pretty little wife. This arrangement enabled him o spend tha whole day, and so much of the evening ás Jie chose, in the shop. The industrious habits of ihe shoe-maker were soon discoverd, and met with their due reward. Customers flocked in apon him, and he was obliged not only to rent a larger shop, but to employ an additional number of workmen. But the increase of business did not wean him from the plan he had early adopted for the saving of time - his third meal stili having been taken to him by his wife, in the little tin pail. About this time I left the city, and did not return for twelve years. I had not however forgotten the shoemaker,having from my. firstknowledge of him discovered the germ of success ïn_h" ís manner of life. I visited the shop where his old shop had stood, but it had place to anew brick block. In vain I looked about for his sign - it was no where to be seen. - I was at length informed by.a friend that about two years previously he had removed to Ohio. . uDo you know anything of his circumstancesl" I inquired. "1 do. In the first place he took to the Ohio about five thousand dollars in cash, from three thousand' of which, invested in real estáte, near Cincinnati, he has realized three times that amount. The other two thousand he put into a pork establishment, and that sum also yielded him a large profit. But even had he not resorted to speculation" added rnr friend, "he could not but have succeeded in life, so thorougli were his büsineáa Kabits. and especially as those habits were secondod by such an industrious little witV I'have recentlyreturned from a visitto Ohio, and have againseen the shoemaker and his wife. He is but now in the prime of life, and possesses an ampie fortune and an unsullied reputation for probity. Never having had any personal acquaintance with him I inquired him out, and intróduced myself to him as a Rochesteronian. This was late in the afternoon, and I very cheerfully accepled an invitation to take tea with him. Improvinga moment of silence at the table, 1 remarked, "I fear Mr. H., that you are not so great an economist of time as vou used to be." i'Why not?" he inquired. "When I firsi became acquainted with ' Mrs. H., you could not afford time to ' go to tea, and she used to carry ít to ! you." "ín a little tin pail," said ehe bursting into a laugh. r "Exactly." ! "Indeed, Mr. W., have you known us I tlien made mysolf' kriöwn as the Cor apprentico of Mr. R., and Was i'mme diately reeognized by Mrs. II. as ono o lier earliest Street acquáiníancc in Roches! e r. "But that pail - what óo yon (hink has hecome oftliai?" nsked Mr. II. "That Isuppose was long sincc ntimhorfid among the things tliat were", I answcrcd. "By. no means." said he with a smile t tlie same timo tipping a wink at his wií. Sho aróse from the talóle and lcft tho oom and sooíi returned with the idential pa.il, astheyhoth assured me. I nced ardly aay, that it bore palpable evidences fthe ravages of time,-';But wlmt is vöur object, Mr. II., in preserving tha.t pail?" "lts assöciations. We look upon it as one of the earliest instruments which contributed to our success in lifb, and ns such we shall ever cherish it." I soon aflerward took my leave of Mr. and Mrs. II. aud their intei-esting and happy family; and not a day since then. hasmy mind been without its remertibracees of The Girl and her Tin Pail.