PERSEVERANCE G301

 PERSEVERANCE

Many years ago I stepped into a bookstore in Cincinnati in search of some books that I wanted. While I was there, a poor little boy, not over twelve years of age, came in to ask whether they had geographies to sell.

“Plenty of them,” was the salesman's reply.

“How much do they cost?”

“One dollar, my lad.”

“I didn't know they cost so much.”

He turned to go out and even opened the door, but closed it again and came back. “I have only sixty-two cents,” he said. “Will you let me have the book and wait a little while for the rest of the money?”

How eagerly the lad looked for an answer, and how disappointed he seemed when the man refused him his request! The little fellow looked up at me with a weak smile, and left the store. I followed him.

“And what now?” I asked.

“I shall try another place, sir.”

“Do you mind if I go too and see how you succeed?”

“If you like,” he said in surprise.

Four different stores I entered with him, and four times I saw the boy's face turn to disappointment.

“Are you going to try again?” I asked.

“Yes, sir. I shall try them all, or I shall not know whether I could get one.”

We entered the fifth store and the little fellow walked straight up and told the gentleman just what he wanted and how much money he had.

“Do you want the book very much?” asked the bookseller.

“Yes, sir, very much.”

“Why do you want it so much?”

“To study, sir. I cannot go to school, but when I have time I study at home All the boys have geographies and they will be ahead of me if I do not get one. Besides, my father was a sailor, and I want to know about the places he used to go to.”

“Does he go to those places now?”

“He is dead,” replied the boy, softly. In a moment he added, “I'm going to be a sailor, too.”

“Are you, my boy?” asked the gentleman, raising his eyebrows curiously.

“Yes, sir, if I live.”

“Well, my lad, I'll tell you what I will do. I'll let you have the new geography and you may pay me the remainder of the money when you can, or I will let you have one that is not new for fifty cents.”

“Are the leaves all in it and is it just like the others, only not new?”

“Yes, it's as good as the new ones.”

“It'll do just as well then, and I shall have twelve cents left to buy some other book. I'm glad they didn't let me have one at any of the other places.”

At the boy's last remark the bookseller looked at him. What did the boy mean? I told him what I had seen and heard at the five other places. When the boy had bought the book, the bookseller gave him a nice new pencil and some clean white paper.

“A present, my lad, for your perseverance. Always have courage like that and you will make your mark,” said the bookseller.

“Thank you, sir, it's very kind of you.”

“What is your name, my lad?”

“William Hartley, sir.”

“Do you want any more books?” I now asked, earnestly regarding the boy's serious face.

“More than I can ever get,” he replied.

I gave him two dollars. “The money will buy some for you,” I said.

Tears of joy came into his eyes.

“May I buy what I want with it?”

“Yes, my lad, whatever you want.”

“Then I'll buy a book for Mother,” he said. “I thank you very much, and some day I hope I can repay you.”

He asked my name and I gave it to him. Then I left him standing by the counter so happy that I almost envied him.

Many years later, I was going to Europe on one of the finest ships that ever ploughed the waters of the Atlantic. We had pleasant weather the greater part of the voyage, but toward the end there came a terrible storm and the ship would have sunk with all on board had it not been for the captain.

A great leak was filling the ship with water. The crew was made up of strong and able men and the mates were experienced seamen of the first class. But after pumping for one whole night with the water still gaining upon them, the sailors gave up in despair.

The captain, who had been below, now came up. He saw how matters stood.

He ordered every man to his position. It was surprising to see those strong men bow before his strong will and hurry back to the pumps. The captain then started below to look for the leak. As he passed me I asked him whether there was any hope of saving the ship.

He looked at me. “Yes, sir,” he said, “so long as one inch of this deck remains above water, there is hope. Only when that fails shall I leave the ship, but not before that, nor shall any of my crew. Everything shall be done to save the ship, and if we fail, it will not be our fault.” Then he turned to all of us passengers on board and said, “Every one of you, at the pumps!”

Three times during that day we gave up in despair. But the captain's courage, perseverance, and powerful will mastered every man on board, and we went to work again. “I will land you safe in Liverpool,” he said, “if you will be men.”

And in the end he did land us safe, but the ship sank soon after she reached Liverpool. The captain stood on the deck of the sinking ship receiving the thanks of the passengers as they hurried off the ship.

As I passed, he grasped my hand and said, “Sir, do you not recognize me?” I told him that I did not.

“Do you remember the boy whom you followed when he had so much difficulty in getting a geography, some thirty years ago, in Cincinnati?”

“Why yes, I remember that boy very well. His name was William Hartley.”

“I am William Hartley,” said the captain. “God bless you”

“And may God bless you too, Captain Hartley,” I said. “The perseverance that thirty years ago got you that geography has today saved our lives.”