"
"Well," said Dick, "if such a misfortin' should come upon me I
should bear it like a man. When you see a Fifth Avenoo manshun for
sale for a hundred and seventeen dollars, just let me know and I'll
buy it as an investment."
"Two hundred and fifty years ago you might have bought one for that
price, probably. Real estate wasn't very high among the Indians."
"Just my luck," said Dick; "I was born too late. I'd orter have been
an Indian, and lived in splendor on my present capital."
"I'm afraid you'd have found your present business rather
unprofitable at that time."
But Dick had gained something more valuable than money. He had
studied regularly every evening, and his improvement had been
marvellous. He could now read well, write a fair hand, and had
studied arithmetic as far as Interest. Besides this he had obtained
some knowledge of grammar and geography. If some of my boy readers,
who have been studying for years, and got no farther than this,
should think it incredible that Dick, in less than a year, and
studying evenings only, should have accomplished it, they must
remember that our hero was very much in earnest in his desire to
improve. He knew that, in order to grow up respectable, he must be
well advanced, and he was willing to work. But then the reader must
not forget that Dick was naturally a smart boy. His street education
had sharpened his faculties, and taught him to rely upon himself.
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