The Boy That Could Not Afford To Swear

A boy stood near the entrance of a large hotel with a box of blacking and a pair of brushes in his hand, thus showing to the passers-by that he was ready to black their boots for a copper. Patiently he waited, as one after another passed by without needing his services, until at last two young men, fashionably dressed, and each with a cigar in his mouth, stopped before him.

"Here, Boots," said one, rudely; "let me see if you are master of your trade;" and he put his foot on the boy's knee. Charlie, the bootblack, worked with a will, and soon the polish grew under his skilful touch.

The two young men amused themselves meanwhile by trying to frighten the boy, urging him to hurry, threatening to cane him, and swearing profanely at every other word. Charlie stood it as long as he could; one boot was finished, and the other blacked preparatory to polishing, when he quietly rose and prepared to put up his brushes.

"What now?" asked the young man.

"I would rather not finish them, sir," replied Charlie.

"Not finish them?" said the gentleman, with an oath; "then you don't see the color of my money."

"I don't want your money, sir, and I will not stand here and listen to your swearing;" and he turned to move away.

"Let the boy alone, and have him finish his work," said the other youth.

"Very well! Here, boy, finish this boot, and tell me what you mean. A bootblack afraid of swearing! That is a good joke!"

"I am afraid of it, sir; I don't want to hear it, or go where it is, and I won't work for a man who swears at me."

"And you want to make me believe that you don't swear? Why, there is not one of your trade that wouldn't both swear and steal."

"Oh, you are much mistaken; many of the boys neither steal nor swear. I am sure nothing could make me steal, and I cannot afford to swear."

"Cannot afford to swear! Come, now, do you mean to say that it costs anything to swear?"

"Yes, sir; it would cost me more than a million of pounds."

"What, a million of pounds! In what way is your money invested?"

"In the pearl of great price. If I lost it, my soul would be the forfeit; so, you see, I cannot afford to swear. My Sunday-school teacher teaches me that it is wicked, and my mother forbids me to do it. I should disobey all of them if I did it, and lose my soul; so you see, sir, I cannot afford to swear."

"The boy is right," said the young man who had listened to the conversation in silence. "But how happens it that you are different from the rest of your companions? They do not think it a sin to swear; and I suppose some of them go to Sunday-school too."

"Perhaps they have no mother," said Charlie, "or not such a good one as mine."

"Well, here's your money, Boots. I suppose I do swear a little, but I am only one out of many."

"But always one more, sir. And then the little boys hear you, and they see you dressed so fine they think it must be smart, and they learn to swear too. I thought so myself at first. Thank you, sir," as he took the money, which was silver instead of copper; "and please, sir, do not swear any more."

"I will think of it," said the youth, as he passed on; and he did think of it, though he felt rather sore at learning his duty from a shoe-black.

The boys and girls in all parts of the country are rallying by hundreds, to join the Cold Water Army.