xt7mpg1hj593 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7mpg1hj593/data/mets.xml Optic, Oliver, 1822-1897. 1884  books b92-166-30116650 English H.M. Caldwell, : New York : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Now or never  / by Oliver Optic [pseud.] text Now or never  / by Oliver Optic [pseud.] 1884 2002 true xt7mpg1hj593 section xt7mpg1hj593 









































































" IFM BIG ENOUGH TO PROTFCT ITY M1OTHER, AND I'LL DO IT."
                                              P. 42.

 This page in the original text is blank.

 



NOW OR NEVER



      By Oliver Optic



AUTHOR OF "POOR AND PROUD," "ALL
ABOARD," " TRY AGAIN," "9 THE BOAT
CLUB," "LITTLE BY LITTLE," ETC.



         Illustrated










 H. Ml. CALI)WE-LL COMPANY
 PU BL IS HERS, New rork  Boston

 





















       Entered according to Act of Congress, in the
                      year 1856, by
                  WILLIANM T. ADAMS,
         in the Clerk's Office of the District Court
             of the District of Massachusetts

                     Copyrzght, 1884
                BY WILLIAAM   1. ADAMS









Now or Never

 


















       gr0 mp Nepbeb

CHARLES HENRY POPE

        THIS BOOK

 IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED

 This page in the original text is blank.

 








PREFACE



  THE story contained in this volume is a record
of youthful struggles, not only in the world
without, but in the world within; and the suc-
cess of the little hero is not merely a gathering
up of wealth and honors, but a triumph over
the temptations that beset the pilgrim on the
plain of life. The attainment of worldly pros-
perity is not the truest victory; and the author
has endeavored to make the interest of his story
depend more on the hero's devotion to principles
than on his success in business.
  Bobby Bright is a smart boy; perhaps the
reader will think he is altogether too smart for
one of his years. This is a progressive age, and
anything which young America may do need
not surprise any person. That little gentleman
is older than his father, knows more than his
mother, can talk politics, smoke cigars, and
drive a 2:40 horse. He orders "one stew" with
                       Vii

 




PREFACE



as much ease as a man of forty, and can even
pronounce correctly the villanous names of sun-
dry French and German wines and liqueurs.
One would suppose, to hear him talk, that he
had been intimate with Socrates and Solon,
with Napoleon and Noah Webster; in short,
that whatever he did not know was not worth
knowing.
  In the face of these manifestations of exuberant
genius, it would be absurd to accuse the author
of making his hero do too much. All he has
done is to give this genius a right direction; and
for politics, cigars, 2:40 horses, and "one stew,"
he has substituted the duties of a rational and
accountable being, regarding them as better fitted
to develop the young gentleman's mind, heart,
and soul.
  Bobby Bright is something more than a smart
boy. He is a good boy, and makes a true man.
His daily life is the moral of the story, and the
author hopes that his devotion to principle will
make a stronger impression upon the mind of
the young reader, than even the most exciting
incidents of his eventful career.



WILLIAM T. ADAMS.



vi.i.


 
















                  CONTENTS



CHAPTER                                          PAGE
   I. IN WHICH BOBBY GOES A FISHING, AND CATCHES
         A HORSE .    .       .   .   .    .   .   1

  II. IN WHICH BOBBY BLUSHES SEVERAL TIMES, AND
         DOES A SUm IN ARITHMIETIC.   .    .   .  13

 III. IN WHICI3[ TIlE LITTLE BLACK HOUSE IS BOUGHT,
         BUT NOT PAID FOR     .   .   .    .   .  26

 IV. IN WIiCiH BOBBY GETS OUT OF ONE SCRAPE, AND
         INTO ANOTHER .   .   .   .   .           38

  V. Iw WHICH BOBBY GIVES HIS NOTE FOR SIXTY
         DOLLARS .    .   .   .   .    .   .   .  52

 VI. IN WHIChi BOBBY SETS OUT ON HIS TRAVELS  .  66

 VII. IN WHICHi BOBBY STANDS UP FOR CERTAIN "IN-
         ALIENABLE RIGHTS"    .   .   .        .  78

VIII. IN WHICii MR. TInItNS IS ASTONISHED, AND
         BOBBY DINES IN CHESTNUT STREET   .   .  91

 IX. IN WHICH BOBBY OPENS VARIOUS ACCOUNTS, AND
         WINS HIS FIRST VICTORY.  .    .   .   . 104

  X. IN WHICHI BOBBY IS A LITTLE TOO SMART .  . 117

  XI. IN WinICH BoBnY STRIKES A BALANCE, AND RE-
         TURNS TO RIVERDAL.                    . 131
                         ix

 





x                   CONTENTS

CnAPTER                                         PAGE
  XII. IN WHICH BOBBY ASTONISHES SUNDRY PERSONS,
          AND PAYS PART OF HIS NOTE   .   .    . 144

 XIII. IN WHICH BOBBY DECLINES A COPARTNERSHIP,

          AND VISITS B-  AGAIN    .   .   .    . 160

 XIV. IN WHICH BOBBY'S AIR CASTLE IS UPSET, AND
          TOM SPICER TAKES TO THE WOODS  .   . 177

  XV. IN WHICH BOBBY GETS INTO A SCRAPE, AND
         TOM SPICER TURNS UP AGAIN   .   .    . 191

 XVI. IN WHICH BOBBY FINDS " IT 1S AN ILL WIND
         THAT BLOWS NO ONE ANY GOOD" .    .     205

XVII. ID WHICH Tom HAS A GOOD TIME, AND BOBBY

         MEETS WITH A TERRIBLE MISFORTUNE .  . 219

XVIII. IN WHICH BOBBY TAKES FRENCH LEAVE, AND

         CAMPS IN THE WOODS .    .   .    .     235

 XIX. IN WHICH BOBBY HAS A NARROW ESCAPE, AND
         GOES TO SEA WITH SAM RAY    .   .    . 248

  XX. Iw WHICH THE CLOUDS BLOW OVER, AND BOBBY
         IS HIMSELF AGAIN.   .   .   .   .    . 264

 XXI. IN WHICH BOBBY STEPS OFF THE STAGE, AND
         THE AUTHOR MUST FINISH "Now OR NEVER " 280


 








NOW OR NEVER



                     OR

THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT




               CHAPTER I

IN WHICH BOBBY GOES A FISHING, AND CATCHES
                  A HORSE

  4" By jolly! I've got a bite!" exclaimed Tom
Spicer, a rough, hard-looking boy, who sat on a
rock by the river's side, anxiously watching the
cork float on his line.
  "Catch him, then," quietly responded Bobby
Bright, who occupied another rock near the
first speaker, as he pulled up a large pout, and,
without any appearance of exultation, proceeded
to unhook and place him in his basket.
  "You are a lucky dog, Bob," added Tom, as
                     1

 




NOW OR NEVER; OR,



he glanced into the basket of his companion,
which now contained six good-sized fishes. "I
haven't caught one yet."
  "You don't fish deep enough."
  ,,I fish on the bottom."
  "That is too deep."
  ",It don't make any difference how I fish; it
is all luck."
  "Not all lhck, Tom; there is something in
doing it right."
  "I shall not catch a fish," continued Tom, in
despair.
  "You'll catch something else, though, when
you go home."
  "Will I"
  "I'm afraid you will."
  W3,Vho says I will"
  "Didn't you tell me you were ' hooking
jack' "
  "' Who is going to know anything about
it "
  " The master will know you are absent."



2

 




THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT   3



  ";I shall tell him my mother sent me over to
the village on an errand."
  "I never knew a fellow to 'hook jack,' yet,
without getting found out."
  ";I shall not get found out unless you blow
on me; and you wouldn't be mean enough to
do that;" and Tom glanced uneasily at his
companion.
  " Suppose your mother should ask me if I
had seen you."
  " You would tell her you have not, of
course."
  "Of course"
  "Why, wouldn't you Wouldn't you do as
much as that for a fellow"
  "It would be a lie."
  "A lie! Humph!"
  "I wouldn't lie for any fellow," replied Bobby,
stoutly, as he pulled in his seventh fish, and
placed him in the basket.
  "1 Wouldn't you  "
  "No, I wouldn't."



3

 




NOW OR NEVER; OR,



  "Then let me tell you this; if you peach on
me, I'll smash your head."
  Tom Spicer removed one hand from the fish
pole and, doubling his fist, shook it with energy
at his companion.
  "Smash away," replied   Bobby, coolly.  "I
shall not go out of my way to tell tales; but if
your mother or the master asks me the ques-
tion, I shall not lie."
  "Won't you "
  "No, I won't."
  "I'll bet you will;" and Tom dropped his
fish pole, and was on the point of jumping over
to the rock occupied by Bobby, when the float
of the former disappeared beneath the surface of
the water.
  "You've got a bite," coolly interposed Bobby,
pointing to the line.
  Tom snatched the pole, and with a violent
twitch, pulled up a big pout; but his violence
jerked the hook out of the fish's mouth, and he
disappeared beneath the surface of the river.



4

 




TIHE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT



  "Just my luck!" muttered Tom.
  "Keep cool, then."
  ",I will fix you yet."
  "1 All right; but you had better not let go
your pole again, or you will lose another fish."
  "I'm bound to smash your head, though."
  "No, you won't."
  "Won't I "
  "Two can play at that game."
  "Do you stump me"
  "No; I don't want to fight; I won't fight if
I can help it."
  "I'll bet you won't!" sneered Tom.
  "But I will defend myself."
  Humph "
  "I am not a liar, and the fear of a flogging
shall not make me tell a lie."
  "Go to Sunday school -don't you"
  "I do; and besides that, my mother always
taught me never to tell a lie."
  "Come! you nieedni't preach to me. By and
ly, you will call me a liar."



5

 




NO W OR NE VER; OR,



  "No, I won't; but just now you told me you
meant to lie to your mother, and to the master."
  " What if I did That is none of your business."
  ",It is my business when you want me to lie
for you, though; and I shall not do it."
  "Blow on me, and see what you will get."
  "I don't mean to blow on you."
  "Yes, you do."
  ";I will not lie about it; that's all."
  "By jolly! see that horse!" exclaimed Tom,
suddenly, as he pointed to the road leading to
Riverdale Centre.
  "By gracious!" added Bobby, dropping his
fish pole, as he saw the horse running at a furi-
ous rate up the road from the village.
  The mad animal was attached to a chaise, in
which was seated a lady, whose frantic shrieks
pierced the soul of our youthful hero.
  The course of the road was by the river's side
for nearly half a mile, and crossed the stream at
a wooden bridge but a few rods from the place
where the boys were fishing.



6

 




THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT



  Bobby Bright's impulses were noble and gen-
erous; and without stopping to consider the
peril to which the attempt would expose him,
he boldly resolved to stop that horse, or let the
animal dash him to pieces on the bridge.
  "Now or never!" shouted he, as he leaped
from the rock, and ran with all his might to
the bridge.
  The shrieks of the lady rang in his ears, and
seemed to command him, with an authority
which he could not resist, to stop the horse.
There was no time for deliberation; and, indeed,
Bobby did not want any deliberation. The lady
was in danger; if the horse's flight was not
checked, she would be dashed in pieces; and
what then could excuse him for neglecting his
duty Not the fear of broken limbs, of mangled
flesh, or even of a sudden and violent death.
  It is true Bobby did not think of any of these
things; though, if he had, it would have made
no difference with him. He was a boy who
would not fight except in self-defence, but he



7

 



NOW OR NEVER; OR,



had the courage to do a deed which might have
made the stoutest heart tremble with terror.
  Grasping a broken rail as he leaped over the
fence, he planted himself in the middle of the
bridge, which was not more than half as wide
as the road at each end of it, to await the
coming of the furious animal. On he came,
and the piercing shrieks of the affrighted lady
nerved him to the performance of his perilous
duty.
  The horse approached him at a mad run, and
his feet struck the loose planks of the bridge.
The brave boy then raised his big club, and
brandished it with all his might in the air. Prob-
ably the horse did not mean anything very bad;
was only frightened, and had no wicked inten-
tions towards the lady; so that when a new
danger menaced him in front, he stopped sud-
denly, and with so much violence as to throw
the lady forward from her seat upon the dasher
of the chaise.  He gave a long snort, which
was his way of expressing his fear. He was evi-



8

 




THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT



dently astonished at the sudden barrier to his
further progress, and commenced running back.
  "Save me!" screamed the lady.
  "I will, ma'am; don't be scared!" replied
Bobby, confidently, as he dropped his club, and
grasped the bridle of the horse, just as he was
on the point of whirling round to escape by the
way he had come.
  ",Stop him! Do stop him!" cried the lady.
  "Whoa !" said Bobby, in gentle tones, as he
patted the trembling horse on his neck. "Whoa,
good horse! Be quiet! Whoa!"
  The animal, in his terror, kept running back-
ward and forward; but Bobby persevered in his
gentle treatment, and finally soothed him, so
that he stood quiet enough for the lady to get
out of the chaise.
  "What a miracle that I am       alive! " ex-
claimed she, when she realized that she stood
once more upon the firm earth.
  "Yes, ma'am, it is lucky he didn't break the
chaise. Whoa! Good horse! Stand quiet!"



9

 



NOW OR NEVER; OR,



  "What a brave little fellow you are!" said
the lady, as soon as she could recover her breath
so as to express her admiration of Bobby's bold
act.
  "0 , I don't mind it," replied he, blushing
like a rose in June. "'Did he run away with
you "
  "No; my father left me in the chaise for a
moment while he went into a store in the
village, and a teamster who was passing by
snapped his whip, which frightened Kate so
that she started off at the top of her speed. I
was so terrified, that I screamed with all my
might, which frightened her the more. The
more I screamed, the faster she ran."
  " I dare say. Good horse! Whoa, Kate!"
  "She is a splendid creature; she never did
such a thing before. My father will think I
am killed."
  By this time, Kate had become quite reason-
able, and seemed very much obliged to Bobby
for preventing her from doing mischief to her



10

 




TILE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGUT 11



mistress; for she looked at the lady with a
glance of satisfaction, which her deliverer inter-
preted as a promise to behave better in future.
He relaxed his grasp upon the bridle, patted
her upon the neck, and said sundry pleasant
things to encourage her in her assumed purpose
of doing better. Kate appeared to understand
Bobby's kind words, and declared as plainly as
a horse could declare that she would be sober
and tractable.
  "Now, ma'am, if y6u will get into the chaise
again, I think Kate will let me drive her down
to the village."
  "40, dear! I should not dare to do so."
  "Then, if you please, I will drive      down
alone, so as to let your father know that you
are safe."
  i' Do."
  "I am sure he must feel very bad, and I may
save him a great deal of pain, for a man can
suffer a great deal in a very short time.
  "You are a little philosopher, as well as a

 





NOW OR NEVER; OR,



hero, and if you are not afraid of Kate, you
may do as you wish."
  "She seems very gentle now;"    and Bobby
turned her round, and got into the chaise.
  "Be very careful," said the lady.
  " I will."
  Bobby took the reins, and Kate, true to the
promise she had virtually made, started off at a
round pace towards the village.
  He had not gone more than a quarter of a
mile of the distance when he met a wagon con-
taining three men, one of whom was the lady's
father. The gestures which he made assured
Bobby he had found the person whom he sought,
and he stopped.
  "My daughter! Where is she" gasped the
gentleman, as he leaped from the wagon.
  "She is safe, sir," replied Bobby, with all the
enthusiasm of his warm nature.
  " Thank God! " added the gentleman, devoutly,
as he placed himself in the chaise by the side
of Bobby.



12


 





THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT 13



               CHAPTER II

IN WHICH BOBBY BLUSHES SEVERAL TIMES, AND
         DOES A SUIM IN ARITHMETIC

  MR. BAYARD, the owner of the horse, and the
father bf the lady whom Bobby had saved from
impending death, was too much agitated to say
much, even to the bold youth who had rendered
him such a signal service. He could scarcely
believe the intelligence which the boy brought
him; it seemed too good to be true. le had
assured himself that Ellen -for that was the
young lady's name -was killed or dreadfully
injured.
  Kate was driven at the top of her speed, and
in a few moments reached the bridge, where
Ellen was awaiting his arrival.
  "Here I am, father, alive and unhurt!" cried
Ellen, as Mr. Bayard stopped the horse.
  "Thank Heaven, my child:" replied the glad

 




14NWO IVOl N EVER; OR,



father, embracing his daughter. "1 I was sure
you were killed."
  "No, father; thanks to this bold youth, I am
uninjured."
  "I am under very great obligations to you,
young man," continued Mr. Bayard, grasping
Bobby's hand.
  "0, never mind, sir;" and Bobby blushed
just as he had blushed when the young lady
spoke to him.
  "We shall never forget you-shall we,
father" added Ellen.
  " No, my child; and I shall endeavor to repay,
to some slight extent, our indebtedness to him.
But you have not yet told me how you were
saved."
  "10, I merely stopped the horse; that's all,"
answered Bobby, modestly.
  "Yes, father, but he placed himself right
before Kate when she was almost flying
over the ground. When I saw him, I was
certain that he would lose his life, or be



14

 



THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT 15



horribly mangled for his boldness," interposed
Ellen.
  ";It was a daring deed, young man, to place
yourself before an affrighted horse in that man-
ner," said Mr. Bayard.
  "I didn't mind it, sir."
  "1 And then he flourished a big club, almost
as big as he is himself, in the air, which
made Kate pause in her mad career, when my
deliverer here grasped her by the bit and held
her."
  "It was well and bravely done."
  "That it was, father; not many men would
have been bold enough to do what he did,"
added Ellen, with enthusiasm.
  "Very true; and I feel that I am indebted
to him for your safety. What is your name,
young man"
  "Robert Bright, sir."
  Mr. Bayard took from his pocket several
pieces of gold, which he offered to Bobby.
  " No, I thank you, sir," replied Bobby, blushing.

 






N6 OW OR NEVER; OR,



  "What! as proud as you are bold"
  "I don't like to be paid for doing my duty."
  "Bravo! You are a noble little fellow! But
you must take this money, not as a reward for
what you have done, but as a testimonial of my
gratitude."
  "I would rather not, sir."
  "Do take it, Robert," added Ellen.
  ,,I don't like to take it. It looks mean to
take money for doing one's duty."
  "1 Take it, Robert, to please me;" and the
young lady smiled so sweetly that Bobby's reso-
lution began to give way. "1 Only to please me,
Robert."
  "I will, to please you; but I don't feel right
about it."
  "You must not be too proud, Robert," said
Mr. Bayard, as he put the gold pieces into his
hand.
  "1 I am not proud, sir; only I don't like to be
paid for doing my duty."
  "Not paid, my young friend. Consider that



16

 



THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT 17



you have placed me under an obligation to you
for life. This money is only an expression of
my own and my daughter's feelings. It is but
a small sum, but I hope you will permit me to
do something more for you, when you need it.
You will regard me as your friend as long as
you live."
  "Thank you, sir."
  "When you want any assistance of any kind,
come to me. I live in Boston; here is my busi-
ness card."
  Mr. Bayard handed him a card, on which Bobby
read, "1 F. Bayard  Co., Booksellers and Pub-
lishers, No. -, Washington Street, Boston."
  ",You are very kind, sir."
  "4I want you should come to Boston and see
us, too," interposed Ellen.  "1 I should be de-
lighted to show you the city, to take you to
the Athenaeum and the Museum."
  " Thank you."
  Mr. Bayard inquired of Bobby about his par-
ents, where he lived, and about the circumstances

 




NOW OR NEVER; OR,



of his family. He then took out his memoran-
dum book, in which he wrote the boy's name
and residence.
  "I I am sorry to leave you now, Robert, but
I have over twenty miles to ride to-day.   I
should be glad to visit your mother, and next
time I come to Riverdale, I shall certainly
do so."
  "Thank you, sir; my mother is a very poor
woman, but she will be glad to see you."
  "Now, good by, Robert."
  "Gopd by," repeated Ellen.
  "Good by."
  Mr. Bayard drove off, leaving Bobby standing
on the bridge with the gold pieces in his hand.
  "Here's luck!" said Bobby, shaking the coin.
"Won't mother's eyes stick out when she sees
these shiners  There are no such shiners in
the river as these."
  Bobby was astonished, and the more he gazed
at the gold pieces, the more bewildered he
became. He had never held so much money



18

 


THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT 19



in his hand before.   There were three large
coins and one smaller one.   He turned them
over and over, and finally ascertained that the
large coins were ten dollar pieces, and the
smaller one a five dollar piece. Bobby was not
a great scholar, but he knew enough of arith-
metic to calculate the value of his treasure.
He was so excited, however, that he did not
arrive at the conclusion half so quick as most
of my young readers would have done.
  "1 Thirty-five dollars!" exclaimed Bobby, when
the problem was solved. "Gracious!"
  "Hallo, Bob! " shouted Tom Spicer, who had
got tired of fishing; besides, the village clock
was just striking twelve, and it was tilme for
him to go home.
  Bobby made no answer, but hastily tying the
gold pieces up in the corner of his handker-
chief, lhe threw the broken rail he had used in
stopping the horse where it belonged, and
started for the place where he had left his
fishing apparatus.

 




2NOJV OR NEVER; OR,



  "IHallo, Bob!"
  "Well, Tom.
  "Stopped him -didn't you"
  "I did."
  " You were a fool; he might have killed you."
  "So he might; but I didn't stop to think of
that. The lady's life was in danger."
  "What of that"
  "Everything, I should say."
  "Did he give you anything"
  "Yes;" and Bobby continued his walk down
to the river's side.
  "I say, what did he give you, Bobby" per-
sisted Toin, following him.
  " 0, he gave me a good deal of money."
  "How much"
  ";I want to get my fish line now; I will tell
you all about it some other time," replied
Bobby, who rather suspected the intentions of
his companion.
  "Tell me now; how much was it"
  "Never mind it now."



20

 




THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT 21



  " Ilumphl! Do you think I mean to rob
you"
  "No."
  "Ain't you going halveses"
  "Why should I"
  "Wasn't I with you"
  " Were you  "
  "Wasn't I fishing with you"
  "You did not do anything about stopping
the horse."
  "I would, if I hadn't been afraid to go up to
the road."
  " Afraid"
  "Somebody might have seen me, and they
would have known that I was hooking jack."
  '' Then you ought not to share the money.'
  "Yes, I had. When a fellow is with you, he
ought to have half.  It is mean not to give
him half."
  "If you had done anything to help stop the
horsd, I would have shared with you. But you
didn't." _

 



NOW OR NEVER; OR,



  " What of that  "
  Bobby was particularly sensitive in regard to
the charge of meanness. His soul was a great
deal bigger than his body, and he was always
generous, even to his own injury, among his
companions. It was evident to him that Tom
had no claim to any part of the reward; but
he could not endure the thought even of
being accused of meanness.
  ,,I'll tell you what I will do, if you think I
ought to share with you. I will leave it out to
Squire Lee; and if he thinks you ought to have
half, or any part of the money, I will give it to
you."
  "No, you don't; you want to get me into a
scrape for hooking jack. I see what you are
up to."
  "I will state the case to him without telling
hinm who the boys are."
  "1 No, you  don't!  You want to be mean
about it. Come, hand over half the money."
  "I will not," replied Bobby, who, when it



22

 




THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT 23



became a matter of compulsion, could stand his
ground at any peril.
  "How much have you got"
  "Thirty-five dollars."
  "By jolly! And you mean to keep it all
yourself  "
  "I mean to give it to my mother."
  "No, you won't! If you are going to be
mean about it, I'll smash your head!"
  This was a favorite expression with Tom
Spicer, who was a noted bully among the boys
of Riverdale. The young ruffian now placed
himself in front of Bobby, and shook his
clenched fist in his face.
  "Hand over."
  "No, I won't. You have no claim to any
part of the money; at least, I think you have
not. If you have a mind to leave it out to
Squire Lee, I will do what is right about it."
  "Not I; hand over, or I'll smash your head!"
  "Smash away," replied Bobby, placing him-
self on the defensive.

 





NOW OR NEVER; OR,



  "Do you think you can lick me" asked Tom,
not a little embarrassed by this exhibition of
resolution on the part of his companion.
  "I don't think anything about it; but you
don't bully me in that kind of style."
  ",Won't I"
  ;No."
  But Tom did not immediately put his threat
in execution, and Bobby would not be the
aggressor; so he stepped one side to pass his
assailant. Tom took this as an evidence of the
other's desire to escape, and struck him a heavy
blow on the side of the head. The next instant
the bully was floundering in the soft mud of a
ditch; Bobby's reply was more than Tom had
bargained for, and while he was dragging himself
out of the ditch, our hero ran down to the
river, and got his fish pole and basket.
  "You'll catch it for that!" growled Tom.
  "I'm all ready, whenever it suits your con-
venience," replied Bobby.
  "Just come out here and take it in fair fight,"



24

 




    THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT 25

continued Tom, who could not help bullying,
even in the midst of his misfortune.
  "No, I thank you; I don't want to fight with
any fellow. I will not fight if I can help it."
  "What did you hit me for, then"
  "In self-defence."
  "Just come out here, and try it fair!"
  "No;" and Bobby hurried home, leaving the
bully astonished and discomfited by the winding
up of the morning's sport.


 






NOTW OR NEVER; OR,



               CHAPTER III

IN WHICH THE LITTLE BLACK HOUSE IS BOUGHT
              BUT NOT PAID FOR

  PROBABLY my young readers have by this
time come to the conclusion that Bobby Bright
was a very clever fellow-one whose acquaint-
ance they would be happy to cultivate. Perhaps
by this time they have become so far interested in
him as to desire to know who his parents were,
what they did, and in what kind of a house he
lived.
  I hope none of my young friends will think any
less of him when I inform them that Bobby lived
in an old black house which had never been
painted, which had no flower garden in front of
it, and which, in a word, was quite far from being
a palace. A great many very nice city folks
would not have considered it fit to live in, would
have turned up their noses at it, and wondered



26

 



THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT 27



that any human beings could be so degraded as to
live in such a miserable house. But the widow
Bright, Bobby's mother, thought it was a very
comfortable house, and considered herself very
fortunate in being able to get so good a dwell-
ing. She had never lived in a fine house, knew
nothing about velvet carpets, mirrors seven feet
high, damask chairs and lounges, or any of the
smart things which very rich and very proud city
people consider absolutely necessary for their
comfort. Her father had been a poor man, her
husband had died a poor man, and her own
life had been a struggle to keep the demons of
poverty and want from invading her humble
abode.
  Mr. Bright, her deceased husband, had been a
day laborer in Riverdale. He never got more
than a dollar a day, which was then considered
very good wages in the country. He was a very
honest, industrious man, and while he lived, his
family did very well. Mrs. Bright was a careful,
prudent woman, and helped him support the

 





28NOJ OR NLVEVER; OR,



family. They never knew what it was to want
for anything.
  Poor people, as well as rich, have an ambition
to be something which they are not, or to have
something which they have not.  Every person,
who has any energy of character, desires to get
ahead in the world. Some merchants, who own
big ships and big warehouses by the dozen, desire
to be what they consider rich. But their idea of
wealth is very grand. They wish to count it in
millions of dollars, in whole blocks of warehouses;
and they are even more discontented than the day
laborer who has to earn his dinner before he can
eat it.
  Bobby's father and mother had just such an
ambition, only it was so modest that the merchant
would have laughed at it. They wanted to own
the little black house in which they resided, so
that they could not only be sure of a home while
they lived, but have the satisfaction of living in
their own house. This was a very reasonable
ideal, compared with that of the rich merchants



28

 





THiE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT 29



I have mentioned; but it was even more difficult
for them to reach it, for the wages were small, and
they had many mouths to feed.
  Mr. Bright had saved up fifty dollars; and he
thought a great deal more of this sum than many
people do of a thousand dollars. He had had to
work very hard and be very prudent in order to
accumulate this sum, which made him value it all
the more highly.
  With this sum of fifty dollars at his command,
John Bright felt rich; and then, more than ever
before, he wvanted to own the little black house.
He felt as grand as a lord; and as soon as the
forty-nine dollars had become fifty, he waited upon
Mr. Hardhand, a little crusty old man, who owned
the little black house, and proposed to purchase
it.
  The landlord was a hard man. Everybody in
Riverdale said he was mean and stingy. Any
generous-hearted man would have been willing to
make an easy bargain with an honest, industrious,
poor man, like John Bright, who wished to own

 





0NOW OR NEVER; OR,



the house in which he lived; but Mr. Hardhand,
although he was rich, only thought how he could
make more money. He asked the poor man four
hundred dollars for the old house and the little
lot of land on which it stood.
  It was a matter of great concern to John Bright.
Four hundred dollars was a " mint of money," and
he could not see how he should ever be able to
save so much from his daily earnings. So he
talked with Squire Lee about it, who told him
that three hundred was all it was worth. John
offered this for it, and after a month's hesitation
Mr. Hardhand accepted the offer, agreeing to
take fifty dollars down, and the rest in semi-
annual payments of twenty-five dollars each until
the whole was paid.
  I am thus particular in telling my readers
about the bargain, because this debt which his
father contracted was the means of making a
man of Bobby, as will be seen in his subsequent
history.
  John Bright paid the first fifty dollars; but



,30

 




THIE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT 31



before the next instalment became due, the poor
mian was laid in his cold and silent grave. A
malignant disease carried him off, and the hopes
of the Bright family seemed to be blasted.
  Four children were left to the widow. The
youngest was only three years old, and Bobby,
the oldest, was nine, when his father died.
Squire Lee, who had always been a good friend
of John Bright, told the widow that she had
better go to the poorhouse, and not attempt to
struggle along with such fearful odds against
her. But the widow nobly refused to become
a pauper, and to make paupers of her children,
whom she loved quite as much as though she
and they had been born in a ducal palace. She
told the squire that she had two hands, and
as long as she had her health, the town need
not trouble itself about her support.
  Squire Lee was filled with surprise and ad-
miration at the noble resolution of the poor
woman; and when he returned to his house,
he immuiediately sent her a cord of wood, ten

 





NOW OR NEVER; OR,



bushels of potatoes, two bags of meal, and a
firkin of salt pork.
  The widow was very grateful for these articles,
'and no false pride prevented her from accepting
the gift of her rich and kind-hearted neighbor.
  Riverdale Centre was largely engaged in the
manufacturing of boots and shoes, and this busi-
ness gave employment to a large number of
men and women.
  Mrs. Bright had for several years "clos