"Alger Jr, Horatio - Ragged Dick" - читать интересную книгу автора (Alger Horatio Jr)

about Dick that was attractive. It was easy to see that if
he had been clean and well dressed he would have been
decidedly good-looking. Some of his companions were sly, and
their faces inspired distrust; but Dick had a frank,
straight-forward manner that made him a favorite.

Dick's business hours had commenced. He had no office to open.
His little blacking-box was ready for use, and he looked
sharply in the faces of all who passed, addressing each with,
"Shine yer boots, sir?"

"How much?" asked a gentleman on his way to his office.

"Ten cents," said Dick, dropping his box, and sinking upon
his knees on the sidewalk, flourishing his brush with the air
of one skilled in his profession.

"Ten cents! Isn't that a little steep?"

"Well, you know 'taint all clear profit," said Dick, who had
already set to work. "There's the _blacking_ costs something,
and I have to get a new brush pretty often."

"And you have a large rent too," said the gentleman
quizzically, with a glance at a large hole in Dick's coat.

"Yes, sir," said Dick, always ready to joke; "I have to pay
such a big rent for my manshun up on Fifth Avenoo, that I
can't afford to take less than ten cents a shine. I'll give
you a bully shine, sir."

"Be quick about it, for I am in a hurry. So your house is on
Fifth Avenue, is it?"


"It isn't anywhere else, said Dick, and Dick spoke the truth there.

"What tailor do you patronize?" asked the gentleman,
surveying Dick's attire.

"Would you like to go to the same one?" asked Dick, shrewdly.

"Well, no; it strikes me that he didn't give you a very good fit."

"This coat once belonged to General Washington," said Dick, comically.
"He wore it all through the Revolution, and it got torn some,
'cause he fit so hard. When he died he told his widder to give
it to some smart young feller that hadn't got none of his own;
so she gave it to me. But if you'd like it, sir, to remember
General Washington by, I'll let you have it reasonable."