登陆注册
5260400000005

第5章 Chapter II(3)

Henry Cowperwood was exceedingly interested in and pleased at the arrival of this rather prosperous relative; for twelve years before, when he was married, Seneca Davis had not taken much notice of him.

"Look at these little putty-faced Philadelphians," he continued, "They ought to come down to my ranch in Cuba and get tanned up.

That would take away this waxy look." And he pinched the cheek of Anna Adelaide, now five years old. "I tell you, Henry, you have a rather nice place here." And he looked at the main room of the rather conventional three-story house with a critical eye.

Measuring twenty by twenty-four and finished in imitation cherry, with a set of new Sheraton parlor furniture it presented a quaintly harmonious aspect. Since Henry had become teller the family had acquired a piano--a decided luxury in those days--brought from Europe; and it was intended that Anna Adelaide, when she was old enough, should learn to play. There were a few uncommon ornaments in the room--a gas chandelier for one thing, a glass bowl with goldfish in it, some rare and highly polished shells, and a marble Cupid bearing a basket of flowers. It was summer time, the windows were open, and the trees outside, with their widely extended green branches, were pleasantly visible shading the brick sidewalk. Uncle Seneca strolled out into the back yard.

"Well, this is pleasant enough," he observed, noting a large elm and seeing that the yard was partially paved with brick and enclosed within brick walls, up the sides of which vines were climbing. "Where's your hammock? Don't you string a hammock here in summer? Down on my veranda at San Pedro I have six or seven."

"We hadn't thought of putting one up because of the neighbors, but it would be nice," agreed Mrs. Cowperwood. "Henry will have to get one."

"I have two or three in my trunks over at the hotel. My niggers make 'em down there. I'll send Manuel over with them in the morning."

He plucked at the vines, tweaked Edward's ear, told Joseph, the second boy, he would bring him an Indian tomahawk, and went back into the house.

"This is the lad that interests me," he said, after a time, laying a hand on the shoulder of Frank. "What did you name him in full, Henry?"

"Frank Algernon."

"Well, you might have named him after me. There's something to this boy. How would you like to come down to Cuba and be a planter, my boy?"

"I'm not so sure that I'd like to," replied the eldest.

"Well, that's straight-spoken. What have you against it?"

"Nothing, except that I don't know anything about it."

"What do you know?"

The boy smiled wisely. "Not very much, I guess."

"Well, what are you interested in?"

"Money!"

"Aha! What's bred in the bone, eh? Get something of that from your father, eh? Well, that's a good trait. And spoken like a man, too! We'll hear more about that later. Nancy, you're breeding a financier here, I think. He talks like one."

He looked at Frank carefully now. There was real force in that sturdy young body--no doubt of it. Those large, clear gray eyes were full of intelligence. They indicated much and revealed nothing.

"A smart boy!" he said to Henry, his brother-in-law. "I like his get-up. You have a bright family."

Henry Cowperwood smiled dryly. This man, if he liked Frank, might do much for the boy. He might eventually leave him some of his fortune. He was wealthy and single.

Uncle Seneca became a frequent visitor to the house--he and his negro body-guard, Manuel, who spoke both English and Spanish, much to the astonishment of the children; and he took an increasing interest in Frank.

"When that boy gets old enough to find out what he wants to do, I think I'll help him to do it," he observed to his sister one day; and she told him she was very grateful. He talked to Frank about his studies, and found that he cared little for books or most of the study he was compelled to pursue. Grammar was an abomination.

Literature silly. Latin was of no use. History--well, it was fairly interesting.

"I like bookkeeping and arithmetic," he observed. "I want to get out and get to work, though. That's what I want to do."

"You're pretty young, my son," observed his uncle. "You're only how old now? Fourteen?"

"Thirteen."

"Well, you can't leave school much before sixteen. You'll do better if you stay until seventeen or eighteen. It can't do you any harm. You won't be a boy again."

"I don't want to be a boy. I want to get to work."

"Don't go too fast, son. You'll be a man soon enough. You want to be a banker, do you?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Well, when the time comes, if everything is all right and you've behaved yourself and you still want to, I'll help you get a start in business. If I were you and were going to be a banker, I'd first spend a year or so in some good grain and commission house.

There's good training to be had there. You'll learn a lot that you ought to know. And, meantime, keep your health and learn all you can. Wherever I am, you let me know, and I'll write and find out how you've been conducting yourself."

He gave the boy a ten-dollar gold piece with which to start a bank-account. And, not strange to say, he liked the whole Cowperwood household much better for this dynamic, self-sufficient, sterling youth who was an integral part of it.

同类推荐
  • Prayers Written At Vailima

    Prayers Written At Vailima

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Valley of the Moon

    The Valley of the Moon

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 清一统志台湾府

    清一统志台湾府

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说四无所畏经

    佛说四无所畏经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 修丹妙用至理论

    修丹妙用至理论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 绩效管理与薪酬激励

    绩效管理与薪酬激励

    员工的招聘与选择,薪酬与奖金的分配与发放,职务的升降与调整,人力资源的规划与开发……凡此种种的管理工作每天都在发生,对应的决策水平与工作质量决定着企业运营的质量,甚至决定着企业的成败。本书旨在整合绩效管理与薪酬激励体系,并提供一整套完善的管理工具,帮助企业建立科学有效的绩效管理与薪酬激励机制。这是一本人力资源经理必备的工具书,是企业高管们必备的参考书。全书共分上下两编,其目的是旨在整合绩效管理与薪酬激励体系,深入细致地剖析绩效管理和薪酬激励体系,并分析当前企业关注的趋势和热点问题。
  • 小地球大迷宫(科学知识游览车)

    小地球大迷宫(科学知识游览车)

    《小地球大迷宫》本书为你讲述地球上发生的各种科普知识。本书知识全面、内容精炼、通俗易懂,能够培养读者的科学兴趣和爱好,达到普及科学知识的目的,具有很强的可读性、启发性和知识性,是广大读者了解科技、增长知识、开阔视野、提高素质、激发探索和启迪智慧的良好科普读物。
  • 荷塘

    荷塘

    《荷塘》是梁必文步入生命之秋后出的又一本诗集,字里行间已没有了年轻气盛时的外露与浮躁,代之的是内敛与平和,追求的是一种诗的静美的诗思。
  • 百草女医师

    百草女医师

    她是个孤儿,七岁那年亲眼目睹父母被大火烧死后,就再也说不出话了。直到遇到他,龙凰山庄的少爷。他将她带回山庄,从此改变了她的命运。?一次上山采药,她遇到一位身负重伤的银发美少年,她救了他,他却对她的好意冷漠以待,直到有一天,她被赶出山庄,又遇上盗贼,差点被污辱的那一刻,她绝望地喊出声了,而那冷血高傲的银发少年如神仙般地出现,从此,她的命运再一次被改变。
  • 脸要穷养,身要娇养

    脸要穷养,身要娇养

    全书分为五章,分别从女人的心绪、颜面、身形、疾病、特殊时期(经期、孕期)五大方面出发,展示了女性身体最容易出现的问题,女性在美容保养方面思想上的错误认识和容易走入的误区,从专业角度指出众多流传甚广的美容方法的本质,辨别那些所谓新技术、新产品的圈套。并深入剖析问题背后最深层次的原因,给出相应的调理建议和具体的保健方案,不但包括大量的内外兼修保养方法,还有许多简单有效的养颜祛病食疗方,实用、简便、易操作。
  • 望断时空路

    望断时空路

    天生我才,望断时空路。寻梦未来空余恨,睡狮未醒天道无?尚武民族剑诣天,儿女英雄赴国难。草原初扬威,洛阳首举义,宇宙星空任我行。战天狼,伏华星,手握乾坤取真经。柔情缱绻徒奈何,血缘星空两相隔。历尽百劫总有道,情到浓处,碧空如洗,白云悠悠。《推背图》第48象“辛亥”,谶曰:卯午之开、厥象维离、八牛牵动,雍雍熙熙。颂曰:水火既济人民吉、手执金戈不杀贼、五十年中一将臣、青青草自田间出。据金圣叹批注:“此象疑一朱姓与一苗姓争朝纲,而朱姓有以德服人之化。”众所周知,真相往往会隐没在历史的表象之下。就如辛亥这一象来说,那个朱姓只是一次玩笑的产物,而苗姓则是一个外星民族。
  • 明伦汇编宫闱典太皇太后部

    明伦汇编宫闱典太皇太后部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 词径

    词径

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 微小说与小小说续集

    微小说与小小说续集

    人生百态,休闲阅读,探讨人性,幽默风趣。后现代小说打破体裁界限,所以这里是具有新小说特质的段子、微博、诗歌、随笔、日记、寓言、单口相声……。
  • 好性格影响孩子的一生

    好性格影响孩子的一生

    曾经有两个全国最大的调查机构,调查过老百姓最关心什么问题?得出的是同样的结果——教育孩子问题。所以说,教育既是民族振兴、社会进步的基石,又是寄托着亿万家庭对美好生活的期盼。而教育工作中,基础的基础是幼儿教育。早期教育的重要性,早期教育对人一生的深刻影响,已经得到人们相当普遍的共识。