He was a cabinetmaker, and, being a
skillful workman, earned very good wages, so that he was able to
maintain his family in comfort. They occupied a neat little
cottage in Harlem, and lived very happily, for Mr. Hoffman was
temperate and kind, when an unfortunate accident clouded their
happiness, and brought an end to their prosperity. In crossing
Broadway at its most crowded part, the husband and father was run
over by a loaded dray, and so seriously injured that he lived but
a few hours. Then the precarious nature of their prosperity was
found out. Mr. Hoffman had not saved anything, having always
lived up to the extent of his income. It was obviously
impossible for them to continue to live in their old home, paying
a rent of twenty dollars per month. Besides, Paul did not see
any good opportunity to earn his living in Harlem. So, at his
instigation, his mother moved downtown, and took rooms in a
tenement-house in Pearl street, agreeing to pay six dollars a
month for apartments which would now command double the price.
They brought with them furniture enough to furnish the three
rooms, selling the rest for what it would bring, and thus
obtaining a small reserve fund, which by this time was nearly
exhausted.
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