So I set out
with my pack on my back and made a tour of the neighboring
villages."
Paul listened with eager interest. He had his own way to make,
and it was very encouraging to find that Mr. Preston, who was
evidently rich and prosperous, was no better off at eighteen than
he was now.
"You will want to know how I succeeded. Well, at first only
moderately; but I think I had some tact in adapting myself to the
different classes of persons with whom I came in contact; at any
rate, I was always polite, and that helped me. So my sales
increased, and I did a good thing for my employer as well as
myself. He would have been glad to employ me for a series of
years, but I happened to meet a traveling salesman of a New York
wholesale house, who offered to obtain me a position similar to
his own. As this would give me a larger field and larger
profits, I accepted gladly, and so changed the nature of my
employment. I became very successful. My salary was raised from
time to time, till it reached five thousand dollars. I lived
frugally and saved money, and at length bought an interest in the
house by which I had been so long employed. I am now senior
partner, and, as you may suppose, very comfortably provided for.
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