never given him reason to suppose that the money he had would pay his
passage by steamer. He had mentioned working his passage in a
sailing-vessel round the Horn. Joe did not like that idea so well,
as the voyage would probably last four months, instead of twenty-five
days, and so delay his arrival.

The afternoon slipped away almost without Joe's knowledge. He walked
about, here and there, gazing with curious eyes at the streets, and
warehouses, and passing vehicles, and thinking what a lively place
New York was, and how different life was in the metropolis from what
it had been to him in the quiet country town which had hitherto been
his home. Somehow it seemed to wake Joe up, and excite his ambition,
to give him a sense of power which he had never felt before.

"If I could only get a foothold here," thought Joe, "I should be
willing to work twice as hard as I did on the farm."

This was what Joe thought. I don't say that he was correct. There
are many country boys who make a mistake in coming to the city. They
forsake quiet, comfortable homes, where they have all they need, to
enter some city counting-room, or store, at starvation wages, with,
at best, a very remote prospect of advancement and increased risk of
falling a prey to temptation in some of the many forms which it
assumes in a populous town. A boy needs to be strong, and
self-reliant, and willing to work if he comes to the city to compete
for the prizes of life. As the story proceeds, we shall learn
whether Joe had these necessary qualifications.

When supper was over he went into the public room of the Commercial
Hotel, and took up a paper to read. There was a paragraph about