Rollo in Paris Part 2

George.

"But I should think I might buy such little things as that would come to, of myself," said Rollo. "Suppose I should wish to buy a small piece of gingerbread for a cent."

"Say for a sou,"[A] replied Mr. George. "There are no cents in Paris."

[A] p.r.o.nounced _soo_.

"Well," rejoined Rollo, "suppose I should wish to spend a _sou_ for gingerbread, and eat it, and you should object to it."

"Very well," replied Mr. George; "and suppose you were to wish to spend a sou for poison, and drink it."

"But I should not be likely to buy poison," said Rollo, laughing.

"Nor should I be likely to object to your buying gingerbread," rejoined Mr. George. "A boy, however, may, it is clear, do mischief with a little money as well as with a great deal; and, therefore, the power in his guardian should be absolute and entire. At any rate, so it is in this case. If I see fit to forbid your expending a single sou for any thing whatever, I can, and you will have no remedy till we see your father again; and then you can ask him to put you under some other person's care. Until he does this, however, the control is absolute and entire in my hands. I would not take charge of a boy on any other terms."

"Well," said Rollo, "I agree to it."

"And now," said Mr. George, "I am ready to begin your account."

Mr. George then took a small account book from his pocket book as he said this, and, opening it at the beginning, he wrote across the top of the two pages which came together the words,

_Rollo Holiday, in Account with his Father._

On the corner of the left-hand page he wrote Dr., which stands for debtor; and on that of the right-hand page, Cr., which stands for creditor.

"There," said he, "now I shall enter, from time to time, on the creditor side, all the money that becomes due to you; and on the debtor side, all that I pay to you. Then, by striking a balance, we can always tell how much of your money there is in my hands.

"Let me see," continued Mr. George. "Your father and mother concluded finally to go by the way of Folkstone. The fare that way is two pound eleven. This way, it is one pound four. I am to pay you the difference.

The difference is one pound seven; and one pound seven, in francs, is--let me see how much."

Mr. George made a calculation with a pencil and paper, and found that it amounted to thirty-three francs seventy-five centimes.

"I don't understand reckoning by francs and centimes very well," said Rollo.

"No," replied Mr. George, "that is your misfortune; and you'll have to bear it as well as you can till you get out of it."

So Mr. George entered the francs--thirty-three seventy-five--in Rollo's book.

"You have got thirty-three francs to begin with," said he; "that's a pretty good stock.

"Now, there is your allowance of ten francs per day. I will enter that weekly. There are three days in this week, including to-day and Sunday.

That makes thirty francs."

So Mr. George entered the thirty francs.

"There," said he, "the whole amount due you up to Monday morning is sixty-three francs seventy-five centimes. That is sixty-three francs and three fourths. A hundred centimes make a franc.

"And now," continued Mr. George, "I will make you a payment, so as to put you in funds, and that must be put down on the other side. How much would you like?"

"I don't know," said Rollo; "a few francs, I suppose."

"Have you got a purse?" asked Mr. George. "Let me see it."

So Rollo took out a small leather bag which he had bought in London.

"That's it," said Mr. George. "I'll give you ten francs. When you want more, you can have it--that is, provided it is due to you."

Here Mr. George rang a bell, and a waiter came in immediately. Mr.

George handed the waiter a sovereign, and asked him to get change for it in French money. The waiter took the money, and presently came in with five five-franc pieces. These he presented very respectfully to Mr.

George. Mr. George took two of them and gave them to Rollo. The others he put into his own pocket. The five-franc pieces were very bright and new, and they were of about the size of silver dollars. Rollo was very much pleased with his portion, and put them in his purse, quite proud of having so much spending money.

"And you say that I must not spend any of it without first asking you,"

said Rollo.

"O, no," replied Mr. George, "I have not said any such thing. That would be a great deal of trouble, both for you and for me."

"But I thought you said that I was not to spend any thing without your consent."

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE DINNER AT NEW HAVEN.]

"No," said Mr. George, "I said _against_ my consent. I may forbid your spending whenever I think proper; but I shall not do so, so long as I find you always ask me in doubtful cases. Spend for yourself freely, whenever you are sure it is right. When you are not sure, ask me. If I find you abuse the privilege, I shall have to restrict you. Otherwise, not."

Rollo was well satisfied with this understanding of the case; and just then the waiter came in, bearing a handsome silver tureen containing soup, which he put down upon the table, between Mr. George and Rollo. So the writing materials and the purses were put away, and the two travellers were soon occupied very busily in eating their dinner.

CHAPTER II.

CROSSING THE CHANNEL.

Mr. Holiday had two reasons for making the arrangements described in the last chapter, in respect to Rollo's expenses. In the first place, it would gratify Rollo himself, who would feel more independent, and more like a man, he thought, in being allowed thus, in some measure, to have the charge and control of his own expenditures. But his second and princ.i.p.al reason was, that he might accustom his son, in early life, to bear pecuniary responsibilities, and to exercise judgment and discretion in the use of money. Many young men never have any training of this sort till they become of age. Before that time, whenever they wish for money, they go to their father and ask for it. They take all they can get; and when that is gone, they go and ask for more. They have no direct personal motive for exercising prudence and economy, and they have no experience of the evils that result from thriftlessness and prodigality. It is much better for all children that they should have pecuniary responsibilities, such as are suited to their years, thrown upon them in their youth, when the mistakes they make in acquiring their experience are of little moment. The same mistakes made after they become of age might be their ruin.

In carrying the system into effect in Rollo's case, there seemed to be something very abrupt, at least, if not positively harsh, in Mr.

George's mode of dealing with him. And yet Rollo did not dislike it. He felt that his uncle was treating him more like a man, on this account, or rather more like a large boy, and not like a child. In fact, a part of the rough handling which Rollo got from his uncle was due to this very circ.u.mstance--Mr. George having observed that he did not mind being knocked about a little.

After dinner, Rollo proposed to his uncle that they should go out and take a walk.

"I will go with you a few minutes," said Mr. George, "and then I must return to my room, and write up my journal."

"Say half an hour," rejoined Rollo.

"Well," replied Mr. George, "we will say half an hour."

So they sallied forth upon the pier behind the hotel. Mr. George took a general survey of the harbor, and of the vessels that were lying in it, and also of the peaks and headlands which were seen at the mouth of it, toward the sea.

"I should like to be on that hill," said Mr. George, "to look off over the channel, and see if I could discern the coast of France from it."