Austin Henkel

LIT 4334

Paper 1

Walking the Rocks to See the Mountain View

Chapter 1

Enjoying the Good Life with Father

I, Henry Fosdick, had it all.I was a 12-year-old boy, the son of a middle class family with a promising future ahead of me.My mother died a long time ago while I was still very young, but my father was a very kind, loving man, spending much of his time in my company.He made sure I was well taken care of and had a good education.My father, Mr. Fosdick, was a printer and had two thousand dollars saved up, but because he was such a generous man, he lent it to a friend aspiring to start his own business, Hiram Bates.Bates took it, made crooked use of it, and ran off to the west never to pay back my father.For a while Father kept this fact from me, but later told me the truth about the matter.To his surprise, I told him that it was okay and we would earn it back together through our successful printing business.I had total faith in my father, and the confidence I had in him really made him proud.Like I said before, I was being groomed to eventually take over my father's printing business.In the meantime, he sent me to school to get my education.We lived on the north side of Manhattan, and the school that I went to there was very good, indeed.I had a good class and the teacher was very smart.But my favorite thing was the time I got to spend with my father.

Chapter 2

Unexpected Tragedy

Things were going great.I was advancing well in my schooling, although I had a hard time making friends (I'm a very shy person).I also was quickly getting more and more proficient in my father's trade.Business for my father was going well, too.Things were starting to look up, despite suffering such a setback with the two thousand dollars he lost.We enjoyed spending our evenings together, usually going for walks and things of that nature, and sometimes, as a special treat, we would ride the Fulton ferryboat over to Staten Island because he knew how much I loved to ride the ferry.One fateful Saturday evening, just as the sun was setting and we were on our way back to Manhattan riding the ferry, the winds really picked up, making the waters very choppy in New York Harbor.My father told me to be careful, as the ride was becoming more and more treacherous, but in his concern for me, he forgot about himself.When the ferry hit one rather large white cap, it sent my father over the rail and into the water.As I knew my father couldn't swim very well, I was instantly in a panic and cried for someone to help him.But to my utter horror, nobody was able to come to his aid, and it was impossible for the ferry to stop or turn around.I was helpless as I saw my father drown before my very eyes.I wept bitterly the rest of the ride home, refusing comfort from any passenger who tried to console me.Why should I?They didn't help my father, and now I was utterly alone.I didn't know what to do when we arrived at our destination, but I knew that I was on my own now with no place to go.That was the worst day of my life and the beginning of my hardships to follow.

Because our rent couldn't be paid at our modest house, I was thrown out and my father's business was closed.I can't remember ever feeling as alone as I did that day, but I knew that I had to take care of myself somehow.I observed the trades that other homeless boys had and figured that boot blacking was the best I could do with the predicament that I was in.So I joined the ranks of the bootblacks and began my new life as an orphan.

Chapter 3

Newfound Life on the Streets

The next three months were the hardest of my life.With both of my parents being gone, and no place to stay, bootblacking was my only hope.It was difficult to make money because I was very timid, indeed, and also because there were other boys, bigger than me, who would bully me around and threaten to beat me up and take my money if I took their business.One who was especially intimidating was Micky Maguire.He was ruthless in his business practices and even less tolerant of the competition around him than the other big boys.No matter how hard I tried, I seemed to never be able to get more than enough money to make it to the next meal, which was always a modest one.Finding a place to keep dry when it poured down rain at nights, avoiding getting beaten up and robbed by others in the same predicament as me, and just striving to survive was difficult enough, let alone trying to make it to the next meal.In fact, it was so hard for me to survive, that there were times that I just wanted to lie down in a secluded alleyway and die.But for some reason, I kept going and for three months that was the picture of my life.

Chapter 4

The Boy They Called Ragged Dick

While I didn't really make any friends with my comrades, one person always intrigued me.The other boys called him Ragged Dick.He was a very kind, friendly, and hard-working young man of 14 (two years older than me).He also had a good sense of humor accompanied by a tasteful wittiness and good looks.In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if these things got him more business than the other boys because he was so fun loving and his "employers" found him pleasant to be around.He always had such a positive attitude that, if his ragged clothes didn't give away his predicament in life, you might just think he was another care-free youth.It truly was a pleasure just to be around him because he made you feel good about life and your present circumstances too.While he didn't have any formal education, you could tell that life on the streets made him incredibly smart just by the look on his face.He knew my name because I had met him on one prior occasion, but beyond that we didn't know one another.Then one evening, after another bad day of business for me, I went to a restaurant on Chatham Street to get a meager supper.Already there was Ragged Dick, who had just sat down to a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak.I had in mind to get some bread and butter, but when Dick spotted me, he inquired of my luck on the day.I told him I wasn't doing so well and that I didn't even have enough money for a cup of coffee.In his kindness, he told me that he had more than enough money left over from his day's labor and offered to foot the bill for my dinner.He insisted and said it was his treat.I thanked him very heartily and in the next moment, I had in front of me a cup of coffee and a matching plate of beefsteak.I couldn't remember how long it had been since I had eaten this well.

Chapter 5

A Generous Offer

After some small talk at dinner that evening, Dick began to tell me of his recent luck.He told me about his run in with the Whitneys, how he received a new suit from his new friend Frank and how he got to go on many adventures in the city.He also told me about how Frank really inspired him to become, as he called it, a "'spectable person."After bringing Frank back to his uncle at the end of the day, Mr. Whitney very generously gave him five dollars to help him on his way.After that, he rented out a room on Mott Street.I told him that I was very happy for him, and sensing sadness in my voice, he asked where I was staying that evening.I told him I would probably sleep in some door-way, but was afraid a policeman might find me and make me move on.Being the generous boy that he was, he offered me a place to stay with him that night.I gladly accepted and was beginning to see my own streak of luck.I was so thankful for Ragged Dick's generosity.After that, we began to talk about my circumstances over the last three months.I told him about the recent events in my life, and about my present circumstances.I also told him how I had been succeeding in school and how I was supposed to go to the Free Academy the following year to further my education.This changed the course of our conversation.Dick explained to me how Frank told him that he was well on his way to becoming a "'spectable person," but the only thing that he lacked was an education.Dick then gave me the most generous offer I had ever been proposed: he told me that if I were to tutor him, he would in turn let me stay with him.My luck had changed in just a short time!I gladly accepted and told him we should get started right away.We got a paper that night on the way back to our home, talking, laughing, and joking the entire way.Once we arrived, he showed me the place and we began our first lesson.After we finished, we both got undressed and crawled into bed.I slept better that night than I did the entire three months before.I was so glad to meet my new friend.I had a feeling things were going to be looking up a lot more for me from then on.

Chapter 6

The Two-Way Education

Living with Dick was wonderful.I found that every day that I was with him and enjoyed his company, the more and more hope I had for things to turn out okay.We spent our days working hard to earn our respective livings, but Dick always seemed to do better at day's end.I didn't mind, though.I realized he was naturally more talented than me at our line of business.At nights, I would teach him all the things I learned over the years step by step.We started with reading and writing, but eventually moved on to other subjects like arithmetic and geography.Dick then introduced me to Mr. Greyson at church.He told me how he met Mr. Greyson and how he was invited to his Sunday School but was scared to go by himself.I offered to go with him and everything went well.We got to meet the Greyson family, and even had Sunday afternoon lunch with them before returning for Sunday School.The Greysons' daughter, Ida, really took a liking to Dick, and we had a great time.Dick and I had many great times together.I taught him what I knew during our study time together, but he taught me so much more away from our classroom.I learned how I don't have to be a victim of my circumstances, but could take what I was dealt and do something about it.I also learned that attitude and outlook can greatly shape how I act and react toward different situations.He also showed me that confidence could help me overcome obstacles in life.In fact, he helped me get a job from this very lesson.I lacked self-confidence in my own abilities, but Dick had all sorts of confidence in my abilities.He finally coaxed me to try and get a job at the hat store just across town.He even went with me!Mr. Henderson, the shop owner, liked the sample of my handiwork, but I got the job mainly because by another stroke of luck, Mr. Greyson showed up and gave a reference for me.That day I finally learned to have confidence in myself and my abilities and resolved to always be that way from then on.Dick really helped me change my own outlook and caused me to truly strive to be the very best I can be.I'll never forget those valuable lessons.

Chapter 7

Justice Served

Nine months had passed after I received my first job working for Mr. Henderson in the hat store.Things were going well.I, like Dick, had opened up an account at the bank and was putting money in it every week, too.Dick was doing better than ever bootblacking and was putting in almost double what I was putting in.I always admired Dick for his resolve and hard work.Even more than that, I admired him for his generosity.

A fellow bootblack of ours, Tom Wilkins, was in a bad situation.His mother recently broke her arm and couldn't work to pay their four-dollar-a-week rent.Dick told Tom that he would take care of it and not to worry about it.He even was going to give him five dollars!However, that evening when he got home, he was rudely greeted by a missing bank book.I had been hard at work all day in the hat store running various errands for Mr. Henderson and was already home from work when Dick arrived.However, I didn't even realize the bank book was gone until Dick got home and couldn't find it.After some careful thought and investigation we had a hunch that our neighbor Jim Travis had stolen it.My dear friend, not losing heart, tracked Jim Travis and lured him into the trap that would lead to his arrest.Dick never ceases to amaze me!Had I been in his shoes, I would have lost heart and probably would have given up trying to find my bank book.I certainly wouldn't have confronted Jim.But not Dick!He never lost his resolve to bring Travis to justice, but kept his cool and heroically cornered Jim into his own arrest.What an amazing testament to his smarts, cunning and bravery!

Chapter 8

My Hero, My Friend

Dick and I had other adventures, and my life has been truly changed by the lessons my friend has taught me.Dick finally completed his schooling, as I taught him everything I knew, but I was pleasantly surprised when he absolutely refused turning me away after I suggested he do so because he no longer had any use for me.It warmed my heart to know how truly loyal he was to me and how he looked at me as an equal and a friend, not as someone inferior or as a means to his own end.Not long after the incident with the bank book, Dick and I decided it was time for him to secure a job with a future for himself, too.But, since times were hard, he had little success.That all changed when I was sent on an errand to Brooklyn near Greenwood Cemetery for Mr. Henderson.Because Dick had a little over one hundred dollars saved up, he occasionally took a half day holiday.That day was one of those holidays and he decided he wanted to go with me.This required having to use a ferry, something I had avoided since my father's death.However, since Dick was going along with me, it didn't seem near as bad (but still quite hard having to deal with all of those horrifying memories).On our way we noticed a kind-looking man with a son and a daughter aboard the ferry.When the father was attending to his daughter, the little boy--about six years old--crawled under the chain that extends across the boat and fell into the foaming water beneath after losing his balance.The father was instantly horrified and cried out for help.I, too, froze in fear.The situation was too reminiscent of my own father's drowning.I started to cry to myself because I knew that the poor boy was doomed unless somebody did something.However, to my utter amazement, my friend Dick, brave as he was, dove headfirst into the same water the boy just fell into.I held my breath because I didn't want to lose two people close to me and felt that Ragged Dick was all I had left, but he didn't struggle at all.He swam right to the boy and held his little head above water.The boy struggled, but as soon as Dick got there, he started to calm down and hang on to Dick for dear life.While it was indeed brave, Dick started to struggle too with this new weight on his shoulders.The father was still in hysterics and I was fearful for my friend's life.It was looking more and more bleak as the ferry kept getting further and further away, but just then two men in a row boat shouted for them to hold on and a moment later pulled both of them out of the water and safely into the row boat.By this time I was sobbing without control because everything hit me at once.I realized that what had just happened wasn't just a rescue of little Johnny (as I had just learned his name from an extremely grateful father), but also the rescue of myself.I realized that once my dad died, I too was like this little boy drowning and struggling for my life in my own problems, when out of nowhere Ragged Dick Hunter came to my rescue and saved me from the pit of despair as well.Dick Hunter risked his life for me just like he risked his life for that little boy that day.I'll never get over it, and I'll never thank him enough for it.I'm forever indebted to my friend, my hero Dick Hunter.

Epilogue

I Had to Walk the Rocks to See the Mountain View…But it's Breathtaking!

After Dick's heroic bravery, Mr. Rockwell (as we found that to be his name afterward) hired him in his counting room at ten dollars a week.Dick learned everything he knew about business from that generous man.I, too, became quite the businessman under Mr. Henderson, who was more impressed with my work with each passing day.Several years later, after Dick and I saved up several hundred dollars a piece, we went on to further our education.Both Mr. Rockwell and Mr. Henderson backed us financially as did Mr. Greyson.We moved off of Mott Street and found a nicer place closer to Fifth Avenue.We also continued to go to Mr. Greyson's Sunday School class.Now both of us have started our own business together after a generous investment Frank Whitney provided us, and run a shop selling shoes (we couldn't leave the roots from which we came).Dick married Ida Greyson and they are expecting a baby in June.Dick already told me that if it's a boy he and Ida decided to name him Henry Frank Hunter (that warmed my heart, too).I will be getting married soon to a lovely girl named Molly, whom I met at the college Dick and I both graduated from.Dick and I are well on our way to leading our lives as "'spectable men," and hope to make a difference in everyone's lives we come into contact with.But I can only hope to make half the difference in some young lad's life that Dick made in mine.I can honestly say that if he hadn't rescued me like he did, I wouldn't be here today.I had to walk the rocks to see the mountain view, and it's breathtaking!I'm forever indebted to Dick Hunter, my hero, my friend.