All　his　expense；　in　fact；　was　the　first　cost　of　his　stock　in
  trade；　and　he　had　so　fixed　his　prices　as　to　insure　a　good　profit
  on　that。　　So；　on　the　whole；　Paul　felt　very　well　satisfied　at　the
  result　of　his　experiment；　for　this　was　his　first　day　in　the
  prize…package　business。
  〃I　guess　I'll　go　home；〃　he　said　to　himself。　　〃Mother'll　want　to
  know　how　I　made　out。〃　　He　turned　up　Nassau　street；　and　had
  reached　the　corner　of　Maiden　lane；　when　Teddy　O'Brien　met　him。
  〃Did　you　sell　out；　Johnny？〃　he　asked。
  〃Yes；〃　answered　Paul。
  〃How　many　packages　did　you　have？〃
  〃Fifty。〃
  〃That's　bully。　　How　much　you　made？〃
  〃I　can't　tell　yet。　　I　haven't　counted　up；〃　said　Paul。
  〃It's　better'n　sellin'　papers；　I'll　bet。　　I've　only　made　thirty
  cents　the　day。　　Don't　you　want　to　take　a　partner；　Johnny？〃
  〃No；　I　don't　think　I　do；〃　said　Paul；　who　had　good　reason　to　doubt
  whether　such　a　step　would　be　to　his　advantage。
  〃Then　I'll　go　in　for　myself；〃　said　Teddy；　somewhat　displeased　at
  the　refusal。
  〃Go　ahead！　　There's　nobody　to　stop　you；〃　said　Paul。
  〃I'd　rather　go　in　with　you；〃　said　Teddy；　feeling　that　there　would
  be　some　trouble　in　making　the　prize　packages；　but　influenced
  still　more　by　the　knowledge　that　he　had　not　capital　enough　to
  start　in　the　business　alone。
  〃No；〃　said　Paul；　positively；　〃I　don't　want　any　partner。　　I　can　do
  well　enough　alone。〃
  He　was　not　surprised　at　Teddy's　application。　　Street　boys　are　as
  enterprising；　and　have　as　sharp　eyes　for　business　as　their
  elders；　and　no　one　among　them　can　monopolize　a　profitable
  business　long。　　This　is　especially　the　case　with　the　young　street
  merchant。　　When　one　has　had　the　good　luck　to　find　some　attractive
  article　which　promises　to　sell　briskly；　he　takes　every　care　to
  hide　the　source　of　his　supply　from　his　rivals　in　trade。　　But　this
  is　almost　impossible。　　Cases　are　frequent　where　such　boys　are
  subjected　to　the　closest　espionage；　their　steps　being　dogged　for
  hours　by　boys　who　think　they　have　found　a　good　thing　and　are
  determined　to　share　it。　　In　the　present　case　Paul　had　hit　upon　an
  idea　which　seemed　to　promise　well；　and　he　was　determined　to　keep
  it　to　himself　as　long　as　possible。　　As　soon　as　he　was　subjected
  to　competition　and　rivalry　his　gains　would　probably　diminish。
  CHAPTER　II
  PAUL　AT　HOME
  Paul　went　up　Centre　street　and　turned　into　Pearl。　　Stopping
  before　a　tenement…house；　he　entered；　and；　going　up　two　flights　of
  stairs；　opened　a　door　and　entered。
  〃You　are　home　early；　Paul；〃　said　a　woman　of　middle　age；　looking
  up　at　his　entrance。
  〃Yes；　mother；　I've　sold　out。〃
  〃You've　not　sold　out　the　whole　fifty　packages？〃　she　asked；　in
  surprise。
  〃Yes；　I　have。　　I　had　capital　luck。〃
  〃Why；　you　must　have　made　as　much　as　a　dollar；　and　it's　not　twelve
  yet。〃
  〃I've　made　more　than　that；　mother。　　Just　wait　a　minute；　till　I've
  reckoned　up　a　little。　　Where's　Jimmy？〃
  〃Miss　Beckwith　offered　to　take　him　out　to　walk　with　her；　so　I　let
  him　go。　　He'll　be　back　at　twelve。〃
  While　Paul　is　making　a　calculation；　a　few　words　of　explanation
  and　description　may　be　given；　so　that　the　reader　may　understand
  better　how　he　is　situated。
  The　rooms　occupied　by　Paul　and　his　mother　were　three　in　number。
  The　largest　one　was　about　fourteen　feet　square；　and　was　lighted
  by　two　windows。　　It　was　covered　with　a　neat；　though　well…worn；
  carpet；　a　few　cane…bottomed　chairs　were　ranged　at　the　windows；
  and　on　each　side　of　the　table。　　There　was　a　French　clock　on　the
  mantel；　a　rocking　chair　for　his　mother；　and　a　few　inexpensive
  engravings　hung　upon　the　walls。　　There　was　a　hanging　bookcase
  containing　two　shelves；　filled　with　books；　partly　school　books；
  supplemented　by　a　few　miscellaneous　books；　such　as　〃Robinson
  Crusoe；〃　〃Pilgrim's　Progress；〃　a　volume　of　〃Poetical　Selections；〃
  an　odd　volume　of　Scott；　and　several　others。　　Out　of　the　main　room
  opened　two　narrow　chambers；　both　together　of　about　the　same　area
  as　the　main　room。　　One　of　these　was　occupied　by　Paul　and　Jimmy；
  the　other　by　his　mother。
  Those　who　are　familiar　with　the　construction　of　a　New　York
  tenement…house　will　readily　understand　the　appearance　of　the
  rooms　into　which　we　have　introduced　them。　　It　must；　however；　be
  explained　that　few　similar　apartments　are　found　so　well
  furnished。　　Carpets　are　not　very　common　in　tenement…houses；　and
  if　there　are　any　pictures；　they　are　usually　the　cheapest　prints。
  Wooden　chairs；　and　generally　every　object　of　the　cheapest；　are　to
  be　met　with　in　the　dwellings　of　the　New　York　poor。　　If　we　find
  something　better　in　the　present　instance；　it　is　not　because　Paul
  and　his　mother　are　any　better　off　than　their　neighbors。　　On　the
  contrary；　there　are　few　whose　income　is　so　small。　　But　they　have
  seen　better　days；　and　the　furniture　we　see　has　been　saved　from
  the　time　of　their　comparative　prosperity。
  As　Paul　is　still　at　his　estimate；　let　us　improve　the　opportunity
  by　giving　a　little　of　their　early　history。
  Mr。　Hoffman；　the　father　of　Paul；　was　born　in　Germany；　but　came　to
  New　York　when　a　boy　of　twelve；　and　there　he　grew　up　and　married；
  his　wife　being　an　American。　　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。
  Once　fairly　established　in　their　new　home；　Paul　went　out　into　the
  streets　to　earn　his　living。　　The　two　most　obvious；　and；　on　the
  whole；　most　profitable　trades；　were　blacking　boots　and　selling
  newspapers。　　To　the　first　Paul；　who　was　a　neat　boy；　objected　on
  the　score　that　it　would　keep　his　hands　and　clothing　dirty；　and；
  street　boy　though　he　had　become；　he　had　a　pride　in　his　personal
  appearance。　　To　selling　papers　he　had　not　the　same　objection；　but
  he　had　a　natural　taste　for　trade；　and　this　led　him　to　join　the
  ranks　of　the　street　peddlers。　　He　began　with　vending　matches；　but
  found　so　much　competition　in　the　business；　and　received　so　rough
  a　reception　oftentimes　from　those　who　had　repeated　calls　from
  others　in　the　same　business；　that　he　gave　it　up；　and　tried
  something　else。　　But　the　same　competition　which　crowds　the
  professions　and　the　higher　employments　followed　by　men；　prevails
  among　the　street　trades　which　are　pursued　by　boys。　　If　Paul　had
  only　had　himself　to　support；　he　could　have　made　a　fair　living　at
  match　selling；　or　any　other　of　the　employments　he　took　up；　but
  his　mother　could　not　earn　much　at　making　vests；　and　Jimmy　was
  lame；　and　could　do　nothing　to　fill　the　common　purse；　so　that　Paul
  felt　that　his　earnings　must　be　the　main　support　of　the　family；
  and　naturally　sought　out　what　would　bring　him　in　most　money。
  At　length　he　had　hit　upon　selling　prize　packages；　and　his　first
  experience　in　that　line　are　recorded　in　the　previous　chapter。
  Adding　only　that　it　was　now　a　year　since　his　father's　death；　we
  resume　our　narrative。
  〃Do　you　want　to　know　how　much　I've　made；　mother？〃　asked　Paul；
  looking　up　at　length　from　his　calculation。
  〃Yes；　Paul。〃
  〃A　dollar　and　thirty　cents。〃
  〃I　did　not　think　it　would　amount　to　so　much。　　The　prizes　came　to
  considerable；　didn't　they？〃
  〃Listen；　and　I　will　tell　you　how　I　stand：
  One　pound　of　candy　　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　　　。20
  Two　packs　of　envelopes　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　　。10
  Prize。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　　。90
  That　makes　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　　1。20
  I　sold　the　fifty　packages　at　five　cents　each；　and　that　brought　me
  in　two　dollars　and　a　half。　　Taking　out　the　expenses；　it　leaves　me
  a　dollar　and　thirty　cents。　　Isn't　that　doing　well　for　one
  morning's　work？〃
  〃It's　excellent；　but　I　thought　your　prizes　amounted　to　more　than
  ninety　cents。〃
  〃So　they　did；　but　several　persons　who　bought　wouldn't　take　their
  prizes；　and　that　was　so　much　gain。〃