“Well, he didn’t make much out of his attempt. I don’t care for the money, Mr. Winter, but I’ll ask something else instead.”
“What is it?” asked Jacob cautiously.
“I want to leave the farm and go to New York.”
“Go to New York! You—a mere boy! What do you want to go to New York for?”
“I want to get work.”
“There’s plenty of work here, Benjamin.”
“I know there is, but it isn’t the kind I like. I should never be a successful farmer.”
“It wasn’t exactly the farmin’ business I meant to put you to.”
“What then?” asked Ben, whose turn it was to be surprised.
“Silas Flack has made an offer to take you and teach you the shoemakin’ business. I did at first think of havin’ you work on the farm, but I guess you might as well learn the shoemakin’?”