"What do you think is wrong with this boot, Will?" Foster asked.
"It's nearly wore aht," said the boy.
"No, lad I meant the drawing. Can you see what's wrong with it?"
"Nah, it's orright, ain't it? I loike it."
"Yes, it is a good drawing, as far as it goes. But it is really all wrong, for it has no depth," answered his mentor. "Look, I'll show you."
Foster put his foot up on a stool and unlaced his boot. He put it up on the desk in the same pose as the one Will had drawn. " Now," said Foster, "What's the difference?"
Will grinned at him and said, "Your boot ain't worn."
"You young scallywag, you aren't thinking. Look at this. Can you see how far it is from here to here?" Foster held his pencil up to the top of the boot and measured it from side to side. Then he showed Will that it was a few inches wide. "See," he said, "it is about three inches and your drawing looks flat, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, but the paper is flat. 'ow can you make it inches wide?"
"Here, I'll show you." Taking up a new sheet of paper Foster sketched the boot quickly putting in the lines of shadow skillfully, giving the boot depth and life. Will watched fascinated as the boot seemed to take on real proportions. The pencil flew over the page and Will absorbed it all.
"Caw," he said, "Ow 'je do thet?"
"Just be putting lines in the right places," said his teacher. "Now just do this."
Foster soon had the lad learning to look at his subject and get it down on paper quickly. Will was quick to learn and he was certainly eager to improve. The artist kept him supplied with pencil and paper and found that he was becoming very fond of this little urchin. He told him of the stories he was called upon to illustrate and showed him some of his huge stock of sketches. So nowadays Will filled his days easily and found it hard to break away from his everlasting sketching in order to get the food needed for his friends when they returned home each evening.
The boys had many friends in the town and had come to some good arrangements with the various shop keepers. Of course, they always had enough fruit for they ate the overripe pieces from the barrow that would not sell, the baker along the road was always happy to let them have bread and sometimes cakes and pies that were damaged or less than perfect. One eventful night they came home to two dozen squashed meat pies that the baker's boy had dropped when he was taking them out of the oven. They had to eat them quickly for they knew the meat would not keep well in their hot and stuffy little room. The butcher let them have scraps that they could eat. Ricky was adept at making a stew from scraps, cooking it on the stove shared by other residents. They found it very palatable after he had let it set and taken most of the fat from the brew, it was always full of good vegetables, and so they did eat quite well, most of the time. But there were lean times and then they had to spend more than they wanted to keep themselves healthy. Ricky was still fiercely independent and had instilled into his two charges that they must either work for their money and food and not expect charity or take it when offered.
They had settled down to a pleasant life, they thought. Their quarters were very cramped. Hot in the summer and very cold in winter. Ricky and Tad had paliasses to sleep on and blankets to help them keep warm. They had given Will the bed for he was very prone to catch cold and after seeing him try to keep warm when that first winter started, Ricky made him take the bed which was certainly warmer for it was away from the continual draught that blew in under the door, and the thin mattress on the floor was no great protection.
In the summer the room was hot and stuffy and so the door was kept propped open to catch any breeze. This had its drawbacks in many ways for the various louts of the streets thought nothing of bursting in and upsetting things greatly. They seemed to take demonic delight in rushing in and tearing up Will's precious drawings, kicking the beds around and upsetting the boxes of precious fruit. It worried Ricky greatly but felt that their finances were not such that they could move into anything better as yet.
They were all getting on well with their studies. Tad now spoke well and had proved himself to be a hard working lad. Mr Hughes thought he was nearly ready to be offered a permanent job as office boy, but he kept this idea to himself until he felt certain. Will had blossomed under the tutelage of Mr Fraser. He, too, was learning to speak better and they all had hopes that he would one day be a credit to them. The two men were fascinated by the three lads. They often talked about them and concluded that there must be a lot of wasted talent among the street urchins of Sydney town.
John Landon kept up his friendship with Charles Hughes. At first so that he could keep track of Ricky's progress and later for the quality of the man himself. Charles spoke often of the boys and of the progress they made. John, not wanting to interfere, but being very interested, asked Charles if he could drop in one evening while the learning sessions were on and see for himself what was going on. He did this on several occasions and sat silently while watching and listening. He said little to the boys but was always ready to greet them cheerfully. He was ever mindful of his great debt to Ricky but rarely made overtures to the boy for he respected his independence and was content to watch and wait.
Mr Landon surprised the boys one evening when he appeared at the door of their room. The door was ajar but was barricaded so that it could not be opened wide. He rapped on the door with his cane and Will looked up from his drawing and then peered through the aperture, and said, "Caw, it's a nob."
Ricky came to let him in removing the boxes that stopped the door from opening, and asked their visitor in, explaining about the barricading of the door, and saying, "There's not much to sit on , sir. Just a fruit case. Here I'll put a pillow on it. Is that all right?"
"That's fine, Ricky. I am sorry to barge in on you like this but I thought I would like to pay you three a visit and see how you are managing. I hope that's all right with you?"
Tad and Will were quite tongue tied, for it is one thing to speak in the news office but the man seemed very out of place here and was it rather intimidating.
"Are you drawing, Will? May I see what you are doing?"
Will handed his effort to John wordlessly, feeling rather frightened that the man had come to criticize.
Landon sat looking at the three pairs of eyes that were gazing at him, obviously wondering why they had been so privileged. He smiled at them, knowing what they were thinking, but lifted his eyes to peer round the room. Will's many drawings were strung neatly onto cords that were suspended from the cornices of the ceiling. He could see that the boy was certainly an able artist. He thought about the small lad who was so crippled and thanked the Lord that he had found such a refuge from the cruel outside world. He looked beneath the ruffled blankets with eyes that were seeking any sign of dirt and laziness and did not see any. The place was very clean, amazingly so. But then Ricky was in charge. Yes, he could see signs of Ricky's hand in a lot of things. He looked down again at these three pairs of eyes that were still wondering about this invasion.
He asked, "How do you apportion your tasks? Please tell me."
The boys seemed to relax a little, but it was Tad who answered. "We each have our jobs, sir. At least Will and I do the housework in the mornings because Rick has to go early to the markets. Will does the shopping unless it's wet and then I do between messages because we are tired of Will getting wet and sick, so he's not allowed in the rain. We've got to watch him 'cos he forgets when he gets to do his drawing, and if we aren't careful there's nothing to eat when we get home."
Ricky laughed. "He doesn't seem to need to eat, Mr Landon, when he is drawing. He just loses himself."
The boys relaxed as they spoke and finding the man casual and friendly soon told him all about their way of life. And indeed he was relaxed, and enjoyed sitting on the upended fruit case with a hand on each knee listening to what he was being told and thinking what a good job these boys, who had so little to help them, were making of their lives.
After some time he
suggested that Ricky escort him to his carriage which was waiting outside. He called to his driver, who was waiting at the horses heads, and told him to remain there as he was going to stay for a while. He then turned to Ricky and suggested that they sit inside the carriage and talk. Ricky climbed in after Landon and sat opposite him as he was bidden.
"Tell me lad, how are your plans going in achieving that ambition of yours to have a store?" he asked.
Ricky sighed and said, "Not as fast as I hoped, Mr Landon."
The man chuckled. "Didn't plan on having dependents, did you Ricky?"
"No, I didn't, sir. But I wouldn't tell them that for anything. They are my family, sir, and I feel I have to look after them. I'll get there in the end even if it takes a bit longer."
"I have a proposition and I hope you will think about it seriously."
"I don't need any help, Mr Landon. We are managing quite well, you know."
"Do you want to stay in that room for ever, boy. Have some sense and let me help a little."
"No, really, we are all ..."
"Now wait and hear what I have to say." John Landon raised his hand to silence Ricky. "Son, I have just bought a building adjoining my warehouse and intend to make it my headquarters and so extend the warehouse into where the office is now. This new building has two shops on the ground floor and I want to offer you one. How old are you?"
"Nearly 17, sir. But I couldn't accept charity, sir."
"Now you listen to me you silly fellow. I know what your mother told you about accepting charity and I admire you for sticking to that. But enough is enough. She didn't expect you to adopt two waifs to look after. I have been watching your progress and I am pleased with what I have seen. Now be sensible. If you are interested in the welfare of those boys you will do what is best for them."
"But, sir ..."
"No, listen. I am not giving you something for nothing. This is a business deal. I will rent the shop to you for five shillings a week and between the three of you you can keep the yard at the back of the building clean and tidy. There are stables there but we will not be using them. The shop that I am offering you has a residence behind it with three rooms and a kitchen and would be far more comfortable than that hot place you are in now. I will also put furniture in it that you can use so you will have better comfort than you have now. Now what about it?"
Ricky sat thinking then he looked up at the man opposite and said, "I must admit it is tempting, Mr Landon. But I feel as though I am letting myself down."
"For goodness sake, lad, don't be so stiff necked. I know you value independence. I do myself, but think. Apart from anything else, you must remember that I owe you a debt that I have not been able to discharge. Please, let me help you to this extent. Let me tell you more."
They talked and talked and eventually, reluctantly the boy agreed to come the next day and look at the shop in question, but asking Landon not to say anything to the other boys until a decision was made. So Landon had to agree to that.
Ricky went back to the room, finding that he was more than ever conscious of the heat in the confined place. "I wish people would leave us alone to make our way," he stubbornly thought and at the same time wishing that he could accept the wonderful offer.
The other boys greeted him with lots of questions but he was able to brush them aside and tell Tad that he needed him for a time the next day to look after the barrow so that he could go and see Mr Landon again.
"Gee, maybe he's going to give you a job, Rick," said Will. But Tad just looked at his friend and saw that he was deep in thought and was not communicative and so said nothing, nudging Will to be quiet.
Ricky met Landon at the warehouse the next day as planned. He was surprised at the size of the large offices, and asked Mr Landon what he kept in the warehouse.
"I import all sorts of things," he was told. " But it is mostly materials that I deal in. Materials that range from heavy canvasses to fine materials for ladies' dresses. But also all sorts of other things. I will show you our stock some time. Now come and look at this shop."
After seeing the shop, Ricky found that the decision was harder than ever. "Why are you really hesitating Ricky?" asked the man. "Do you find that it is too daunting? If you will let me I will help you?"
"Thank you, sir. I just don't know. Maybe I've been dreaming about a shop for so long that I am frightened of making a mess of it. Yes, I think I am a bit scared."
"Bigger men than you have been scared of a new venture. But you have admitted it and that's something. If you take it on you must promise me one thing."
"What is that, Mr Landon?" Ricky asked.
"If you find yourself in sticky waters you will come to me for help before you get in too deep."
"Sir, do you think I am letting Mam down?" asked Ricky, wistfully.
"No, lad she would be proud of you, as I would be if you were my son."
"Thank you, then I daresay I'd better try it and hope I can make a go of it. And yes, I will come to you if I find things getting ahead of me, I promise."
"Good, I think you are learning to accept at last. We will shake hands on the deal."
Tad and Will were ecstatic when he told them the news that they would soon be able to move in to new quarters. Ricky was, however, in no hurry to get going. He was heavy of heart and this the younger boys could not understand. But it seemed to the lad that his responsibilities were growing apace and he wondered , now that this opening had come about, whether he wanted to take on any more. But giving himself a good shake he decided that he mustn’t shirk it, but make the most of it.
They all went along the next day to look at their new home and were rather stunned at the bareness of the place. They walked around and peered through this door and that noting that the shop area at the street level was large and commodious. So much so that Ricky agreed when Will said, "Gee, Rick. Will you ever have enough fruit to fill all this?"
The place was quite empty but clean and the walls were a rather nasty dun colour. They wondered whether they would ever be able to get enough furniture in it to make it cosy. After living in such close quarters as their present room, this place seemed huge, cold and unfriendly. Mr Landon had told Ricky that the place would not be available for two weeks and Ricky felt pleased that he could put off the day. He had a great deal to think about and plan. He could see that he would need a lot of shelves, but when he had asked Mr Landon about this he had been told that shelves would be put in place before they moved in. Also Ricky knew that he would have to dig deeply into his store of cash to finance the amount of stock which would fill those shelves. There was so much he had to decide and it worried him that he may not be able to get it all done. He talked it over with his fruit wholesaler at the markets and found that the man was prepared to help him by giving him credit, but this was just another thing to frighten him for he was very afraid of getting into debt.
They could not put off the evil day any more and according to Mr Landon's instructions the boys prepared to move in one very sunny, hot day. They loaded the barrow with all their possessions and trundled it down to the new shop. They pulled up in front of the shop and immediately saw that the interior had been painted and new shelves put in place. Leaving the barrow at the door, Ricky went up to Mr Landon's office to collect the keys. The man was looking very serious and handed the keys over with a few stern words, showing not much encouragement, which rather concerned Ricky, for he felt that this was all Mr Landon's idea anyway and that he needn't be all that stern about it.
So with a rather heavy heart he went below to start this new life. He couldn't help but be excited while he had two lads such as Tad and Will with him. They were jumping up and down with impatience, saying, "Look through the window, Ricky. We think we can see some furniture. Come on quick, let's get in."
Ricky was amazed at the transformation of the place. The shop had pleasant cream walls. There were shelves all round the shop. Some which sloped to show the fruit off to advantage. There was a very
good counter that was big enough to be able to be able to store all sorts of things underneath. Ricky stood, feeling the top of the counter and then ran his hands over the shelves, while the boys pushed through the door into the living area and their shouts of joy beckoned the older boy through to see for himself.
There was a passage along one wall which had three rooms opening off this. All had been painted the same cream as the shop and each had two beds and a cupboard with drawers and a curtained corner for hanging clothes. The passage opened into a large living area the full width of the shop. This was kitchen and workroom. An old black iron stove was at one end, which the boys greeted with delight for they knew that this would warm them during the winter nights, there was a large white pine table and six pine chairs coloured green. There was an old kitchen dresser with some cutlery and crockery in it and below these they found a well stocked store of groceries. There was an old sofa and more pleasing there were three slope-top desks with closed store space under the top. It would not come into the category of luxury but to these boys it was the nearest thing to heaven that they had ever experienced. They just stood and looked and one by one they moved to the desks and each sat at one. No-one spoke. They were far too moved.
Someone came in through the shop but the boys hardly heard, until Mr Landon called, "Boys, where are you? Are you here?"
They came to, each answering the man's call. "In here." "Here, sir." and Ricky's "Come in, sir. Thank you. What can we say?"
"I don't want you to say anything at all, Ricky. I just had to see you, you looked so downcast up in the office."
"I thought you were annoyed with me or something, sir."
"No lad, I was just excited. I daresay I am like a boy myself and just wanted to please you."
"Oh, we are pleased, aren't we boys?" The others were keen to say how pleased. "But, sir," said Ricky, "we can't accept all this. How can we pay you back?"
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