I SHALL DO AS I LIKE! by Frederick Waggoner

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 17, 1888

"I SHALL DO AS I LIKE!"

By Frederick Waggoner

"I SHALL do as I like!" This was the declaration of a school-boy eight years ago. There were two lads walking home together, and the topic of conversation was an important change that was about to take place in the circumstances of both of them. Within a month of the conversation referred to, their last "half" at school would terminate, and both of the boys were shortly after to go from home to begin business life as apprentices. There was a considerable difference in their position, inasmuch as one of them was the only son of a prosperous lawyer, and the other was one of a large family, brought up amid much privation by a widow lady with small means. The lawyer's son was going as an apprentice to a manufacturer; a large premium was to be paid with him, and he was to receive handsome wages from the termination of his probationary six months. The other lad was going to learn a mechanical trade. His mother was unable to pay a premium, and he was to maintain himself as well as he could on his small wages.

Boy-like, the lads were full of gleeful anticipation at the change which promised so much that was new and interesting to both of them. Each had plenty to say about his future career; but a listener to their discourse would have observed a great difference in their speculations. The poorer lad was telling his companion how earnestly he meant to apply himself to his trade, and how resolute he was in his determination to become skillful in every branch of it. The other was more concerned about the opportunities he should have for enjoying himself when beyond the control of his parents. It was in regard to this that he exclaimed, "I shall do as I like!"

One rigid regulation of John Rayner's home life was that under no circumstances was he to smoke. One of the principal sources of pleasure which young Rayner saw looming before him in the distance was the facility he should have for avoiding this parental restriction.

The month passed rapidly, as did the succeeding weeks which necessarily elapsed before our two young friends were duly settled in their new homes. The difference in their circumstances was even greater now than it had been before; but the old school-boy attachment drew them into occasional communication, and at irregular and distant intervals the two lads met.

"I told you I meant to do as I liked, Frank," said John Rayner, one evening as they were walking in company. "I've got to know a jolly set of fellows at our warehouse, and between them they've learned me to smoke first-rate. Look here," he added, producing a cigar which he proceeded to light and smoke, "I couldn't have done that at home, old boy, even if I had dared."

And then Rayner, with great glee, proceeded to relate how he had struggled to overcome the dreadful headache and sickness that accompanied his earliest attempts, and how by degrees he had at length mastered the disagreeable nausea, and could smoke a whole cigar in an evening without being ill. It seemed to him that his most important step towards manhood had been taken when he had succeeded in overcoming all the faintness and other disagreeable sensations that accompanied his first cigar. Poor fellow! Like many others he had strange ideas of what constituted true manliness, and in seeking to "do as he liked" he was rapidly paving the way to become a slave to a vile and injurious habit.

But to return to our story. John Rayner was not content with becoming a slave himself; he wanted to drug his old school-fellow into the same course. More than once he tried his persuasive powers, but without avail, till one evening he reminded Frank that the morrow was the first anniversary of his (Frank's) being bound apprentice, and that there could be no better time for "turning over a new leaf," as he described it. The old proverbial expression suggested a pun, and with more truth perhaps than he intended, he said, "Come, Frank, make up your mind, and try your hand at a cabbage-leaf cigar tomorrow."

For awhile Frank seemed disposed to resist, but before the companions separated he closed the argument by saying, "Well, I think I will allow myself just one cigar a day."

"Bravo!" exclaimed Rayner. "That's right, Frank; be a man, and do as I do. You know I always told you I meant to do as I liked."

And so the matter ended. As time rolled on the two friends met less and less frequently. The associations which Rayner formed engrossed more and more of his attention, and the humble lad who had to work hard all day and maintain himself out of scanty wages, was not likely to be very acceptable company for the fast young men with whom John Rayner had formed such close friendship. When once in a while the two former school-fellows met, the interview was brief though friendly enough. John generally wanted to know how Frank got on with his one cigar a day, and was as regularly assured that the allowance was always adhered to, but never exceeded.

"I never see you smoking, old fellow," was Rayner's remark on one of these occasions.

"Well, you see," was the reply, with a smile, "I prefer to keep my cigar to myself at home. I can only afford one you know, and I like to make the most of it."

So years passed on, and the apprentice days were ended. Young Rayner had formed extravagant habits, and was in debt. These things had grievously offended his father, who refused to risk his money by affording his son the means of entering into business for himself; and from that time forward John Rayner lived an idle, useless life, consoling himself with the thought that his father would not live forever, and that sooner or later the money must become his own, when once more he would do as "he liked."

One day he happened to meet his old school-fellow near the latter's lodgings, and was invited to enter and sit awhile. In the conversation that ensued, Frank told him of his circumstances, which seemed far more promising than his own.

"I'm a sort of foreman," said he, "in one of the departments of the factory—the same that I've been in all through. I mean to go on and qualify myself for the post of manager, and perhaps I may one day get a partnership."

"But what do you do with all those books?" asked Rayner, pointing to some well-filled shelves upon the wall.

"Oh! that library is my 'one cigar a day,'" was the response.

"What do you mean?"

"Mean? Just this. When you bothered me so about being a man, and learning to smoke, I'd just been reading about a young fellow who bought books with money that others would have spent in smoke, and I thought I'd try and do the same. You remember I said I should allow myself only one cigar a day?"

"Yes."

"Well, I never smoked. I just put by the price of a two-penny cigar every day, and as the money accumulated I bought books—the books you see there."

"Do you mean to say that those books cost no more than that? Why, there are pounds and pounds' worth of them!"

"Yes, I know there are. I had six years more of my apprenticeship to serve when you persuaded me to 'be a man.' I put by the money I have told you of, which, of course, amounted at two-pence a day to £3 0s. 10d. a year, or £18 5s. in six years. I keep those books by themselves as the result of my apprenticeship cigar-money; and if you had done as I did you would by this time have saved many more pounds than that, and been in business besides."

Rayner took his departure soon after; it is to be hoped a wiser man. Which of these youths would my young readers rather imitate? Remember both of them "did as he liked." The difference was that one liked self-indulgence, and the other liked to be careful, studious, and industrious.—Frederick Waggoner