People called the old ironmonger miserly. (miserly: stingy, parsimonious, tightfisted) A man who took a menial job after retirement and still wore his father's boots seemed to confirm their judgment. (menial: unskilled, lowly, humble) His nephew had always assumed that a man in patched boots must be destitute. (destitute: impoverished, indigent, penniless) His niece expected a fortune and was already compiling a prodigal list of things to buy. (prodigal: extravagant, wasteful, spendthrift)
In the locked tin were receipts for coal delivered to other houses. Each was small. Their cumulative value would have bought a house. (cumulative: accumulative, accumulating, additive) The ironmonger had never cared to flaunt his altruism, and the neighbors had protected his secret with equal care. (flaunt: show off, parade, display; altruism: selflessness, unselfishness, self-sacrifice)
His nephew was ready to exalt this self-denial at the memorial. (exalt: elevate, glorify, extol; self-denial: abstinence, restraint, self-restraint) His niece proposed a more apposite tribute. (apposite: apt, pertinent, fitting; tribute: homage, testimonial, accolade) They put the boots on a shelf at the shop and filled them with order slips. Through the first winter the new owners never let the slips reach the top.