Final answer:
The question refers to a character named Alfred in the book 'Parlors' McTeague, but the exact circumstances of how he earned his mouthpiece are unclear.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question refers to a character named Alfred in the book 'Parlors' McTeague. The exact circumstances of how Alfred 'earned' his mouthpiece are not clear from the given information. However, based on the provided excerpts, it seems that Alfred may have obtained his mouthpiece as a result of some personal achievement or reward, possibly related to his work or a specific event in the story.
For a more accurate answer, it would be necessary to have more information about Alfred and the context of the story.