Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1851-02-21
TRE RETAILER,s DREAM.

THE RETAILERS DREAM. {
An elderly gentlemen was sitting one {
afternoon, before his fire, in his little
store, which small as it was, was the 4
one. IN the village. On one
side, long counter extending itself, be-
hind which were arranged the various
commodities essential TO make up the
assortment Of a country store. Strings
of buttons, and punches Of tape. and ia
ded handkerchiefs, hung to the windows 4
near.it, the shelves were occupied with
boxes covered with fancy celored paper,
and full of fancy coloIed things. Next
came cambrics and calicoes, and ging-
hams, carefully folded, above. with box
es of Faisins, and figs, and almonds be-
low. Then glass and crockery ware,
from long row Of little mugs on the
uppermost shelf, down TO the dinner set
Of dozen pieces, which filled the low
est. There was row of painted pun
cheons next arranged in very neat or
der, and with spigots at the bottom Of
each. Their contents were marked up
on them in painted letters, and the row
was terminated by tin cylinder, near
the fire, as if TO keep the contents Of il
warm. The fire place was in back
corner beyond The whole nf The other
side of the room was occupied with box
es, and bales and barrels, leaving a mar
row passage way, along the counter, to
the snug little coTnerin in the rear.
1t was after dinner; and as there
were no customers in, the proprietor of
the establishment was sitting in an old
worn-out elbow chair, with his ieet on
wooden block before the fire, or ra!h-
er before an immense bed of ashes, on
which few brands were slowly burn
s ing. He was reading religious news
] paper, for he was very decided Chris
tian; i. e., we mean very active pro-
: fessor Of religion. What the precise
: subject OF the article he was reading was,
: we have no means Of ascertaining. In
few minutes, however, he stopped and
! laid the hand containing the paper on
the arm Of his chair, the paper itself
7 hanging down towards the floor. He
d seemed for few moments, lost in thought
: moving his lips. however, and nodding
: his head, as il reasoning with some one,
] Presently he began TO talk more audibly
: and his words were as follows:
r al am sorry, but then l am not &c
e blame the people around here viii
n have it, whether | supply them or not
n If 1 could preyen. their getting it, i
d would be another thing: but they iCtL
!. use the article ;sand If l do not supply
|. them, they will go TO somebody whC
u will $50 that refusing TO sell, will no
/ make the least difference.
l. "Then, again, my supplying then
, need not do any harm it is all theil
d abuse of it afterwards. am as great
d foe 10 intemperanee as any body-but
l. am certainly not -answerable for excess
|. es which other people commit. If the,
Is would be moderate, and keep their ap
d, petites within bounds, there would b.
1t no harm done
ID Besides, must support my family
:. and am commanded to increase m,
n means Of doing good. | am stewar
'e Of the Lords and have consecrated al
Id my property to him, and ought 10 do al
I'd can, BY honest means, to add 10 hi
n treasury; and the money had better
! in MY hands, than with that, unprinc
f pied tavern-keeper; for can make
I'D better use Of it,
ur The voice Of the speaker here becam
Ill inaudibIe again. He sat some time
IS looking into the fire, lost in dream {
II reverie. Presently his eyes grew mai
ur row-tbe paper1ropped out of bis hand
nd down upon the floor, his head nodded-
d. in short he fell asleep.
re The singing of the fire seemed tostur
-, into the murmuring of brook, alon
ne the banks Of which he fancied he W;
as walking. 1t was very early in a CO..
'ut autumnal morning, and the brook fowe
eft along a beautiful valley, with bill ri
. ing on one side, and on the other, z
en- eminence, crowned with the b0IldinI
e. Of magnificent city. II appeaksd
to him precisely like the pictures he hi
ox, seen of Jerusalem. There was the Ter
pie, and the wall, and the gate, throu.
ny which issued road that descended Il
bic bill to the brook where he was rar
my bling.
BY 1t was very early. scarcely day,
Ind thought, and his attention was soon
- tracted by some lights and voices j.
on entering the gate He thought it "
or the armed men taking the Saviour il
Ter, the city, the morning Of his crucifixic
one His blood ran cold at the sight I
strength failed him, his knees .smote
$ e gether, and he sank down on stoi
MIA which was lying at his feet.
the Presently he heard some one approa
ock- ing from the hin behind him, oppo: