Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-09-18
SHARP PRACTICE-A MODERN BOOKSELLER

Don't you want the Life of Christ
today, MIster2 said determined look.
ing Yankee book peddler, who yesterday
entered our sanctum, with a gutta per
cha travelling bag In his hand, and
rather powerful oder of whiskey on his
breath
No not to day. was our bland reply.
w ere rather too busy to speculate in
theological literature at present"
Better look at the book, anyhow hadn't
yeE chuck full of picturs; Sarmon on the
Mounts done up first rate. Reg'lar
Jam up book, that is; write hull on
myself-did by thunder; No, we we an
abundant supply of work on divinity
But stranger, this airs suthin new
We rather guess that the Bible and
Josephus contain about the gist of your
compilation, don't they p
Jo-se-phus who in thunder's he
NO, stranger, yeou'er out thar I tell
yeou there's things in this ere book
that'll bring yeou right out of the gall of
bitterness and the bonds of iniquity
There's things in that book that Josephus
never heard tell on
1t was no use we declined purchasing
and the Yankee at length bowed himself
out.
A moment afterwards reappeared
Say, Mister mought yeou know Mr. P.
next door p
We intimated that such was the fact.
"Well, kin yev tell me what religion
he belongs tew2 Some say he's Meth
odist some calls him Swedenborgian,
and another feller says be bankers arter
the Mormons I'd like tew know what
be rally does belong tew
Why do you inquire we asked
Wall, [ don't mind telling yeon. Yeou
see, ginerally find eout what church
man belongs tew before | try to sell him
a book, because then / always let on that
| belong to the same church and that
glnerally takes-that does If | know
what church man jines with, | never
miss fire selling under them clrcumstan-
ces
well. did you make inquiries concern
ing cur religious teGets 2
Stranger, [ did you can bet high on
Not very successfully, it would ap,
epar; for you havn't sold US a book
Wall, no but if you kin fell me what
church Mr.. z. belongs tew it'll dew just
as we'll
You can't sell him book its no use
making the effort"
Stranger, I'll bet you hat on it"
| "Well, Mr.. P is Swedenborgian now
try him"
| About an hour afterwards, we entered
P's store He was walking UP and
down, using language rather more empha-
tic than ordinary custom requires, not
apparently addressed to any person in
particular.
What's the matter P 2 we enquired
why, chap came in here to sell the
Life of Christ'-said he was cousin of
Professor Bush, the Swedenborgian
divine, and Swedenborgian himself =
Said he'd just sold my brother Dick a
copy, and that Dick sent him to me-
And so you bought one p
'Yes, and Dick was here just now, and
says he never saw the man He's q
confounded rascal, the book amt worth
cent
When P. went home that night. tht
first object that met his eye was the Life
of Christ lying on the table
My dear said the lady, that's a yer,
trashy affair you sent home l dom
like it all It's anything but ortho
dox (P's wife is strict Baptist.)
You don't mean to say you've beel
buying one too said P producing his owl
copy.
Why person called here o-day, sag
ing he was member of the--t
Street Baptist Church. that you sent til
book as compliment to me and so Ipai
three dollars for IT.
! P stayed to hear no more; be rushe
out and the last we saw of him he wa
. inquiring for a tall peddlar with du:
colored hair and striped breeches.
Book peddlars will do well to avoi
Mr. p, IN their pereg-lnations, as he h
vowed to immediate the first one t:.as da
kens his door-N. Y Sundey CoUTte