The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-08-14
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA. SATURDAY, AUGUST H. 1855 :
ONE DAYS sIOPKEEPING.

N n
ONE DAYS sHOPKEEPING. ..a
| Cousin Harry is as handsome fellow a
the most fastidious among my lady reader
would wish to see, and that is saving a grea
deal for cousin Harry, when one takes int
consideration the taste of the 10Th century
Harry is a country shopkeeper-a groce
ry keeper. | mean, that is, he sells pork
beef, fish, oil, molasses, and such article
upon one side Of the store, and calicoes, d
laines, sheeting, muslins, and few silks OIL
the other side.
Harry's custom was very extensive,
handsome young man in a store, is in him
self a sort Of Il sign; and good iookins
clerk is worth hundred dollars yea
more than an ugly one. 1t is lamenta5l,
fact, and am sorry to record it; but i
is so.
Last summer. Twas up at uncle Johns
butth tine strawberries and raspbcrries witt
which the kitchen garden abounded were
not despised by me.
One morning, Harry received an urgent
summons to attend the County Court in q
nei5hborinG town as a witness in an import.
ant case. He was obliged to 90 off in q
hurry, and having no time to look up sub.
stltute in his store, appointed me.to the
dignity. ~ -s.n Do
sYou can't fail of doing right, Charley,''
said he patronizingly; 'the goods are all
marked in plain fgures-that is, the dry
goods; ald then the moasses sells for fifty
cents g,llon-sugar ten to fourteen cents,
and butte: is worth one shilling, store pay;
and mind you, Charley, eggs are twenty
cents dozen, but don't take any unless
they'll sink readily in cold water-they mav
be rotten, YOU know, and the butter, too,
don't take any without putting fork into
each ball to try tit might be rancid: and
above and over all, my boy, be polite to the
pretty girls; Good bye,'-and Harry put the
big brass key Of the,store IAN insignia of
authority into my hand, and leaped into
to the cab which was to take him to the
depot.
lfelt somewhat digniGed-as it were pro-
NOTED from the rank of a private to that of
a captaln-and | went up to my room at un-
clio Johns. for survey Of my toilet. lam
rather good fellow, myself, though some
people might think it vanity in myself to
mention it, but all the girls say so, and it is
generally conceded that they are competent
judges.
BY way of enhancing my personal at.
fractions, added to my dress a pair of
wrought wristbands, (don't laugh unfeeling
reader: they were embroidered and present.
ed to me by friendly and giving parting
twist to my moustache, sailed out. 49,
The morning was fresh and fair, no grim
clouds cast their boding shadows over the
earth-and all promised fair for my sue
cess. larranged myself behind my coun-
ter, and waited for customers.
Customer No. |. entered. She was a
middle-aged woman, to buy de beige for her
'darter's gownd.'
l was all alacrity to fulfil her com
mands. l piled the counters with what
supposed to be de beige, sort of thin,
glossy, ratting stuff; and with all my elo-
quence, | expatiated on its wonderful mer-
There's silk in it, amt there?' qucried
the old lady, putting on her speetacles for a
closer examination, Miss Moss, our dress
maker, said SOP
SILK. to be sure there lisp said I, imme-
date taking my cue, Git doesn't do to con-
tradict lady.) silk! why it is all silk, the
real, fine Italian boiled silk, sewing silk,
marin, imported expressly for your daugh-
ter's wear! It'll last an age.,'
swell, she'll want it to wear a pretty
good spell, | reckon; a body can't afford to
h"'Uf S6dfsg f5fIKA2G, nyvkpowas'. .uv
this will look sweetly on your pretty daugh-
ter, no doubt she's prctty-resembles her
mother, dare say!' | heard it said that a
little ,iudeious fattery never comes amiss
with the ladies.
Law, bless your heart, sir, Sally amt
nowise handsome! she amt nigh us good
looking as was in my young days. her
nose is too crooked, and her hair is red! but
then Sam jackson thinks she's splendifer-
Gus. That's what he says, at any rate.'
No doubt marin, but Mr.. jackson is a
man of taste-probably a connection of
Andrew jackson, the Patriot and President!
How many yards would you like?' and
fourished the yard stick with a professional
air, which would have done credit to cousin
Harry himself.
'Oh, stop a mint; amt decided about
it vet. What's the price?'
Very true; there must be price, sup
posed, but had forgotten such a contIn.
geucy. However, there would be no diff
Guilty about that, for Harry said they were
all marked in plain figures, so turned
complacently to the card attached to the
cloth,
~ b. z. O.
Very explicit. Like the Hebrew Bible to
me, but took a moment to consider. fc
put it low enough, thought, to induce her
to trade; and it wouldn't do to appear as il
didn't understand my business. | nigh
| lose caste with her.
'Wcll,' said I, though it's great sacri
flee, really giving it away-Fll let you have
it.for one shilling yard. Dirt cheap; bu
as it is for your pretty daughter, III put i
down below cost! wouldn't do il, said, |
leaning down over the counter close to th
old ladv's green calash--'I would not do i
for another person in the world
Nv answer seemed to please the old lady
and she turned the fabric over, felt of i
upon both sides, tried the strength of it
texture with her thumb and finger, and a
last gave the order.
Eight yards and a half good measure
and silk to sew it up with
| cut off the desired quantity, folded si
skeins of sewing silk inside of it: the lad
paid for it in odd ninepenccs and slxpences
and | bowed her out of the store.
Enter customer No. 2. A sccdy- -lookin
man, in q grey blouse, to get two cent
worth of black snuff.
searched around awhile among the mys
terious boxes and barrels, and at last pitch
ed upon the strong smelling articles
Wrapped upa couple ounces; delivered
to my customer, and received in return, tw
coppers, which Noah might have coined /
the ark while waiting for dry weather.
Customers No. 3, were two pretty, red
checked girls-onc with butter to sell, tn
other with pail of eggs, destined for tn
same purpose rs the butter. | remembers
Harry's Injunction about the eggs, butte1
cold water and fork picking; but for tn
life of me, l couldn't recollect which ";
to be applied to the butter or which to tt
eggs. However, / wanted to oblige II
pretty girls, so took both butter and egg
into the back store, and determined to
omething with them.
After few moments consideration;
procured fork, and pierced each and
Of the eggs separately-and the result Wi
} astonishing! out Of two dozen, six were pos
lively in state of decomposition; thrtet
, were occupied by remarkably we'll grow
! juveniles of the fowl race; and the remain
ing five were smelling decidedly old.
VI. 4 .l-Sk 81 40 20 knp