True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-03-24
A RICH SKETCH.
lFRoMRErERsoS's MAGNINE.]
One Days Shopkeeping.
by CLARA AUGUSTA.

COUSIN Harry is as handsome fellow
as the most fastidious among my lady
readers would wish to see. and tha, is
saying great deal for cousin Harry,
when one takes into consideration the
recherche taste of the nineteenth century.
Harry is country shopkeeper-a gro
cery dealer, / mean; that is, he sells pork,
beef, fish, oil, molasses, and such articles,
upon one side Of the store, and calicoes,
de lanes, sheetings. muslIns, and very
few silks, upon the other side.
Harry's custom was very extensive-a
handsome young man in a dry-goods
store is, in himself, sort Of sign; and
a good looking clerk is worth hundred
dollars a year more than at ugly one.-
II is a lamentable fact, and | am sorry to
record it; but it is SO.
Last summer, I was up at uncle Johns;
but the fine strawberries and raspberries.
with which the kitchen garden abounded,
were not usually despised by me.
One morning, Harry received an urgent
summons 10 attend the county court in a
neighboring town, as a witness in an i'm
portant case. He was obliged to go of
in a hurry, and having no time toiook up
a substitute in bis store, he appointed me
to the dignity. r
"You can't fail of doing right, Char.
ley" said he, paironizingly; "the goods
are all marked in plain fgures--that is,
the drygoods; and then molasses sells
for fifty cents per galion-sugar ten to
fourteen cents; butter is worth one shill'
ing, store pay; and mind you. Charley
eggs are twenty cents dozen, but dom
take any unless they'll sink readily in cold
water-they may be rotten, you know
and the butter, too, don't take any with
out putting In fork into each ball to try
lit nigh. be rancid; and above and
over all, my boy, be polite to the pretty
girlsl Good-bye"-and Henry put The
Big brass key Of the store (my insigni'
Of autority) into my hand, and leaped inte
the cab which was to take him TO !h'
depot:
}Iafelt somewhat digniaed--as it wer
promoted from tie rank Of private tt
that Of d captain-4andI went up 10 my
room, at uncle Johns for a survey Of my
toilet. I'm rather good-looking fellow
myself, though some straight-laced peo
pie might think it vanity in me TO men
tion it, but all The girls say so, and it i
generally conceded that they are compe
tent judges.
Hy way Of enhancing my personal at
AractioGs, 1 added to my dress apair o
wrought " ,-istbands. (don'r laugh, un
feeling reader; shey were embroidere
and presented TO me by a lady friend,
and giving q parting twist to my nous
,tache, l sailed out.
The morn.ng was fresh and ialr-n
grim clouds cast their bodibg shadow
over the ,earth--and all promised ialt y
my success. arranged myself benin
the counter and waited for customers.
Customer No. ! inferred. She was
middlecsged woman, to buy de dege 10
hera"dafter's gpwnd,' a9
Twas all alacri,y to fulfll her com
mands. ! piled the counters with Mha
! supposed to be de bsge, . sort OF thin
glossy, rat.ling stuff; and with all m
eloquence I expatated on its wonderft
merits. f =
'"There's silk in ii, ain't there :" cut
ried the old lady, putting on her spec
acles for a closer examination, "Mi'
Moss, our dressmaker, said so!V
IasiIk,to be sure there isl" said
immediately taking my cue. i doesn
dogo contradict lady,) "silkl why =;
all silk, the real, fine Italian boiled sll1
sewing silk, marm, imported exPres'