The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1864-06-11
THEE COUNTRY STORE.


| In small country villages . the store is
| the prominent feature. il is usually on
corner. built of wood and may be known
10y the dry goods boxes ustentatiously placed
on the front step. dcnntng that the proplic
tor has k"avy transactions with importers
! and Iobhers Those boxes are capital loaf
| lng places ON pleasant summer evenings.
and many are the profound dscu. son> ON
local and national topics, politics, religion.
| Nc.. that have been carried on by the occrg-
pants Of the box seats" Along the side
of the store are exhibited some barrels, u
| few rakes and forks II bunch of brooms a
| pair O! scales, and i'll moving time II scythe
! or Two.
\ broad cellar door at the side affords in
gress to the cellar for barrels of molasses.
sugar pork. &c. AN operation which is
greatly facilitated by means OF a. takcl,
rs the boys call it, depending from beam
which protrudcs from The roof. The Junior
clerk and the village boys amuse themselves
by swinging ON the "takcl F." when the pro
prictor has gone to the city to buy goods"
1t Is called the " corner store > to distin
| guiSh it from the grocery store of inferior
| professions across the street. When the
proprietor, by strict attention tn business.
| irug"lity and economy, gets II little - fore
handed. he moves the wooden store back
and builds a magnificent two-Storv structure
of red brick, has "A new sign painted. and
from that time on the store is known as ''thc
brick store"
The old wooden store affords storage room
for merchandise OF various kinds including
flour, fish. feathers. paper, rags, and old
iron. = Dicker = is extensively practiscd
| ut the country store. Farmers wives bring
in butter and eggs and exchange them for
calico and groceries. Frugal housewives
preserve their feathers and paper rags, which
serve the purpOSec of money at the store
The boys are the principal stppliers OF old
iron. They ronhScGtc all Supcranuated stove
plate " retired ''andirous . they may find
about the house, and exchange them at the
store for powder and shot in squirrel time,
on powder without the shot when the Fourth
of July is near at hand. Wicked little boys
sell old iron at the front door. and after il
has been conveyed into the storchousc they
slip around to the back door and steal it
over again. thereby giving cheerful impetus
! to trade and commerce. u
In every properly conducted store there is
1t department devoted 10 the sale of candy.
ruisiu#, figs. nuts &c.. which is the greatest
attraction Tor the little country boy, whose
mother permits him to accompany acr to
the " village : for the purpose of ''dong a
little trading. The cunning ''storekepper'
that is the title he is known bv.l knows
that "A little candy layshcd ON the boy will
prove good investment. as the heart Of IA
mother Is quickest reached through her
child, and he accordingly swcctens up little
Johnny. graduating his ihcralitv according
to the number of acres of uncncumhcred
| farming land which " father" possesses,
| and the consequent value of the family Gus
tom. We remember thar the sticks Of era-
iui'ons candy which the S:orekecper thrust
into Our Juvenile pockets were not Only " sell
DOM" but exceedingly abbreviated. Our
patrrl,al ''acrc and u half didn't seem to
dazzle the storckccpcr TO any alarming cx-
tent.
The village children believe that every
thing III the way of comforts or Injuries is
kept at the store, and they accordingly look
| favored mortalS on earth. The latter may
have candy and aw"ctmcatS just when they
want them. They wear /" store clothes
every day. The storckeopcr's girl ha, the
finest and most richly dressed doll in the
ncighborhood, and the sturcliecpers boy ha.
til" hHndsomcst Sled and the best pair of
skates Of any boy for miles around. How
many Il country boy has wished that his
father was Il " >torckeepcr.''
| Frequently the proprietor of the country
store is Il person Of considerable importance
in his ucighborhood. We have known eases
where he possessed the confidence of his
neighhor> 10 such an extent that they have
elected him = Town Clerk If by honest
industry and attention to business. he has
| elevated himself from the humble position
/ of clerk to The dignity and importance of
| sole proprietor Of the brick store" the
! old settlers still cali him " Arthnr." if that
| is his given n";c the same as they did when
| rs Il boy he weighed out SUGAR to them and