Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1868-05-20
Tho Country store.

The whole population of the neighbor-
hood resort to it with regularity-all the
loungers, all the idlers, all who have done
up their weary days work, all the town gads
and gossips in trowsers, as well as those who
60 for molasses in jugs, for nails, tobacco,
and raisins-loiter, and talk, and listen in
this most convenient place Of public reccp.
ton. And if store and post Office chance
to be combined, the Aocking of tho sovcr-
eigns, with wives and offspring, fairly puts
one out in any attempt at description. Be-
sides the sugar, nails, tea, goldfish, soap and
brooms, their lie oil the letters that are ad-
dressed personally to tho men and women
Of the tow. 49,.
Truly, an item to bo thought Of. The
sum total Of all their correspondence with
their strayed. away cousins, nieccs, nephews
and children. Therefore at this little hive
theswarm collects. Therefore do they come
hithcr, evening after evening, picking up
waits Of news, and watching like paid de-
tectives the post masters distribution Of the
letters. Therefore do they hustle and bus.
tie around that functionery's person when
the mailbag is fetched from the coach, and
proffer their assistance in asserting the
miscellaneous newspapers which he..empties
over the counter. Offering advice, when it
is needed and when isn't. Submitting com.
ments-o origional and assorted-on all class
es Of topics, with such sly foot-notes as one
may not at first understand.
Then country store is strangely quiet
place of an afternoon, whether in summer
or winter. Save when, perhaps, some little
girl patters in to exchange skein Of thread,
the flies and the rural merchant have it en-
tirely to themselves. 1.-THE place is 10 charge
Of q spruce young clerk, in lieu Of the mas
ter, he employs himself with the brush and
oils at the little cracked mirror behind the
high desk, and lets the flies sun themselves
in sleepy knots over the floor.
It il not less realm of doziness either in
planting time, and through the sweaty spell
Of haying. In the former season, the men
are about their gardens and of over their
farms, and fox might leisurely take trot
through the town street without attracting
the eye of master or hound. Perhaps IN
enterprising peddler, atop Of bright red
wagon, trundles up to the doorstep, and
from his cauopied box, "passes the time Of
day" with the prompt clerk, asks for the
latest news, and offers essence at the very
lowest ''6gser." Or . stray COW comes
tearing off the succulent grass like silk near
the door, perhaps with bell strapped about
her neck and putting the town moro COM
p!etely to sleep with its somnolent melo-
dies. ,,o., ,l ,..st.s..'r' .sa..,.
This is the store in the country town, or
the village. It sometimes stands, however
away by itself at the crossing Of two roads,
with the proprietor's dwelling in close pro-
pinquity; its entire front protected from
burglars by an ancient swing shutter, and
barricaded with boxes and buckets, half
filed with beans dried apples and oats, that
are tilted on board shelf just under the
window; I do not believe . lonelier spot
can be found in the whole range Of Puritan
New England; mill-pond in . faded De.
cember afternoon is the place Of resort BY
comparison hemlock thicket at sunset is
noisy in contrast with its sepulchral DESC
lateness.
But when farming does not drive and
leisure is to be had in solid junks by all who
want il, the store is not altogether 90 bare
Of interest to the casual observer. Hud-
died, as the talking population love to be
found, their portraits, or full.lengths, may