The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1871-11-10

Away from the cities the whole range
of lesser everyday wants turns the fuliil'
ment 20 the country store, And SO il
becomes clustering peint for all oi
/. village life.
There is no limit to It's possibilities. III
Aunt Ennlca wants anything, from a
washtuh to an ounce oi paregoria she
knows where 20 get il but when she
hroke her only pair OF spectacles, the
other day, she eaAe 10 us in donht.
" You keep most everything" she
said, hopefully.
ayes, know; but we don't sen spec
tacleS. People ars SO different you see.
I Rut there ara pair or two abont here
somewhere, il they viii do You any
good"
I These had come 10 us from some aue-
\ ton or other, where were oongregated
/ the quaint and useless relics Of many u
I previous slle-relics that are still des-
| tined, | doubt not, for further kicks
adoWn the Wales Of time by aactioneers
vet unborn. | have them before me
now STOUT ut-rimmed. cumhrous, brassy
staring owl-hke at me, rs il from ont
the deepening twilight of the past ; the
glasSes so scratched and dim with use
and age that il is easy to imagine that
within their misty lenses fingers the re-
momhrance Of many vanished scene,
and that they feebly attempt, as placed
them astride OF my nose, 10 twist the
familiar things at which L look into an
unique picture which shall be in keep
ing with their own venerable aspect
But they are SpectAcles. A rare spec
tacle, too. was the good woman's face rs
she held them afar, that she might
better inspect them with her crippled
eyes.
Goodness Did You ever How could
people ever wear such things as these
hope you don't ever expect to sell them. "
But thus happily were the resources of
our q establishment" vindicated though
less ready were we than other shopkeep-
ers Of these parts, who laid wager that
he could till any single demand, and tri-
umphantly produced a second hand
pulpit winch was called for
Such enterpriSing spirits are not har-
rowed by any study of the known laws
of supply and demand. Within tho pre-
cincts over which have been called 10
exercise a temporary charge, have
gathered many things that have long
failed 10 excite the appreciation OF our
plain country folks-patent medicines,
powders and onguents, of happieSt Ell
cacy and iAimitabls range Of cure ; pol
ishing powders, enough 10 burnish the
world until it should shine like another
sun preparations and contrivances need
ing u second inventor 10 discover use for
them or 10 tell their efficiency-and
which are here waiting in dingy and tiy-
specked state that happy mDlenial time
which shall find for all inexplioable and
slighted things full and legitimate use.
The country storekeeper is in some
sort q public character. He finds him.
self used in dozen different ways--as
banker. oracle, referee, newspaper,
directory, intelligence man, etc. almost
before he is aware. Gossip and small
talk he should retail with the same grace
full alacrity with which he dlspenses
maceboy aud peppermint drops. Thor
oughly democratic aS an institution,
" the store" recognizes no caste, and its
door swings freely open 10 all who come,
whatever be their errands. An inviting
haunt for all the idle ones among us, its
little circle, that is ever shifting its char
acter and it's subjects as different charac-
ters come and 60.