River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-08-12
FIRST INTRODUCTION TO DE IRE,
MEMS Il co.

/ am an old commercial have
been on the road nearly thirty years,
during which time | have managed to
make our house at Rockdale the most
famous in the trade for Welsh fannels
and railway rugs.
My success, however, with my Gus
toners has not so much depended upon
the goodness or cheapness of the goods
had to offer as upon my personal
abilities to please all sorts OF people
| can sing good song, and tell funny
story. / can drink wine, beer, and
whisky in any reasonable quantities,
without growing dull or drunk. | can
even sit with teetotal Customer for
mortal hours, over a cup or two OF tea,
without swearing, always providing
there is a fair chance of line IN my
order sheet.
One day last month 1 was lourneying
in my gig from Shrewsbury to Chester !;
the day was dull and damp, and a
Scotch mist pervaded creation: the
hedgerows on either side of the road,
the people met or overlook, the cows
and sheep in the fields, the crows and
sparrows, the houses | passed, seemed
utterly miserable, wet through, done
up, and mystified. have weathered
many n storm, have been wet and dry
again two or three times a day / have
been split into bitches, pitched into
hedges, and againststone walls; / have
been robbed and nobbed by footpads
and hfe-preservers bus never before
had lost the natural buoyancy and
iollity of my disposition. On the morn.
ing of the day in question, however, |
felt like all things animate and inani-
mate-to speak commercially, fooled.
OF course had my remedy with me in
my driving-box, which soon pressed
into service it was pint flask, full of
the purest Glenlivat. "This is balm
of Gilead for any weather, thought ],
as | took my first dose. My mouth
exactly holds one-eighth of pint.
Hundreds of gallons have Travelled
the same way, but believe ambrosial
nectar could never have been so CRATE.
full to a thirsty god as that streak of
liquid sunshine was 10 me. L felt my
chest expand, and my minds eye could
see my other eyes sparkle with CLINT
of their usual fire. What cared for
wet without The whisky within was
proof against watery PARTICLES, and de-
fled them in any shape, SO, taking
another drink to make sure had not
served out short measure on the pre-.
vious occasion, l logged on, sometimes
musiug on my past, sometimes spec.
ulating as 10 my future, refreshing my
memory aud squirting my hopes with
: spirits of the Elixir, until in due course
l arrived M the Red Dragon, at Ches
ter, full of my usual spirits, and with
an empty flask.
BY the time a hissing.h hot rump steak
was ready for ABSORPTION Into my sys
TEN, had duly sent off my dispatches
to our house. Business first, pleasure
: aftorward so | sat down 90 my dinner
pint OF sherry, then had drop o!
brandy TO assist digestion, and then my
usual forty winks.
considered had fairly got through
thebusincss of the day, and. Frightening
mp, | called for my pipe and jorum OF
toddy, and, resigning myself to the
soothing influence Of the weed aud
whiskey, waited patiently for an an.
rival 10 spend the evening with: for |
was alone in the commercial room, and
the only sounds cogniEableto my senses
were those of the rain pelting away at
the window and the hollow rumbling
of stray vehicles over the paving.
stones
did not count never debut /
believe / had arrived at my fifth groC
aud pipe, when, feeling chill, drew
the heavy armchair closer TO the fire (;
this little act occupied several minutes,
for the handy legs of the stupid old
chair would make for themselves a
place under the hearth.rug. tried TO
circumyeRt the awkward limbs, and tenn.
porized with my toe but the more /