The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-06-11
rnE BOOK oANvAssEK.
By. JOSH BILLINGS.

s3sstHg& ta aAlAS z-LA-ITTT 1foIlhaRaoO
About 8Iyears ago, while at my din
ner with my family, j waz informed
that thare waz a gentleman in the par
Tor who must see me imegiately on
very important bizzness. 2 iti sW
fastening from the table, found
myself in the presence oY q plainly
drest but very nervous man.; who in
formed me that he waz canvassing in
/ my district for the sale of Doctor
Erastus Sprignot's new work entitled
1 the 'Normal Circulation of the Blood"
at once informed the man that i
| did not want the work.
He then begun long ackount of its
value and importance to every human
individual, when broke in upon his
eloquence by repeating that did not
want the book" auHoa
! lie continued by telling me that no
library would be komplete without it.
Agein declared in the most p6sitiff
terms ethat did not want fhe work"
At this point the stranger seated
himself in a chair, and deliberately
drew the book in question out ov hiz
.satchel, and informed me that no gem
tleman to whom he had offered it had
failed at once to subscribe.
Growing desperate, i deklared in
the most emphatic tones that 81 would
not have the book at any price. ."ai f.t
Rising from his chair, he took oph
hiz overcut, and throwing it careless
ly on the sofa, struk an attitude, and
for ten minutes gave q glowing ac-
count of the circulashun of the blood
and the anatomy ov man that i ever
llsteded to. he3aT 5l lliVv 5l11Lol
l once more assured him, in be-
seeching manner, "that did not want
the book" aas5aE 88r
Seating himself again in the chair,
and wiping the perspirashun from his
brow, he went back to the davs Of
Adam and Eve, and for haf an hour
talked az no human ever talked be-
fore on the various diseases the human
system Waz subject to, closing up
with a vivid recital ov the circulation
of the blood. faotr 5egfe - axis
Again insisted that the book would
be ov no use to me, and that i would
not have it. @ se hao.o 4aP
Springing from his seat, with the
book in hiz hand and hiz eyes flashing
fire, and his whole manner intense, he
began TO show me its kohtents, COM
mencing with tho title page.
/ i saw at last that it waz Wuss than
madness to resist emmy longer, so
subscribed for the book, consoling
myself with the reflection that if ever
i had book to sell it would be sold
by subskription. adt I'D
The more think oy it, am delited
with the pious energy and long suffer-
ing Ov the book canvasser, that
wouldn't think of selling a book emmy
other way. a s0
He il man whom You kant escape
emmy more than you kan your own
shaddo; he follows hiz victim like a
ghost and hangs around him grinning
like an undertaken.
The only way to get rid ov him IL
to subskribe at once, and let him GO
for the next phelloW. a....al q
The shaving sope man and the life
agent are very good in their
way, but they don't compare with the
book canvasser for lively work emmy
more than the pensiVe cockroach does
20 the red-rot musketo.
They steal on you like a cat On a
mouse when you aint looking for
hem, and, like the fly in the spiders
web, the more you get out the further
1ou get in.
luV the book canvasser now; his
words are like honey in the comb, and
lis logic is like sweet lie, and tho he
nay sell me book don't want, and
Won't hay, there il real phun in the
way he duz it.
. subskribe now, at least once year
or some kind ov book, that meyer
ook into, with title az long az the
all to kite, just because the book
anvasser is so polite and SO utterly
to get rid ov.