The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-06-30
A Green Clerk.

my lduy IehuoiS WOuhu wish " ~ ""-N,
that is saying great deal for cousin Harry,
when one takes into consideration the
recherche taste Of the nineteenth century,
Harry is country shopkeeper--a gro
Gerry dealer, mean that is, he sells pork,
beef, fish, oil, molasses and such articles,
upon one side of the store, and calicoes, de-
LANES, sheetings, muslins, and very few
silks, upon the other side.
Harry's custom was very extensive-a
handsome young man in dry-goods store
is, in himself, sort of sign; and good
looking clerk is worth a hundred dollars a
yearmore than an ugly one.3 1t is Ia
mentable fact, and am sorry to record it;
but it is so.
Last summer, was up at uncle John'sa
visiting Harry and my cousin Jennie were
the chief attractions at uncle Johns; but
the fine strawberries and raspberries, with
which the kitchen garden abounded, were
not usually despised by me. a'i a H
One morning, Harry received an urgent
summons to attend the county court in a
neighboring town, as a witness in an i'm
portant case. He was obliged to go off in
a hurry, and having no time to look up a
substitute in his store, he appointed me to
the dignity.
"You can't fail of doing right, Charley"
said he, patronizingly "the goods are all
marked in plain fgures-that is, the dry
goods and then molasses sells for fifty
cents per gallon-sugar ten to fourteen
cents; butter is worth one shilling, store
pay and mind you, Charley, eggs are
twenty cents a dozen, but don't take any
unless they'll sink readily in cold water
they may be rotten, you know; and the but
ter, too, don't take any without putting in
a fork into each ball to try tit might be
rancid; and above and over all, my boy,
be polite to the pretty girls Goodbye
and Harry put the big brass key of the
store (my insignia Of authority into my
hand, and Ieaped into the cab which was
to take him to the depot.
felt somewhat dignifed-as it were
promoted from the rank of private to
that of captain-and I went up to my
room, at uncle Johns, for survey of my
toilet. I'm rather a good-looking fellow
myself, though some straight-laced people
might think it vanity in me to mention it,
but all the girls say SO, and it is generally
conceded that they are competent judges.
BY way of enhancing my personal at
fractions, l added to my dress pair of
wrought wristbands, don't laugh, unfeeling
reader; they were embroidered and pre-
sented to me by a lady friend, and giving
parting twist to my mcustache, l sailed
out.
The morning was fresh and fair-no
grim clouds cast their boding shadows over
the eOrth--and ali promised fair for my
success. l arranged myself behind the coun-
ter and waited for customers.
Customer No. entered. She was a
middle-aged woman, to buy dc bege for her
"darter's gownd."
was all alacrity to fulfil her commands.
piled the counters with what supposed
to be dc begc, sort of thin, glossy, rattling
stuff; and with all my eloquence, l expa-
tiated on its wonderful merits. a,
"There's silk in it, amt there? ?" queried
the old lady, putting on her spectacles for
a closer examination, !" Miss Moss, our
dressmaker, said so!' IeIta at
"Silk to be sure there is p said /, inn
mediately taking my cue, Qt doesn't do to
contradict lady,) "silk why it's all silk,
the real, fine Italian boiled silk--sewing
silk, marin, imported expressly for your
daughters wear It'll last an age - T
"Well, she'll want it to wear pretty
good spell, reckon a body can't afford to
buy gownd every day, you know p
"0f course not marm; of course not
But this will look sweetly on your pretty
daughter, no doubt she's pretty-resembles
her mother, dare sayp l had heard it
said that little judicious flattery never
comes amiss with the ladies. gTr
Law bless your heart, sir, Sally amt
nowise handsome she amt nigh as good
looking as was in my young daysi her
nose is too crooked, and her hairs red !
bat then Sam Jackson thinks she's splen-
deriferous That's what he says, any
way
"No doubt marin, but Mr.. jackson is a
man OF taste--probably connection OF
Andrew Jackson, the patriot and presi-
denti How many yards would you like 9p
and j hourished the yard-stick with pro-
fessiOnai air, which would have done credit
to cousin Harry himself
% Nh cfoy, a mint I oin,t daoidad abo,,t