The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-09-01
RUTH's sTEPFATHER.
GEO. MANvILLE FEM, IN oAssELL''

il has grown to be proftable. Things
were at a low ebb with me when I
took it up, while now
There, I wont boast, only say that
I'm thankful for it. Poverty comes
in at the door, and love flies out Of
the window. SO they say; but that's all
nopsense, or else your poor people
would be always miserable, while ac-
cording to ms experience your poor
man is often more light hearted than
the man with thousands.
Twas at my Wits end for something
do, and sat nibbling my nails one day
and grumbling horribly.
s"Don't 60 on like that, Tom," says
my wife; things might be worse"
''How ?' said.
why, we might have Luke at
home, and he il doing we'll.
Luke's our boy, you know. and we
have got him in . merchants Office.
where he seemed likely to stay; but
was in grumbling fit then, and there
was . clickety click noise going on in
| the next room that 6dgeted me terri-
Things can't be worse" I said an
| grily; and was going to prove myself
| in the wrong by making my wife. cry,
! when there was knock on the door.
I Come in" / said, and a fellow
| |lodgcr put in his head.
"Are you good ns works, Mr..
Smith," he said.
What work." said; fireworks
gasworks."
mo, no; mean works of things as
goes with wheels and springs"
Middling," l said, for I was fond
of pulling clocks to pieces and trying
Il wish you'd come and look at this
| sewing machine of mine, for [ can't
get it to go. )"
Sewing machines we're newish in
those days, and l got up to have q
look at it, and, alter about an hours
| fiddling about, / began tn see n hit the
0aeUn wny-tne purpose, you know,
of all the screws and cranks and
wheels; 1 found out, too, why our
neigfbor's wife, who was a dress
maker, and had just started one. could
not get it to 60; and before night, by
thinking, and putting this and that
together, had got her in the way of
working it pretty steadily, though
with my clumsy fingers couldn't
have done it myself.
had my bit of dinner and tea with
those people. and they forced half a
crown upon me as well, and l went
back feeling like q new man, SO re-
freshing had been that bit of work.
There. said my wife, Il told you
something would come
well, go you did," l said; 'but the
something is rather small.
But the very next day-as we were
living in the midst of people who were
fast taking to sewing machines-if the
folks from the next house didn't want
me 70 look 1t theirs and then the
ncWs spreading. as news will spread,
and there was somebody who could
cobble and tinker machinery without
putting people to the expense that
makers would, if the jobs didn't come
in fast, SO that I was obliged to get
files and drills and vise-regular set
of tools by degrees; and at last | was
as busy as bee from morning to
night, and whistling over my work as
happy as king.
Of course every now and then / got
a breakage. but | could generally get
over that by buying new wheel or
spindle, or what not. Next we got to
supplying shuttles and needles and
machine cotton. Soon after l bought
machine of man who was tired OF
it. Next week l sold it at a good
profit. Bought another and another,
and sold them; then got to taking
them and money in exchange for new
ones, and one way and the other be-
came regular big dealer, as you see.
Hundred2 z Why. new, second hand,
and with those being repaired up
stairs by the men, I've got at least 300
on the premises, while if anybody had
told me fifteen years ago that / should
be doing this l should have laughed
at him.
That pretty girl showing and ex-
planning the machine at a customer
That's Ruth, that is. No, not my
daughter-yet, but she soon will be.
Poor girl, I always think of her aud
of the bread thrown upon the waters
at the same time.
Curious idea that, you will say, but
I'il tell you why.
In our trade We have strange people
to deal with. Most of 'em are poor,
and cant buy machine right off, but
are ready and willing to pay SO much
a week. That suits them and it suits
me, if they II only keep the payments
up to the end.
You won't believe me, perhaps, but
some OF them don't do that. Some of
them leave their lodgings, and never
see them again; and the most curious
part is that the sewing machine dis
appears with them, and | never see
that again. Many a one, too, that has
disappeared like that do see again
perhaps have it brought here by some
one to be repaired, or exchanged for
bigger, or for one of a different
maker; for if you look around here
you'll see I've got all kinds-new and
old, little domestics and big trades
there you name any maker, and see if
| don't bring you out one OF his
works.
Well, wien / ask these people
where they got the machine-for al
ways know them by the numbel-it
turns out that the've bought it
through an advertisement or a sales
room, or may be out of pawnbroker's
shop.
But I've had plenty of honest peo-
pie to deal with, too-them as have
come straight forward and told me
they couldn't keep up their payments,
and asked me to take their machines
back, when I'd allow them as much
as thought fair, and 'twould be an
end Of a pleasant transaction.
The way I've been bitten though by
some folks has made me that case
hardened that sometimes I've won
dered whether l q got any heart left,
and then the wife had to interfere,
telling me I've been spoiled with
prosperity and grown unfeeling.
1t was she who made me give way
about Ruth, for one day, after having
had my bristles all set up by finding
ont that fhrao GOOD snnnd manh;nos