Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-12-18
MISCELLANEOUS.
HI THIS sTEPFATHER.
BY GEORGE MANviLlE PENN.

I
ful for it. Poverty comes in at the door and
love flies out of the window. 30 they say but
that's all nonsense, or else you poor people would
be always miserable, while according to my ex-
perience, your poor man is often more light
hearted than the man with thousands.
WAS at my wits end for something to do
and sat nibbling my nails one day and grum-
| bling horribly
"Don't go Oh like that Tom. says my wife ;
| things might DO worse"
"How p saiI.
"Why, we might have Luke at home, and lie
| ID doing we'll"
Luke's our boy you know and we have got
him in merchants oihce. where he seemed
hkely to stay but / was in grulnbling fit
then, and there was clickerty.click noise going
| Oh in the next room that fdgeted me terribly.
"Things can't be worse,"I said apgrily and
| was going to prove myself in the wrong by
| the door.
| Come in" SAID, and acknowledgement in
his head
Are you good at works, Mr.. SMITH" he
works?"
''No, no; mean works of things as goes with
wheels and springs"
| "Miodlng," said, for l was fond Of pulling
clocks to pieces and trying to Invent
g! wish you'd come aud look at this sowing
machine OF mine, for / can't get it TO Co."
Sewing machines were newish in those days,
and got up to look at 1t, and, after bit the
| screws and cranks and wheels; I found out, too,
| why our neghbor's wife who was a dressma-
ker, and had just started one, could not get 1t to
goi and before night, by thinking, and putting
this and that together had got her in tho way of
working it pretty steadily, though with my clum-
HnUara | m
| had my bit of dinner and tea with those peo
| pie, and they forced half crown upon me III
well, and went back feeling like new man, 30
refreshing had been that piece Of work.
There said my wife, II told you something
would come"
"Well, so you did SAID, "but the something
iB rather small"
But the very next day-as we were living
In the midst OF people who were fast taking to
sewing mschinen-if the folks from the next
house didn't want me to look at theirs and then
the news spreading, az news will spread, that
there WAS somebody who could cobble and tink-
or machinery without putting people to the ex-
pense that makers would if the jobs didn't come
| in fast, 30 that twas obliged TO get files and
drills and vice--regular set Of tools by degrees
and at last was as busy as bee from morning
| till.night, and whistling over my work as happy
As a king.
or course every now and then got a break
age, but could generally get over that by buy
we got to supplying shuttles and needles and
machine cotton. Soon after bought machine
of man who WAS tired oft. Next week 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 becamb big dealer, as you see.
Hundred? Why, new, secondhand and with
those being repaired up-s stairs by the men, I've
got at least 800 on the premises, while il any
body had told me fifteen years ago that should
be doing this should haye laughed at them.
That pretty girl showing and explaining the
machine to customer? That's Ruth, that
is No, not my daughter yet, but she will soon
be. Poor girl, always think of her and of the
bread upoH the water at the same time.
Curious idea that, you will say, but I'll tell you
why.
In our trade we have strange people to deal
with. Most Of 'em are poor, and can't buy q
machine right off, but are ready and willing to
pay 30 much week. That suits them and it
suits me, II they'll 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
disappears with them, and nevor see chat again
Many one 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
make; for il you look round here you'll see I've
got all knds-new and old, little domestic and
big trades-there you name any maker, and see
| if l don't bring you out one of his works.
| Well, when ask these people where they got
the machine-for l always know them by the
number-it turns out that they've bought 1t
| through All advertisement or halesroom, or
| may be out Of pawnbrokers shop.
| But I've had plenty OF honest people to doal
with too-them as have come straight forward
and told me they couldn't keep up their pay
ments, and asked me to take their machines
back, when I'd allow them as much as thought
fair, and 'twould be an end of pleasant trans
| action.
| The way I've been bitten, though by some
| folks has made me that case-hardened that
| sometimes I've wondered whether I'd got any
| heart left, and then the wife had to interfere.
telling me I've been spoiled with prosperity and
grown unfeeling.
Il was she made me give way about Ruth, for
ono day, after having my bristles all set up by
| finding out that three good sound machines, my
best makers, had gone nobody knew where, who
| should come in 1.-THE store but very lady-lhe
looking woman in very shabby widows weeds,
| She wanted machine for herself and daughter
| to learn, and said she had heard that would
sake the money by installments, Now, just half
an hour before, by our shop clock, had made a
| vow that I'd give up that part OF the trade, and
1 was very rongh with her-just AZ | am when
| I'm cross-and said "No"
"But you will if the lady gives security, said
| my wife, hastily.
| The poor woman gave such a woe-begone look
| at us that it made me more out OF temper than
| ever, for 1 could feel that II stopped should
| have to let her have one OH her own terms. And
| 30 it was for there, II didn't let her have a
first-cass machine as good as new, she only pay
ing seven and six down, and undertaking to pay
half crown week, and not any more security
| than nothing
To make it worse, too, If didn't send the
thing home without charge, Luke going with it,
for lie was back at home now keeping my books
being grown into q tino young fellow Of five and
twenty and sat and growled the rest OF the
day, calling myself all Of the weak minded idi-
OTIS under the sun, and telling my wife that bus
mess was going to the dogs and should be
ruined.
"You ought to be ashamed Of yourself, Tom,
she said. "
$50 am says I. "I.didn't think could be
such fool"
iSuch fool as to do good action to one who
was evidently lady born, and comes down IL
the world !"
"Yes," l says, "to living in Bennetts place,
where I've sunk no less than ten machines IL
lve years"
"Yes," says my wife, "and cleared hundreds
| of pounds Tom, I'm ashamed OF you-you q
man with twenty workmen busy up stairs,a cou
ple of thousand pounds worth of Stock and II
the bank a.
"Hold YOUR tongue will you !" 1 said rough
ly, and went out into the shop to try and work Il
Off.
Luke came back pretty soon looking very
| strange, and was at him directly.
UWhere's the seven and six 7" says, angrily
He didn't answer, but put three-half crowns