Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-08-18

/
low ebb with mo when took 1t up, while
now
There, ! won't boast, only say that am
thankful for IL. Poverty comes in at tho
door and love flies ont Of the window. so they
say but that's all nonsense, or clse youl
poor people would be always miserable,
while according 10 my experience your poor
man is often aaor- lieli-lUarted than the
man with thousands.
was at my wits ends for something to
do, and sat nibbling my nails one day, and
grumbling horribly.
" Don't go on like that Tom" said my
wife things might be worse"
How 2" | said
Why we might have Luke at home, aud
he is doing WE'LL"
Lukc's our boy, YOU know. and we had
got him into a merchants Office. where he
seemed likely to stay but was in erum-
bling fit then, and there was clckety-click
noise going on in theuext room that fidgoted
me terribly.
Things can't be worse" | said, angrily
and | was going 10 prove myself in the
wrong 10y making my wife cry, when there
was knock at the door.
Come in said, and fellow-lodger
put in his head.
Are you good at works, Mr.. Smith -
he said
What works 2" ! said fireworks
gasworks 2"
No, no mean works of things as goes
with wheels and springs"
Middling,' | said, for | was fond of pull
lug clocks to pieces, and trying to invent.
| wish you'd come aud look at this sew
ing machine of mine, for can't get it to 90"
Sewing machines were newish in those
days, and got up 10 have a look at il, and
after about an hours fiddling about, began
to see bit the reason why-the purpose.
you know, Of all the screws and cranks and
wheels | found out too, why our neighbors
wiie-who was dressmaker and had lust
/ started one-could not get it to go and be
fore 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 crown upon
me as well, and | went back fecl.g like a
new man, so refreshing had been that bit of
work.
" There, " said my wife, ." | told you some
thing would come"
"Well, so you did" 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 TO look at theirs
and then the news spreading, as news will
/ spread, that there was somebody who could
cobble and tinker machinery without put
! ting people 10 the expense that maker,
] IL L. Il L
| that | was obliged to get files and drills aud
a vice-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
Ot course, every now and then I got a
breakage, but could generally get over that
/ by buying a new wheel, or spindle. or what
not. Next we got to supplying shuttleS, and
needles, and machine cotton. Soon after |
/ bought a machine of a man who was tired
Of it. Next week | sold it at a good profit
/ bought another, and another, and sold them
then got to taking them and money in eX-
/ change for new one, and one way and the
other became q regular big dealer, as you see.
Hundred Why, new, secondhand, and
sith those being repaired up stairs by the
men, l'yo got at least three hundred ON the
/ premises, while II anybody had told me if
| teen years ago that | should be doing this, !
should have laughed at him.
That pretty girl showing aud explaining
the machine to "a customer That's Ruth,
that is. No, not my daughter yet, but she
soon will be. Poor girl / always think OF
her and of bread thrown upon tha waters at
the same time.
Curious idea that yon will say but III
tell you why,
In onr trade we have strange people to
deal with Most OF em are poor, aud can't
buy machine right of, but are ready and
willing to pay SO much a week. That suits
| them, and it suits me if they'll only keeI
the payments up 10 the end.
You won't believe me, perhaps, but some
of them don't do that. Some OF them leave
their odgngs, and never see them again
and the most curious part is that the sewing
machine disappears with them, and ! never
see that again. Many a one, too, that has
disappeared like that, / DO see again--per
haps have brought it here 10y some one 10 b,
repaired, or exchanged for bigger, or fo
one hy different maker; for if You lool
round here, you'll see I've got all kinds
new and old, little domestics and big trade
there, you name any maker, and see il
don't bring You out one OF his works
Well, when ask these people where the,
got the machine-f1r always know then
by the numbor-it turns out that they'v
bought it through an advertisement, or at
saie-room, or maybe out of paWnbroker'
shop
but I've had plenty Of honest people +
deal with, too--them as have come straight
forward, and told me they couldu't keep al
their payments, and asked me 10 take thci
machine back, when I'd allow them as muc
as thought fair, aud 'twoud be an end q
pleasant transaction.
The way | have been bitten though b
some folks. has made me that casc-hardene
that sometimes I've wondered whether T.
got any heart left, and the wife's had TO II
teriere, telling me I've been Spoiled wit
prosperity and grown unfeeling'
1t was she made ne give way about Rutl
for ono day, after having my bristles all Sc
up by finding out that three good, sound ms
chimes, by best makers, had gone, nobod
knew where, who should come into the sho
but a ladylike-lookiug woman in very shabb
widows weeds She wanted to buy sew
ing machine for herself aud daughter
learn, and said she had heard that | woul
take the money by instruments. Now jus
half an hour before, by our shop clock, ha'
made vow that I'd give up all that part O
the trade, and was very rough with her
Just as am when I'm cross-and said
aNo"
but you will if the lady gives security,
says my wife, hastily
The poor woman gave such a woe-begon'
look at us that it made me more out of tenn
per than ever, for | could feel that II
stopped should have to let hor have one a
her own terms. And so 1t was for there
IL didn't let her have flrst-olass machine
as good as new, she only paying seyen'and
six down, aud undertaking to pay halfa
crown week, and no more security thar
nothing
To make II worse, too, If didn't send the
thing home without charged Luke going
with 1t, for he was hack at home now, keep
ing my books, being grown into fine young
fellow Of ilye-and-twenty and | sat and
| growled the whole rest Of the day, calling
myself all the weak-ininded idiots under the
sun, and telling the wife that business was
going 10 the dogs, and | should be ruined.
"You ought to be ashamed Of yourself
Tom" she said.
so / am says I. 81 didn't think
could be such fool"