The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-08-14

new ones, anu ono way anu wv '''i'- '-N'''''
a regular big dealer, as you see.
Unndredg' WHY new, secondhand, and
with those beng repaired upstairs by me
men cot at least 500 on the premises Hhlle
if ANYBODY had told me fifteen years ago that
should be doing this | should have laugh
ed at HIM.
That pretty girl showing and explaining
fine machine TO a customer? That's Nuth,
thot is No not my daughter--yet but she
soon will be- Poor girl, | always TANK OF
lher and the bread thrown upon the waters a'
Curious idea that, you will say, but I'll
tell you why. .,,, ., ,,ooI
with. Most Of 'em are poor, and can 0uy d
machine right off but are ready anu Wl!iHg
to nav so much week. That suits them anu
il suits me, if they will only keep the pay
ments up to the end.
You won't believe me, perhaps, but some
IF them don't do that. Some OF them !caVe
their lodgings and | never see them again ;
and the most curions part Is that the sewing
machine disappears with them ana never
see that again. Many IA one, too, that mas as
appeared like that | do see again-perhaps
have it brought here by some one 10 DC re-
palred, or exchanged for bigger, or ior one
by different maker; for II you look rouhG
here you'll see I've got all klnds-heW anu
old little domestics and big trades-there !
YOU name any maker and see II ooh pfihg
YOU out one Of his works.
VOL when I ask these people where they
cot the machine-for | always know them Dy
the number-it turns out that they bought II
through an advertisement or at salesrooil,
or maybe out of pawnbroker shop:
But I've had plenty Of honest people 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
machine back, when I'd allow them as much
AS thought fair, and 'twould be an end OF Il
pleasant transaction.
The way I've been bitten though by some
| folks has made me so Case-hardened tlat We
sometimes wondered whether I've got any
heart left, and the wifc's had to interfere, tell
ing me I've been spoiled with prosperity and
grown uniccling.
1t was she made me give way about Rutn,
for, one day. after having had my bristles all
set up by finding out that three good SOUND
machines, by best makers, had gone NOBODY
| knew where, who should come into the shop
Int a notwithstanding woman in very shah
by widows weeds. She wanted machine
for herself and daughter to learn, and said
she had heard that | would take the money
| by installments. Now, just half an hour be.
fore by our shop clock | had made a vow
that I'd give up all that part OF the trade, ana
| was very rough with hei-just as | am
when I'm cross-and said "No,"
But you will if the lady gives security"
says my wife, hastily.
| The poor woman gave such Woc'begone
| look at US that it made me moe out OF lem
per than ever, for could feel that II stop
ped should have to let her have one at her
own terms. And so 1t was; for there, IL
didn't let her hayc a tirst-slass machine as
good as new, she only paying seven and SIX
down, and undertaking to pay half crown
a week and no more security than nothing.
| Temakc it worse, too, if didn't send the
thing home without charge, Luke going with
It, for he was back at home now, keeping my
books, being grown into fine young fellow
of five and twenty; and sat and growled the
whole of the rest of the day, calling myself
all the weak-minded idiots under the sun,
and telling the wife that business was going
to the dogs, and should be ruined.
"You ought to be ashamed OF yourself,
Tom," said she.
so am" says |. "Ididnt think could
be such a fool
"Such fool as to do good kind action
to one who was evidently a lady BON and
come down in the worldw
| les, L SAYS, " llNlIS III Dtuuttl Pi"S'i
where I've sunk no less than ten machines
in five years"
YES" SAYS the wife, land cleared hun
dreds of pounds. Tom, I'm ashamed of you
you, a man with twenty workmcn upstairs,
a couple of thousand pounds worth OF stock,
and IN the bank "a"
"Iold your tongue, will yOu?' | said,
roughly, and went out into the shop to try to
work ii all off
Luke came back soon after, looking very
strange, and was at him directly.
where's the seven an stX?" | says, an
grily.
| lie didn't answer, but put three haltcrowns
down on the desk, took ont the book, made
his entries-datc Of delivery, first payment,
when others due, and all the rest of it and
was then going into the house.
Mind" says, sharply, chose payments
are to be kept up to the day; and tomorrow
ycu 30 to ROlly's, who live nearly opposite to
Them, and tell them to keep an eye on the
widow, or we shall lose another machine
you needn't be afraid, father he says,
codly; they're honest enough, only poor"
was lust in that humor that | wanted to
quarrel with somebody, and that did it,
when | ask you for your opinion, young
man, you give it to me; and when tell you
to do thing you do it," says !, in as savage
a way as ever | spoke to the lad. "lou so
over tomorrow and tell ltollys to keep a strict
lookout on those people-do you hear?'
Father" he says, looking me full in the
face, II couldn't insult them by doing sue /
a thing" when without another word he
walked quietly out of the shop, leaving mt
worse than ever.
For that boy had never spoken to me like
that before, and should have gone after him
feeling mad like only some people came in
and didn't see him again till evening, ant
a good thing, too, for I'm sure | should have
said all sorts of things to the boy that shObl'
y have been sorry for after. And there wa
:, Tuning and fretting about, savage with every
i body, giving short answers, swapping at TIT
= wife and feeling as man does feel when h
i knows that he has been in the wrong an'
hasn't the heart 10 go and own 1t.
4 1t was about 5 o'clock that was sitting b.
! the parlor. with the wife working very qule
), when Luke came In from the workshop wit
book under his arm, for he had been tottin