The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-02-24


eft of Cinderella and more remotely OF
Mr.. Charles Darwin.
Amy was down stairs in moment.
The advent Of peddler was no small
event in Tunxis. If he found few GUS
toners for his wares, he was sure to find
an abundant curiosity, sat ls6ed only by a
close inspection of all his goods. Miss
Carline was by no means exempt from
this general failing. Before Amy could
reach the door, the worthy spinster had
thrown her apron over her head and had
gone out to the peddler. He was stran-
ger visiting the town for the first time,
but he bore himself with the easy famil
iarity of one native and to the manner
BORN.
Pleasant morning, ladies' jumping
from his high perch pleasant morning,
but a trihe chilly, as your friend, Mrs.
Griswold, up the road here, remark ed
when she invested in one of these war
ranted all wool Scotch plaid four-dollar-
and-a-half shawls.'
AS he spoke he opened one Of his cases
pulled out a shawl, and tossed it over
to Miss Car'lne, remarking, carelessly,
'Some of our importation, ma'am."
Miss Car'line, who had no intention Of
buying, took out her spectacles, adjusted
them carefully, and examined the shawl
with the closest scrutiny Meantime the
peddler, while arranging tray OF goods
for the inspection of the ladies, introduced
himself
My names Peck-Silas Peck, Jun. |
belong to the Vermont branch of the fam
ily represent the house of Beck, Peck,
q Co. Our headquarters are in New
ork, but this branch travels" He grin
teeth, and made ready to follow Miss
Car'line into the house as soon as she
should see fit to lead the way which she
did presently, remarking as she went, Il
believe there's cotton in this shawl"
The peddler laughed good d-naturedly.
81 like Connecticut people," he said,
patronizingly. :. You're sharper than
steel-traps | believe myself there's just
a grain of cotton in that shawl; but there
are men in New York who've made their
fortunes in dry goods would never be able
to detect it. | s'pose the sheep must have
rolled over in a cotton field before they
were sheared. Now. miss. | have some
thing that's Just in your line. Look at
these gloves. They're really the best in
the market-so much superior to Alex
andres that Alexandra has gone out of
business in disgust since they were intro
duced. Look at them.'
GLOW much are they?"
"Only fifty cents a pair"
Amy dropped them She had Il lady
like horror of cheap gloves.
Nh Silas Peck, Jun, took his cue i'm
mediately.
q know what you want" he said,
cheertully. :" No cheap stuff for you.
You want to see some tirst-class goods" "
He moved brlskly out to his wagon,
and was gone some time. During his
absence, Miss Car'line remarked:
'lIe's prettyspoken man, Amy, but
we don't want to buy anything to-day; so
Jest you see that he don't impose on you.
But when Mr. Peck returned bearing in
his arms a heavy piece Of black silk, Amy s
heart bounded. A glance showed that it
was of fine texture and excellent quality.
"a black silk" said the pedller, laying
the piece on the diningroom table, and
preparing himself for a short Grafton" is
always handy. 1t answers ekally well tor
q funeral OF wedding" When he said
"funeral" he gazed solemnly at Miss Car
line; and at the word 'wedding," his
face frightened into a smile. and he wink
ed mildly at Amy. 81 cut dress off OF
this piece tor my wife just before | left
home, for her birthday present She's
thirty-two,n he added, retectfvely, 'but
ii she should live to be hundred and
thirty-two, she'd never have another dress
ekal to that. When we were young" Che
was possibly thirty-iiye, but he addressed
himself to Miss Car'line with the air Of a
patriarch), ''we might consider ourselves
lucky if we got one such dress in life
time, ell ?"
''Well Idon't know said Miss Car'line,
chow twas where you were brought up,
young man; but had better silks than
that forty years ago, and wasn't stinted
on them neither"
He had touched the chord OF pride in
Miss Car'line's heart, and the response as
tonished Amy. But he knew his business.
"What is the price of this ?" Amy asked,
feasting her eyes on the rich folds that
MI. Peck had spread out temptingly be-
fore her.
"Now you guess what the price is"
said the peddler
'Three dollars" Amy suggested; for
she had already compared it in her mind
with more than twenty pieces which she
had examined in the dry goods store in
Hartford, and she tancied that she knew
the exact value.
"Now | knew you'd say three dollars, y
exclaimed the peddler, triumphantly !;
'evcry body says three dollars. And, to
be perfectly candid with you, the price of
it is three dollars; but I'll sell ii to you
for two dollars and a half yard. If I'd
stolen it in Lyons and smuggled it into
New York, couldn't let it go a cent
cheaper.
Miss Car'line had risen and joined Amy
in close and critical inspection of the
goods Meantime the peddler seated HIM
self tipped his chair back to the wall,
turned his eyes carefully away from the
ladies, and whistled soothing psalm tune
to himself, while he inspected every arti-
Gle of furniture in the room.
Twenty yards would be plenty said
Amy, i'll "a whisper; and it would only
come to fifty dollars. Oh auntie please ?"
"Why, you foolish child, | amt got fifty
dollars in the house," whispered Miss Car
line. ''And your father never would lis
ten to the notion of buying goods from a
peddler, anyway"
Mr.. Peck finished his tune, and turned
the subject of conversation into an unex-
pected channel. That's an odd-looking
platter in there" he said. nodding his
head toward the open door OF the china
closet. "Old, isn't it ?"
''Well. yes, it's pretty reasonably DID,
said Miss Carline, inditferenlly "My
great grandfather bought it before the
Revolutionary war"
"You have more of that sort of crock
cry, | suppose?" quered Mr.. Peck, medi-
tatively.
"Well, yes" answered Miss Car'line
with spice of bitterness. The Connec.
ticut branch OF the Rossell family eat theil
victuals off of plates and drink their tea
out of cups and saucers. and set their tab
les with something besides platters.
"Yes ?' said Mr. Peck, with that imper,
tinent air of innocence which is thorough
bred Yankees strongest and most reliable
weapon; Il thought likely. By the way
what do you think OF that silk ?'' he asked
| e,,jJo,l, 70 ,,,ottarc