Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-12-02
THE BAFFLED BOOK AGENT.

He came in briskly and sat down with
jerk. One end of bis paper collar rear
ed over his left ear; qualmy smell of
last weeks clothes hung about him. He
turned his glass eyes upon us and loosen
ing his indiarubber tongue he began:
The Universal History of the Uni
verse, in 1900 installments 50 cents an
instpllment; 800 engravings-"
Stop, my friend. Restrain the intel
lectual how-dam up that torrent of elo-
Quencc. Listen to me do you know
what has come to me since l saw you
last? 1t was in Octo--"
" Bat. sir" Interrupted the book agent,
" you never saw me before ~
" Never saw you Impossible Could
one who once gazed on those noble Inca
mcnts ever forget them ? Could that coy
wlrt on the nose be ever forgotten-or
that eloquent mole on your iron jaw p
Never, never ! 1t was in October that 1
mot You last. Blessed October--that
month OF ripeness and Of sobered passion I!
DO you know OF all the months in the
year October is"
" Pardon me, SIR" exclaimed the book
agent, rolling his brass eyeids in desper-
alton, you are"
" Pardon me, sir I cannot allow any
man to hold the reins OF conversation over
mel will not be tnterrupted-to resume,
my grandmother was the pertest woman
Of her age that you ever saw. She was
one hundred and thirty-two years of age,
and yet was clipper as the best of u.s.
My brother, who was an inventive man,
put her on pair of wheels, and it would
have done you good to have seen her
scoot around. l suppose ours was the
only family that could boast of a grand
IN 'ther on wheels, and yet"
" But, sir, am in great hurry, and"
" You must positively not interrupt me,
my friend. As l was saying before, when
man has family growing up around
him, 1t is hard to say which one he likes
best. And yet that boy OF mine, with the
It aNberry mark on his left ear There
iSa queer story connected with that straw
berry mark that would please you-you
have child ?"
am the father of thirteen miserable
Children" lie replied.
" Ah, then you can sympathze with
NV story. You have been a mother your
salf. All, who can sound the depths of a
mothers love 1t is as deep as an arte-
sian well, as high as liberty pole. 1t
scars like a Chinese kite, it grovels like a
grcunl-hog. II is sweet TO be a mother.
1t gives US new life, and fills us with a
broad, deep, sweet"
" Really, sir, / haven't the time" broke
out the perplexed and desperate agent.
"Now, there you go again. You put
me out every time. But to go back to
our conversation. l do think he was the
sweetest dog | ever saw. Although he
was quite young when he was born, he
took to learning naturally. When /
would send him to drive the pigs out OF
the yard, he would take the little pigs
patroniziugly by the ear"
Ia ha :" laughed the book agent
dolefully, quite a bright dog--quitc
bright-but would you like this univ
Interrupting me again there But il
don't matter. To resume. As I said be.
fore, the boat was very small and quite
cranky. II rocked wildly, and the girl
became excited and it was hard to control
her. You have doubtless been on the
water and understand"
Just here the book agent rose, his stee
joints snapping visciously. He cast one
wild, scared look around and made fol
the door. Having reached the door, he
turned and looked back hungrily. HI
heightened up, as if he were going tooper
theconversation again, but he gulped hi:
sorrow down hastily and fled.
" Come back and see us again." W.
called bankly over the stairs. " You arr
such good listener it's a pleasure to tall
oyou. Yes, come again Come during
ths rext Centennial atlanta COnstitit
Hoa.