Connecticut western news., 1879-07-23
THE LIGHTNLNG-ROD PEDLER
A STORY TOLD BY WILL CARLETON

Will Carleton has contributed to an acri cultural jonrnal out West a jolly little pocm accounting his experience with "lightnng rod dispenser" who dropped down on hin one day With poem in his motions, with sermon il
 his mien, With hands as white as lilies. and face un
 common clean. , Of course when he set his "rip-saw tongu, a-buxzin'," his listener was gone: he agreed with every thing said to him, and had nc views" upon any subject whatever that were adverse. touched him on religion, and the hopes my
 heart had known; He said he'd had experience quite similar o
 his own. told him of the doub btin's that made dark my
 early years; He had laid awake till morning with that same
 old breed of fears. ! told him of the rough path hoped to heaven
 togo; He was on that very ladder, only just round
 below. I told him of my visions of the sinfulness oi
 gain; He had seen the self-same picture, though not
 quite so clear and plain. Our politics was different, and at first he galed
 and winced But arged him SO able, he was very soon
 convinced. And s'twas getting toward the middle of a
 hungry summer day; There was dinner on the table, and asked him would he stay. And he sat down among us, everlasting trim
 and neat, And asked short crisp blessing, almost good
 enough to eat; Then he fired up on the mercies of our Great
 Eternal Friend, And gave the Lord Almighty good flrst-class
 recommends; And for full an hour we listened to the sugar.
 coated scamp, Talking like blessed angel, eating like Q
 blasted tramp. My wife she liked the stranger, smiling on'him
 warm and sweet Qt always fatters women when their guests
 are on the ea), And he hinted that some ladies never lose their
 early charms, And kissed the latest baby, and received it in
 his arms. My sons and daughters liked him, for he had
 progressive views, And chewed the quid of fancy, and gave down
 the latest news; He was spreading dosolation through piece
 of apple-pie, When he paused and looked upon us with
 tear in his off eye. And then went on to tell how his wife and children had been killed by lightning, since which tir,e he had wandered and cared fol naught but to save "other loved ones whose lives have yet been spared, and to sell to vir- stuous people good lghtning-roas-at cost" A contract for rodding the house was signed, and That very day with wagons came some men,
 both great and small; They climbed upon my buildings just as if they
 owned lem all; They hacked lem and they heweds 'em, much
 against my loud desires; They trimmed 'em up with gewgaws, and they
 bound 'em down with wires; They trimmed lem and they wired 'em, and ksss- they trimmed and wired 'em still, And every precious minute kept drumming up
 the bill. My soft-spoke guest a-seeking, did rave and
 rush and run: He was supping with neighbor, just three
 mile further on, " Do you think" I iercely shouted. "that
 want mile of wire To save each separate hay-cock out O heavens
 consumin' fire? Do you think to keep my buildin's safe from
 some uncertain harm, I'm goin to deed you over all the balance of
 my farm?" He looked up quite astonished, with face
 devoid of guile, And he pointed to the contract with re-assur-
 ing smile; It was the first occasion that he disagreed with
 me; But he held me to that paper with frmness
 sad to see, And for that thunder story, ere the rascal
 finally went paid two hundred dollars, if paid single
 cent.