St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-12-03

rules I observed which made me re.
spected and popular: First, l nevel
entered a house unless [ was invited
second, l never insisted that people
should buy what they did not want
But l always had an excellent assort.
ment of things, and any little novelty
might have l took pains should be seer
at glance, that it might recommend
itself
am passiOnately fond of outdoor
air and scenery. l used to enjoy fast
horses, but have my dreamy side, and
hardly know anything more exquisite
than to jog leisurely along the country
roads at six o'clock on May morning,
when the buds are all bursting and the
birds all singing, or to return quietly
home in the late June twilight, just as
the stars are coming out. like to be
out in soft summer rain, too. There
Is enough to see and enjoy in the crisp
autumn weather to reconcile me to the
unwieldy cart 1 ride in. 1 believe |
like all winds and weathers. Then
used to give myself holidays, often in
winter, when Florence and the children
and had no end of fun. Of course we
helped Florence do the house work
Jrtiist, and then we had the day for
/ pleasure.
/ From May to October hardly ever
went alone on my journey. Every
pleasant day Florence or one of the
children, or all the family, went with
me on my rounds. How exciting it
was and how happy we we're! We took
our dinuer with us sometimes and play
ed we were gypsies, aud camped out in
the most enticing places in the beauti-
full woods.
If had to go alone, often took a
book sometimes 1 learned a poem,
sometimes l even composed one, and,
strange to say, the magazines which
he'd disdained nay contributions in the
days when l desperately needed money,
now often accepted my effusions with
compliments.
In the evenings Florence and I sang
duets, and popped corn and read nov
els. As we had no social dignity to
keep up, we felt at liberty to enjoy our
selves better than in the law days,
which is saying a great deal, for we had
such good time then.
Then my business kept improving,
so Florence could have servant. Then
we had more time for "larks" than ev-
er. We got acquainted with our neigh
bors. There was not a person of any
literary pretension in town except the
minister and doctor. This state of
things had its advantages as well as its
disadvantages, because it is pleasant to
be Caesar even in country village.
Florence and wrote comedy for the
Sons of Temperance, and performed in
it with great applause. suppose that
Shakespeare went TO his grave without
such recognition as we received. Flor
ence sang in the choir so sweetly that
several people who had hardly been to
church twice year before, began to go
regularly. We formed reading club
of all the young people who showed a
spark of promise, and they had Il de-
erary, and we had delightful time,
and the modest consciousness that we
were great benefactors of our race.
Once year we put on our best
clothes and went to the city for week,
aud went to the theatre, opera, con-
certs and art galleries, and came home
tired and happy, and convinced that
tin peddling was a far healthier and
happier life than it was possible to lead
in the midst of such effete clviliza-
tions.
Let me be clearly understood. did
not continue the business when had
laid aside enough money to live upon
without. Meantime l can truly say
enjoyed it thousand times better than
ever did the law, and to me at least it
was hundred times more lucrative,
and l bless the day when my clever
wife discovered sphere in which all
our odds and ends of talent would be
aYailable.