Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1880-03-24
A Famous Eye Water.
New York Times. !

For ways that are dark and tricks
that are not vain the Yankee ped.
dler can give the heather Chinee
points. A bright young fellow who
was driven not long ago to travel.
ing country roads with a basket
over bis arm selling a little arti.
Gle on which there was just trifle
over 1000 per cent. profit, fell in,
down in the wilds Of New Jersey,
one day, with one of these interest.
ing specimens. THAT man." says
the young fellow, "taught me moro
about peddiing in the few days we
travelled together than l ever knew
before. He could turn a jack .knife
into horse and wagon. Late one
afternoon We were making for a
little tavern kept by an elderly
woman, where We intended to pass
the night. The Yankee, az We
passed little pile of pebbles,
stopped down and picked up two
round white ones, one about twice
as large as the other. Il am going
to pay for my supper and lodgiug,'
said he, with these two pebbles
He put them in his pocket, and /
thought no more about them till,
after we had eaten our supper, We
were seated in front of q colnforta.
BILE fire-the Yankee, the landlady,
and ]. He was a spectacle peddler,
and carried his wares in a little
green box. He had a charming
habit of saying to people whenever
he got chance, Your eyes are in
pretty bad way. They won't last
you long He said this to the
landlady, and she replied that she
was afraid that was true, for they
had been troubling her a good deal
lately"
Then the spectacle man brought
out the larger of his two pebbles.
Look at that, Madame said he.
What do you think of thatr"
"The lady said she thought it
looked like any other white pebble
that could be picked up anywhere.
The spectacle man, laughing at the
poor woman's ignorance, said il she
could pick up few stones like
that she'd soon make her fortune.
1t was genuine eye pebble i'm
ported from Germany. Il make an
eye water from those pebbles, said
be, that strengthens the eye and
restores the failing sight. That
stone will dissolve to nothing in
ten minutes in salt and water
The old lady was incredulous, and
for some time nothing more was
said about it. Presently she asked:
rs that eye.water of yours very
expensiver no. he said, mot
very expensive 'Theu,' said she,
Il guess III have to get you to
make me bottle of it,
"The peddler told her to bring in
a tumblerful Of lukewarm water,
with tablespoonful of salt in it,
and teaspoon. The articles were
soon brought, and the peddler,
dropping the larger pebble into the
glass, began to stir it with the
teaspoon with great deliberation.
For fully five minutes he continued
to stir, the pebble, of course, show
ing no signs of dissolving."
"I thought said the old lady,
'that that there little stone wouldn't !
dissolve.
alt does seem a little stubborn,
that's a fact said the spectacle !
man, but the trouble is you haven't |
put in quite enough salt. Just get
me teaspoonful more salt and it
will soon be all right The old la.
dy left the room to get the salt, and |
the peddler quickly whipped the |
large pebble out of the tumbler,
and dropped in the small one. 4
declare said she, when she re.
turned and saw the diminished size
of the pebble, it's takin' hold, after
all, amt itr Certainly said the
spectacle man, looking very wise,
and pouring in the remainder Of
the salt, lit will lie ready now in
about FIVE minutes, and you'd bet |
ter have bottls handy to put it |
in, for it spoils it to stand in the
air.
1.-THE landlady had him this time,
for the bottle was standing on the
mantle-shelf. 1t was necessary to
get her out of the room once more
to remove the little pebble, 80 he
asked, Haven't you oolored glass
bother No, she said, she hadn't
one 10 the house. Then said he,
you had better paste some dark