Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-05-27

not long ago, to ira, cling eoun-
try roaGs with a basket over his
arm, selling an article on which
there was Just a trifle over 1000
per cent. profit, tell in down the
wilds of South Jersey, one day,
with one 0f the interesting spec
linens. 'sI'hat man." says the
young fellow, "taught me more
about peddling Ill the few days
we travelled together than | ever
knew before. He could turn a
iack-knife into a horse and wag-
lon. Late one afternoon We were
making for the little tavern, kept
by an elderly woman, where we
intended to pass the night. The
Yankee, as we passed a little
pile of pebbles, stopped down
and picked up two round white
ones, one about twice as big as
the other. 4 am going to pay
for my supper and lodging said
he, with these two pebbles He
put them in his pocket, and |
thought no more about them, un-
til, after we had eaten our sup
per, we were seated by a CONS
| Portable firp-the Yankee, the
landlady and l. He was spec
tacle peddler, and carried his
wares in a little green box. He
had a charming habit of saying
to people, whenever he got a
chance: your eyes arc in a pret-
| ty bad way. They won't last
you long, He said this to the
landlady, and she replied that she
was afraid it was true, for they
had been troubling her a good
deal lately. Z
"Then the spectacle man
brought out the larger of the two
pebbles. Look at that, Mad
ame,' said he. 'What do you
think of that9'
"The landlady said she thought
| it looked like any other white
pebble that could be picked up
any where. The spectacle man,
laughing at the woman's igno-
rance, said if she could pick up a
few stones like that she'd soon
make her fortune. 1t was a gem
uine eye pebble, imported from
Germany. 4 make an eye wa
ter from these pebbles,' said he,
that strengthens the eye and re-
stores the failing sight. The
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: is that eye-water of
yours very expensiyeY No. he
said, mot very expensive 'Then,'
said she, 4 guess I'll have to get
you to make me bottle Of it.
"The peddler told her to bring
in tumblerful Of lukewarm wa
ter, with a tablespoonful Of salt
in it, and teaspoon. The ar
ticles were soon brought, and the
peddler, dropping the larger peb-
bic into the glass, began to stir
it with the teaspoon with great
deliberation. For fully five min
utes he continued to stir, the
pebble, of course, showing no
signs of dissolving.
"I thought said the old lady
that that there little stone would
DISSOLVE
"1t does seem a little stub
born, that's a fact, said the spec
tacle man, 'but the trouble is you
haven't put in quite enough
salt. just get me teaspooful
more salt, and it wiz soon be all
right The old lady left the
room to get the salt, and the ped
dler quickly whipped the larger
pebble out of the tumbler, and
dropped in the smaller one. 81
declared said she when she re-
turned and saw the diminished
size of the pebble; Its takin'
hold, after all, amt it?' Certain
lly,' said the spectacle man, look
ling very wise, and pouring in the
remainder Of the salt; 'it viii pc
ready now in five minutes, and
You'd better have a bottle ready
to put it in, for it s;inils it to
stand in the air.
THE landlady had him this
time, for the bottle was standing
on the mantle-shelf. 1t was nee
essary to get her out of the room
once more to remove the little
Ipebble, so he asked: 'Haven't
you a colored glass bottlep No.
she said, she hadn't one in the
house. Then, said he, you had
better paste some dark paper a.
round this one, for the light weak
ems the eye-water, and in time
spoils it. The old lady went
out in the kitchen to hunt some
thick paper, and out came the
little pebble. The eye-water was
made.
"'Rub your eyes well with
this three time a day. said he, as
he corked the bottle, 'and by the
: next time / come around you'll
n