The Red Cloud chief., 1881-01-27

"And yOu wOuid Ike 10 keep q
horsep" said Florence, confidently.
why yes" Isaid. rather surprised;
/" but since we have never kept one
since we were married. il seems TO me
we might dispense with it now"
Unless il came in the way of btsi-
ness" sal Florence, calmly. Now
know what our real viewsof the neces-
sarips or life are. ! have a plan which
had hesitated to propose before. think
ing YOU might demand more" She
unfolded a newspaper. and pointed to
an advertisement.
INOR ~SALE.-Thc hose, cart and complete
j stock Of II tin ~peidlcr. Excellent route.
Business pays VIII. sells only because family
matters require "A removal 90 the est. Terms
easy. Address A. wfCkS. Htinvile
/ felt a spark of hope. Al suppose
YOU are in fun. Florence" ! said; but
| really think | should not hate this a.
much a anything else | see any Dros-
pect of trying. However, it will prob
ably amount to nothing"
Il then appeared that it was several
DAYS since Florence had seen the no
tice, and she had taken pains TO inquire
into the matter before speaking TO me.
She knew some one in Plainviile who
had learned all the particulars. IL re-
ally was true. The business was good,
that is, of its kind. "Of course" our
informant said. lit did not pay my
thing like the law and we hoped he
WAS right. The peddler really was
going West. for he had money enough
Ia live on. and his wife's health de-
mandcd change of climate. He would
sell cheap and let us pay in Install
ments. and we could rent his cottage
for Il very small sum.
1t did seem providcntial. Riding
about the country, even in a peddler's
cart, had far more attractions for me
than toiling in a factory. Besides. |
had a secret assurance that | had no
capacity for toll" and | knew | could
drive any horse in -PlainvilIe, at least.
Then the selling. my good looks Il be-
lieyc | forgot to mention these before),
my gcntlemanly manners, my good
nature, my persuasive address, on
which | had been complimented again
and again, would all be of the utmost
service to me in this business; and here
| had been almost tearing my hair in
my anguish at thinking that none of
my powers were of the least avail in
the bread and-butter question.
And so we purchased the business BY
selling some of our furniture, and went
to Plainville TO live. | seriously be-
lieve that there is a niche forevery one.
Looking back on my time of despair,
and comparing it with my present. an
grateful that | can say that while | then
thought l was SO constituted that
could he neither useful nor happy in
life, | now find that | have been en-
dowed with abundant capacities for
both usefulness and happiness, and that
no talent | possess has failed of bearing
some fruit. And Florence says the
same thing about herself.
Let me elaborate:
That a tin peddler is a useful as well
as m honest member of society, who
can doubt? He deals in simple, neces.
sary articles, and by carrying them
from door 10 door he saves vast incon.
%venience to numerous people. So much
for Use.
The cottage we lived in was moi
strictly beautiful. but it was comforta.
bic, and in a pleasant place, with an
orchard before it, and we trained
creeperS on trellises about 1t, and
planted roses and towering shrubs
along the stone walls. 1t was a fresh,
sweet place to live in, and the children
had a lovely playground. At first
Florence had no servant, and worked
very hard; but she was young and wei
and strong. and she declared that she
did not get so tired as she had Otter
done in u old home with the thousand
was exempt now
And the balance in favor of this is
she added, "that now l get tired il
accomplishing something"
L enjoyed my life even the first day,
for. as nobody knew me. | had no los:
of caste to fear, and it was amusing Il
me to see the puzzled faces Of my
customers, who seemed TO feel that in
some way l wasnot to the manner born,
and were evidently pleased with my
humble airs and graces.
L like to study human nature and now
l "a much of it at home and off its
guard. This delighted me. Two rules
observed which made me respected
and popular; first, l never entered q
house unless l was invited; second, ]
never insisted that people should buy
what they did not want. But | always
had an excellent assortment of things,
and any little novelty might have ItOoS
pains should be seen at a glance, that
it m ight recommend itself.
l am passionately fond of outdoor all
and scenery. | used to enjoy fast horses,
but | have my dreamy side, and
hardly know anything more exquisite
than 10 jog ~leisurely along the country
roads at six O'Clock on a May morning,
when the buds are all bursting and tine
birds all singing. or to return quietly
home in the late June twilight. Just rs
the stars are coming out. 1 like to be
out in a soft summer rain. too. There
is enough TO see and enjoy in the crisp
autumn weather TO reconcile me 10 the
unwieldy cart ride in. Even on run
ners it is not To be deSpised. l believe
l like all the winds and weathers. Then
| used la 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
first, and then had the day for pleasure.
From May TO October l hardly ever
went alone on my journey. Every
pleasant day Florence. or one of the
children, or all the family. went with
me on nv rounds. How exciting it was.
and how happy We were, We took our
dinner with Us sometimes. and played
we were gypsies, and camped out in the
most enticing places in the beautiful
woods.
If 1 had to 60 along, l often took a
book; sometimes l learned a poem,
sometimes | even composed one, and,
strange to say, the magazines which
had disdsined my contributions in the
days when desperately needed money,
now often accepted my illusions with
compliments
In the evenings Florence and | sang
duets, and popped corn. and read nov
els As we had no social dignity to