The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-04-28
Tryine visitors.

Hard as It is to bear with grace the
trials caused by agents, there Is another
class of visitors whose calls are fully as
unwelcome. Indeed I believe it is easier
to get through the troubled half-hour in
which the broken-down minister-that
pathetic figure which SO frequently
darkens our door-introduces. to our
notice his wonderful. sFaith Cure;" or
that in which the andacious young man
polishes one leg of a table, thereby dis
grazing the other three forever; or the
young man who, holding the book close
ly in his own hand, forces us to listen to
sentences from it relating to matters of
etiquette (it seems almost like the irony
of fate for. an agent to solicit names for
his book)I repeat, it is easier to bear
these affections han it is to have a neigh
Dor or acquaintance drop m ina friendly
way and ask one to subscribe a sum of
money to some. charitable object. Let
us picture to ourselves a woman. who is.
trying to do a good three hours work
in two, and she might give a little time
to the particular employment which is q
delight to her, and who wishes not only
to make both ends meet, but lap over a
little at the end of the year; who has q
way for every dollar and even for every
quarter of o ,dollar-think what tits to
her to be Interrupted and hindered, to
have her nerves unsettled by the effort
it costs her to give or refuse. I have
known a woman who had just enough to
pay for her children's stockings, and
who did not see her way clear to another
dollar that month, to give two-thirds of
it towards a camp-chair for the sexton of
her church. and the other third helped
to pay for a silver card-case for the min
ister's wife. It was hard to patch and
darn the children's stockings as she was
obliged to, bat it was harder still to re.
fuse her dear sister in the church when
she said in so convincing o tone, "Of
course you wish to give o little-when the
rest are doing So" A young married
| lady told me not long ago that she be-
lieved she had given enough cake during
the year for festivals and church parties
10 have stocked a frst-class bakery for
three months; stand I didn't know how
to do it, I could not afford it, but ]
couldn't refuse" One may agree per
Efectly with Mr.. Emerson when he says
that ga mans money should not follow
the direction of his neighbours money,
but should represent the, things he
should wiuingiiest do with it. But lei
a friend pay her the delicate compli.
ments of allowing her to- head a sub.
scription, and see what she will do 50
have a paper mere which I know you
want to sign" said a man to a neighbor
eve wish to raise funds to prosecute any
one who sells cider without a license
81 can not sign it; I have other ways
Just now for my money" was the reply,
"Oh, then you, a mother, wish to coun,
tenance the drunkenness m this town.
was the unjust and uncharitable infer
ence. Subscription papers are otter
heightened in order to avoid the miscon
struction mentioned here, and none,
which ought to go toward paying th'
necessary expenses Of household il
taken from the reluctant hand Of a wo
man who can not say no.. I sometimes
think it would be a good thing for GU
legislators to look into, and that som,
kind of a bill might be passed ~protectin,
women from the agent and the bearer o
a subscription paper.-E WB. in Nea
York Evening Post.