Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-11-11

|
start out as book agent"
"Yes, wonders have ceased" said
the boy, as he laughed all over his
face. "Pa amt going to be a book
agent. IIe has gin it up"
"Well, he lie mighty changeable,"
said the groceryman. "The minister
told me only last night that lie had
got your pa the agency Of the book
called the Early Christian Martyrs
and he hoped he would do well.
What's the matter? Don't you pa
like the bookp
Oh, the book is all right, but you
better wait until pa ices the minister,
and you'll see a scrapping match.
You see the minister told pa that the
business of selling books on subsLrip-
tion was the hardest business that
was going, the agent received so
many rebuffs, and discouragements,
and sometimes assaults. lie told pa
that the only way was TO make up
his mind to stand anything that came
along, like a martyr, and if he was
reviled to smile, and if he was struck
to pray for the person who assaulted
| him, and not TO lose his temper un-
der any circumstances. Pa came
home and said he was going TO have
a rehearsal that night, on selling
books, and he had invited the
minister and the deacon's wife and
son to come ove'' and help. When
they all got over to our house pa ex-
planned that he wanted to appear 10
he q perfect stranger to us all, and
he would ring the bell and come in to
sell book, and he wanted us to treat
him in as bad manner as we ever
heard of book agent being treated
and not show any mercy at all, and
il he could stand it without getting
mad he thought lie would make
success as book agent. Well. you'd
Il dide If you had been there. Pa went
out on the step with book under
his arm, and rang the bell, and the
minister who was bossing the job,
told the hired girl TO 20 to the door
and if lie was book agent TO tell
him the family didn't want any books,
and slam the door in his face. The
girl, who is Irish girl, went to the
door and pa bowed politely, and ask
ed her if she was the lady Of the
house, and told her she was look
Ing charming, That made the girl
mad, cause she is the homeliest look
ing girl in the world, and she knows
| il, and il made ma mad when she
heard pa ask the girl if she was the
lady Of the house. "Phat do yez
want2' said the girl, and as pa tried
10 edge in the door with his book
she said, Get out of that ye burgling
DEVIL and she shut the door on pas
coat tail and came back into the par
lor and we all had a big laugh at pa.
Some of us peeked through win
dow, and pas coat tail was caught in
such way he couldn't reach the bell
handle TO ring again, so he had to
take off his coat, and when the bell
rang again ma went TO the door, and
found pa in his shirt sleeves, and
when he asked ma if she was the
hired girl, ma slammed the door in
his face so hard il flattened his nose.
Pa was getting mad. We knew that
| by the way he jerked the filling out
f of the bell. The minister went to
4 the door, and pa said, 'Are you the
man of the house?' and the minister
, said he was, and pa said it was no
r such darned thing, and the minis
|, ter said he didn't want any impu-
q dence from no tramp and pa said he
s wasn't no tramp, and he could whip
q any man that said he was a tramp
and then he happened to think that
was nc way to sell book, so he be.
gan to talk about his book of Mar
, tyrs, lie had got into the hall, ant
., the minister asked him if his book o.
= Martyrs included Blaine and Cleve
q land and the James brothers, just tC
4 see if pa would get mad, and pa saiC
o. the minister was condemned fool
q and the minister said if pa didn't qui
J. being impudent he would call thu
7 servant and have him thrown int,
# the street. Well pa said he coult
n everlastingly knock the stuffing on
i of all the servants in that house, ant
+ the minister called the deacon's sol
n and me to help him, and we grabbed
10 him by his collar and pants, and W
70 made him walk turkey out door
N and down the steps, and we left hin
10 there. / guess pa was mad enough
I to have throwed rocks through th
windows, only policeman cam
IT. along and asked pa what the row was
J. so pa he smiled and said they wer
IS inst having some fun, and the police
IS man pulled pas coat collar down OF
,e the top of his head, tucked his shir
# in around the waist, and gave hin
If his hat, and went on, and pa he go
ri to studying how to commence again
'y The minister said when pa rung til
at bell again it was best for the hire
,e girl to throw a teakettle of hot waite
is on him. Ma wouldn't hear to he
" water, so they compromised on wa
j. ter with the chill taken off. He run