Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1885-07-23
ONE BOOK AGENT.
By JIM SMILEY.

1 bx 54A bm1Ak1s
He was a book agent, but alas, /
knew it not. He was mild-manner-
ed youth, with the faint dawning of
an ineipient moustache upon his lip,
and the apple bloom of life's young
spring upon his cheek. He greeted
ne with a.courtesy spch as 50 Knight
Of the Table Round" might have be-
slowed upon his lady love. aud clasp
ed my unresisting hand as an under
taker might grasp that of a consump-
tive friend. He was comely to look
upon. But he was book agent, and
he SO young!
He was q young man OF good ad-
dress. He could talk eloquently up
on commonplace topics. He said
the weather was warm; aud as old
Fahrenheit was that very instant reg
istering 94e in the shade I could
discern that he possessed good judg-
ment. He said that if it stayed so
warm all summer, it certainly would
not get cooler soon. That if it did
not RAIN we would have a long dry
spell. That as long as hogs were on
ly worth $3.50 per cwt. it would take
a big hog to bring $40. Thus he
skipped lightly from topic to topic as
a bumblebee glides from clover bios
SONS to thistle flowers, touching with
delightful freshness and originality
upon all sorts Of interesting subjects.
He asked me if I had heard the
latest Irish bull. And when l told
him I didn't know much about Irish
bulls, but thought, from what little
knew of the animals, that l preferred
Jerseys or shorthorns, he coughed
and smiled, and said he didn't mean
just that kind; but explained that a
certain class of jokes were called
bulls. I admired the young man. s
intelligence, and said if it wasn't too
much trouble I would like to hear it.
"Well," said he, "once upon time
there was an old Mick so years old.
He was feeling poorly, bad gout or
liver complaint Or something or 9TH
er. Fact was folks said he couldn' t
live two weeks. And the doctor
came to the same delusion, and at
last he says, says he:
'Tom O'Rourke, there's naught in
the power O. medicine to make ye
well, and I advise ye, make yer peace
with yer God"
"D'ye name it, docther?" says he.
Il do, solemnly," says the doctor.
-"Whist, doctor, an by sure sign
I knows yer mistaken" says Tom.
"And why mistaken" says the
doctor.
''Faith, doctor, TIL tell ye," says
Tom, with triumphant CLEAN in his
sunken eyes. '.Ive always noticed
doctor, that when I have livei
through the month of March that
would live to see Christmas! Ha! ha
hal" and the agent laughed.
"And did hef" I asked, but he die
not hear me, I guess, for he paid NJ
attention, but taking out his Water
bury and looking at it as carelessl,
as if it had only been a gold watch
) patent lever, full jewelled, all worl
warranted, ,if-it-don't 't-run-well-fetch-it
back, he said, "Well, sir, 1 will max
known my business. DR.. Elijah Jen
= kins, d. D., the grestest and onl
, original thinker of this day and age
: has yielded to the repeated and III
(. lgent solicitations of his numerou
: friends and admirers, and has write
a a book, which book, for deep origin
lality of thought, composition and ez
8 preston, out-rivals that Of any of th
Iliterati irun pin through that wort
= Ireader, and commit it to memory;
may be of use in case of sudden sicl
t messy of the present day. 1t, sir,
y the most absolutely wonderful pr
e duction that has ever been produced
This work, sir, is sold by subscriptio
y only. I, sir, have the exclusive rigl
n for its sale in this county, and sue
being the case it not necessary to r
r mind you that this is perhaps yo'
J.; last and only chance Of securing
elegant copy of-of-of this-trea
% ure." (Treasurel you'd think it vi
er treasure if you only knew Il
? terms.) "The title, sir, is the Roy
Road Of truth
d Here he laid before me prospe
er tus which had not before observ'
# or he would have died right thel
Here is the title page, The Roy
id Road of Truth, or how to acqui
8. the faculty of speaking the truth I
egantly and correctly, according
I the demands of the OCCASION by E
a. jah jenkins, D. D. He read
me choice extracts, and explain
ho their meaning. He showed me t
a Illustrations. "High and noble wor
eel Of art" be called them. Expatiat
upon the number Of pages, the sple
~ did binding, the clear print, t
ty rose tint, and wound up by assuri
me that l needed q copy. aud by
k means ought to have one.
on He had run along SO delicious
smooth that I hadn't the heart
m interrupt him; but now when
an clock work had run down / ahad
little word to saw For q secol