The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-06-16
Johns Country Customer.

country store in Vermont since he was
Is years old, and he was now 20. He
had been reared and educated by his
mother. who was no longer very young
when John was born. and consequent
ly entered upon the infirmites of old
age when her boy had arrived at the
age of manhood. Her husband was
long since dead.
John was handsome country lad.
active. obliging and courteous. These
qualities attracted the attention of a
New York merchant who was spending
a summer month in Vermont, and he
offered him situation in his store.
Although Johns mother knew how
more than lonely she would be without
her boy, she felt how valuable this
change would prove to him, and so
gave her consent to his going.
Il know my boy will not forget his
mother" she said. "And one thing.
my child" she added, 'let me impress
upon you. You will be surrounded By
giddy fellow clerks. many who will look
with contempt upon the humbly-clad
people who come to buy. and only serve
them with neutrality-suspicious. rude
ness. Never forget your mother and
that the humblest woman may be
somebody's dear old mother. And re-
member. too, what you have read in
the school reader, that appearances
are often deceiving,' and that Il we'll
filed purse may lie in the pocket of a
rusty coat"
That was the mothers advice. and it
turned out that John needed it. The
great iron dry goods shop in Broadway
with its white facade and its counters
inside heaped high with marvellously
beautiful fabrics, was indeed change
TO John, and the rich and astonishingly
dressed women in great contrast to the
country DANES in sunbonnets and
gngham gowns that he had been
accustomed to serve.
But now and then came customers
from the country; there was no mis-
taking them. Their dresses had a
home made look and their bonnets ut
terly lacking the peculiar audacity of
city hats. They preferred their requests
in timid way, as if feeling lost and
strange. and uncertain if they had any
right in so grand shop; the clerks
snubbed them or were insolent But
10 John the country faces were always
pleasant, and he was invariably so no.
ticably kind 10 rural customers that
his counter very soon became the CEN
tire of country custom. His fellow
clerks would sing out when there was
an appearance of country cousins,
Customers for you, HarveyP' or
"Here comes some of Harvey's
friends.
But one day the country woman
missed the every obliging clerk" and
upon inquiry were told that he had
been transferred to the cloak depart
mcnt. Very well! one old lady who
had young grl with her, sad she
wanted to buy cloak. So upstairs
hey wcnt-a quaint-looking pair that
set the clerks in giggle. and they sly
y winked and blinked at each other as
they sent around the password: liar
vcy's friends - good luck to you Har-
vey," laughed one. ''Now's your
chance TO get rid of those last years
beaver sacques! Maybe they will go as
high as S1OV'
But if the old lady and her niece had
been dowager and princess. they could
not have been more courteously treated
than they were by John. ''She's some
body's dear old mother, I'll warrant"
he said to himself. and then in a pleas
ant manner asked her what she would
like TO see.
"Velvet cloaks!" she replied.
John took from the hooks of the
wardrobes cloaks vary ng in price from
$50 to $500. The clerks kept up their
fun at Johns expense, but he did not
care. After considerable delay in making
up her m nd, the old lady sa d she wanted
some furs and would look over velvet
cloak valued at $3.50 John readily
gratihed her with dressing tip lay
figure with the cloak and $400-set of
furs. After little his customer said
they suited her, and asked now much
all would be. John made feint at
counting up the figures and said $3.50.
Very well; will take them, she said,
and drawing rusty-looking pocket
book from her petticoat proceeded TO
count out the money. AS the bills were
mostly tives and tens, they made mo-
BILE pile, and as John took them from
her hand, he held them purposely so as
to exaggerate their appearance and
skipped around among the clerks with
great gusto.
NEARLY seven hundred dollars from
nv 'rooral friends, he exulted. mo
last year beavers for them, if you
please, and the G RI is as sweet as the
roses and pnks in my mothers gar
den."
That days sale was coup de boahear
for John Harvey. 1t gave him an inn
rortance in the eyes of his employees
who increased his salary and placed
him at the head of the department.
Two years later he wooed and won the
girl 'sweet as the pinks and roses
who brought him beside her sweetness
and beauty snug little fortune which
seemed all the better from having been
accumulated where the pinks and roses
bloom. He then returned TO Vermont
to remain with his mother during her
remaining years, not as a clerk in the
old country store, but as its owner and
proprietor. and which is to-day. be-
cause of it's neatness, tasteful ordering
and abundant furnishing noted the
country around as the ''best store in
H. Ctot, - Tho vi1lauarS fO0 like