The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-04-26
HARASSED BY AGENTS.
Woes Of a Weary Woman on Her
Busy Day.
The Female Agent With Corsets and Hose
Supporters-The Masculine Dealer
Who Tried to Dispose or $50
cial Etiquette"

II was Just after Christmas that goI
round so that had day to run my can
dies. Thatwas a great day for agents
too. Agents! / should think so. Seems
TO me as if all the agents in New En-
gland took a bee line for Potsville.
I'd hurried round and got the wash
in an ironin' an lot o bakin' done
ND the fust O. the week an Wednesday
| got up early, ready to make sassage
and run candles.
rdgot my fat on, an my meat ready
to chop, when there came rap at the
settin' room door. Before l could get
there, however, it opened, an in
walked n fattish Kind of a woman,
carryin' sort of leather case in one
hand.
How d. We do ma amp" she asked,
talkin' as if her life depended on it,
an never waitin' for an answer.
Amt it a nice day? How's your
health? Are your folks well? Did
understand from a lady up the road
here that YOU had seven children? How
are they all? Oh! you aren't the one?
Never mind, l have here, ma'am"-
she'd been unrollin' her leather case all
the time, and here took out roll Of
something-"I have here a new style of
corset that gives most stylish air to
the stoutest figger. This is the most
remarkable corset ever produced in
this age or any other. Why, it makes
a stout person look slim as a girl. or a
slim one look nice an plump! l should
advise you rs friend, ma am. to buy
this corset. 1t has an electric spring
in the back that will keep you warm in
the coolest day and so equalizes the
temperature as to prevent your becom-
ing overheated in the warmest weather.
1t has galvanized iron springs in front
that are so comfortable you'll hate to
take them off at night, while they i'm
part a grace and beauty to the female
figger that is unequalled in the history
of corsets in the past Just let me put
one on you. You've no idea how it
will improve your fgger. Why"
just here smelt my fat burnin' and
rushed ont there in hot haste; but she
follered.
at will impart a truly marvellous
charm to your manner, and YOU will be
admired by everybody. You know
men just love an elegant figger."
She said this last in such lacka-
daisacal way it maddened me, and l
broke in:
Mem says l. Men! an mar
ried woman! What business have l
goin' round incitin' the admiration of
men? Hain't l a pardner? Don't he
admire me just as much in n loose
calico sack AS he would in a set of
electric spring. galvanized sheet-iron
corsets? l don't want to hear no more
such talk, an won't, neither"
She see she WAS on the wrong tack,
so she begun over again.
well, you wear corsets? All ladies
do, of course. We sell"
No, ma am." says l. Il don't wear
corsets, nor never did. Iput on some
once, an felt as if I'd been run into a
plaster-o' paris mold, such as they put
on folks with spinal an kindred dis
eases"
20, but these You could wear, Tn
surer' she went on, determined to get
round me some way. You wouldn't
be without them single day if You
realized how they would improve your
fgger."
MY figger," Invent on calmly pickin'
up my chopin tray, lis just rs the
Lord made it. Ii He'd wanted n gall
vanized trap around ne, He'd built
one there to begin with. So long as
He and my johnson are satisfied with
it. / be-"
She scott wasn't any use to talk cor
set to me any longer. So she got out
some tape stuff and begun again:
Let me sell You some hose sup
porters, them"
"HOes-supporters," says |. Good
land! what won't they get up next?
Why, John alters keeps his hoes hung
up in the shed chamber through the
winter, till plantin' time; and then he
supports them himself-except when
the neighbors come up an lean over
the fence to talk politics. Idon't think
he'd think necessary to buy any hoes
supporters +-r
The woman laughed and said in
good-natured way that she guessed we
couldn't trade much, an she'd better
go. didn't dispute her, au' soon was
alone once more with my sassages an
candles. kind O. wish afterwards I'd
asked her how they hitched them hoes
supporters to the hoes, an how they
worked.
The fire had got down. an hadn't
more'n got it fixed up an another dozen
candles run when there was another
knock on the side door. This time it
was little lean fellow carryin' mop
stick. He began without any pre.imin-
aries, so to, speak: 81