Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-02-18
(concluded from page 81


liz lbs of butter in three dusty rolls.
After the family and plumber are safely
out of the wagon, the farmer must go to
the blacksmith shop to have some work
done there, which will take him until late
in the afternoon; for there are other or
ders ahead. The blacksmith, to keep the
lob. SAYS he will attend to it in an hour.
The farmer goes and tells his wife to be
ready to start home in half an hour, to be
sure that she will have her shopping done:
so she hurries up the merchant, and he
goes to work counting the eggs. The
number does not agree, and must be count
ed again. While he is scraping the dust
off the rolls of butter, three young ladies
enter. For this party he overhauls his
shoes, but none suits, pulls down and
opens up 16 pieces of shelf goods, because
the party did not know just what they
wanted. Nothing just strikes their fancy;
they will look further. This company de-
posits the pay for one spool of thread, and
march out--as proud as ifthey had bought
out the whole store, and paid cash for it.
The farmers wife is worried for fear that
pa will be kept waiting, and urges the
merchant to spare the time for them; so,
before the butter is made saleable, he
must make the exchange. The produce
comes to 1898, and out of that the days
purchase must be made. She needs, Oh!
so much; but must make the amount
cover all. She plans: 25c for sugar, 25c
for coffee; the baby must have a new
dress; the little girl, pair of shoes; and
the boy, hat. They were brought to
town to be fitted. They have leased for
candy ever since they came in; -four they
must have, and pa must have some smok-
ing tobacco. Their dishes are emptied,
and the purchases are piled together, and
every 21a minutes for five long hours the
children are sent to see if pa is not coming,
for he must not be kept waiting moment
there are SO many chores to do when
they get home. The poor mother is all
worn out, trying to keep the baby still,
who is just old enough to run everywhere,
and thinks the store a nice playhouse.
The other children have to be told every
minute to stay in. But where is pa?
He is having quiet time enough. Be-
tween the puffs of his pipe he talks
weather, politics, religion and farming
with other neighbors and strangers; and
the smithy-he does not get in hurry
until he sees the family. Had he told the
wife, when he found that he must stay so
long, not to worry, but go around the lit
tie town, and had he taken one of the
children with him-he didn't think. I
always give man the credit of having
more intelligence than that implies. The
day is wearing away, farmers and towns
people have been in, and the scenes that
have been family portrayed have been en-
acted over and over again. Now some one
comes in for butter for supper. The mer
chant has been too busy to fix it up in
good shape. "Any good butter?" "None
that can recommend It may be the
truth, although he has been in the butter
business much of the day. None of it
may please the fastidious customer now
before him. He knows if he wraps it up
for her it will be returned, and not with
thanks either. His best butter maker, for
some reason, did not come in. He sorts
and scrapes what is dusty, then takes
ladle and works it all together, leaving
out enough for his customers who are not
too particular The place where he puts
it may not be too sweet. The remainder
is sent to a distant market, where, by the
time it gets there, the price may be less
than he paid for it. You will say one
thing: "You can not say anything against
the eggs" wonder where "store eggs
come from? Shipped in? Yes, some of
them; but the very name makes you care
full when you break them, lest some ca
lamity will happen to you. You hold the
egg from you, as if it would hurt you if
you were to intimate with it. I have left
the merchant too long, but he has improv-
ed the time in writing up his accounts.
The day has been busy one to him. He
has reduced his stock $50; has added to
it in butter and eggs $6.75; has been in
the cellar six times; has had his hands in
brine twice; for picked pork three times;
for salt fish, three times; has drawn 81
gallons of coal oil; four sacks of flour;
three of corn meal; weighed out tea for
IL lbs. of butter; exchanged gum for two
eggs; sold 291a lbs. of sugar; several yds.
of calico and muslin; II plugs OF chewing
tobacco; 81 little bags of smoking tobacco;
% cigars; 15c worth of candy to take home
to the little ones. He saw early in the
morning two farmers drive past, who were
reported as having sold their wheat and
returned in the afternoon with several
parcels. He imagined they looked dis
painfully at his little store, as they passed.
For his labor, he had secured in cash
ssh. In the evening his store is filled
with men who had finished their days
work, and now want comfortable place
to smoke and talk; SO he keeps open un-
til the last one is ready to go home. They
buy little tobacco but the most of them
help themselves to to his private box.