Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-06-06

Their souls and ours to meet in happy air
child a friend, a wife whose soft heart sings
In unison with ours breeding its future wings.
Exchange.
THE PEDDLER'S VISIT.
Not long since called to spend the day
with an old friend by the name of Dowley.
Dowley is a farmer of the old stamp-lives
on the farm where his father was born,
and has been frugal, industrious and
thrifty. His farm is in excellent order, his
stock sleek and fat, his buildings in thor
ough repair, and his children stout, good
natured and healthy. Mrs. Dowley is just
the woman for farmers wife-a busy,
busting thing, with ambition enough to
have everything in order, and pride enough
to have few things rather nicer than some
folks have We were sitting in the front
room, Mr.. and Mrs. Dowley, their daugh-
ter Rachel, a buxom lass of II, and myself,
when we saw one of those quaint looking
carts drive up into the yard which can be-
long only to Yankee peddler.
'There's one O. them 'tarnal peddlers,"
uttered Mr. Dowley, with an expression
half of contempt, half of vengeance. But
he won't make much here. Now mind,
Susan ITO his wife), we don't want nothln'
of his truck-not thing"
"Sartinly we DON'T" responded the good
wife; land won't have nothin' neither"
s'The last one that came along sucked us
in awfully, and I swore then 'at I'd never
trade with another one of 'em agin. Now
mind, Susan, snap i'm rite up eff he offers
yer anything"
'Let me alone for that-the dirty, good
for nothingr' returned the dame, smooth
ing down her apron emphatically.
BY this time the peddler had made his
way into the back room, and with smil-
ing face he came into the room where we
were sitting He was not one of your tall,
Iank things, but a short, plump, good ma
tured looking fellow, and wearing upon
his really handsome face continual smile.
which nothing seemed to ruffle.
"Well, neighbors," he said after he had
asked after our healths, couldn't trade
with We little today?"
mo, sir" emphatically answered Mr..
Dowley, swapping his words out almost
angrily.
"Don't you want somethin'?" the peddler
asked of the dame in the same smooth,
smiling tone.
''No, sir, / don't-want nothin'." The
last words dropped from the DANES lips
like the swapping of percussion cap.
"Well, well-never mind" said the ped
dler, at the same time opening one of his
trunks, and commencing to work as though
he were only arranging his things. Pm
one of them kind as never forces folks into
trade, cause, don't ye see, faint no use.
/ say, let them trade as has mind to. Now
some peddlers seem to think everybody's
bound to buy, an eff they don't manage to
make trade, why they git huffy bout it.
But that isn't my way. I don't like to go
by mans house without stoppin', cause
mebbe I'd have sumthin' they might want
But eff man says no-why, that's enough"
All this time he had been fixing up the
articles in his trunk, and speaking in one
of the sweetest and most seductive tones
imaginable, and as his smiles were bestowed
upon the host and hostess, could see that
their frowns were mostly dispelled. And
during this time, too. he had contrived to
fix his things so that a most tempting array
of articles was in sight
'How funny it is" the peddler resumed,
with the same sweet smile, and this time
directing his remarks to the gudewife,
"that folks will go a lifetime without
simple thing that would pay for itself in
once usin'. shall never forgit what George
Washington said when he was on his great
farm deown in old Verginny. Says he, "A
penny saved is two pennies earnt.' And he
was right. Meow We see, only this mornin'
l come across man pacin' off a piece of
land where he was goin' to pillow. asked
him why he didn't measure it. He said he
hadn't got nothin'-his pacin' WAS good
enough. You've paced this off, haven't
YEP says I. Yes says he. How much
dye make of it?' says I. Jest an acre.
says he. It's jest square acre. Meow,
We see, I know'd he hadn't got an acre of
land there, for could see at he didn't step
long enough. So 1 jest takes this ere
thing out of my trunk, and says I, Let's
measure it right now"
Here the peddler took from his trunk
one of those measuring tapes which roll up
in neat, circular, polished leather case
and which was just two rods long; and, as
he went on speaking, he pulled out the
neatly figured tape, and then wound it
up again by means of the little brass crank
$50 he took hold O. one end, an took
the other, an we went reound that piece in
jest about ten minutes. By lingo, the piece
wasn't only 'baout 'leven rods square-fell
short, ye see, sixteen rod. Now says l,
Jest see heow We get deceived. Next fall
yer nabors'll laff at We cause We hain't
raised more corn on an acre, an they'll
swear yer land amt good, and yell have to
stand it, too He kind O. took what I'd
said, and he bought one O. these magic land
measurers rite off. Meow, We see, he ken
measure his fences, an his land, an his
buildings, an, in fact, he can alters meas
nre anything, cause We can carry this right
in yer pocket. Come away from home jest
a week ago yesterday an had seven dozen
O. these farmers measures-an' all gone
but this. | rather guess I'll keep this for
pattern"
And as he thus spoke he commenced to
stow it away. saw that Mr. Dowley eyed
the thing uneasily. Now Dowley had a
rod pole, two foot rule and any quantity
of small rope, with which he had always
measured off his land; but this thing took
his fancy. 1t looked so neat and handy.
"Jest let me look at that" he said; and
as he took it he pulled it out and wound it
up several times "How high does this
Gomez" he asked.
1.-TWO dollars, I've been sellin' 'em for"
replied the peddler.
"Ain't that high?"
High! Why, jest look at it-look at
the work. You can't git such ones rite in
Bosting for one cent off m fifteen shillin'.
Ye see, found man sellin' off at auction
"a man as was goin' to California, an
got these for considerable under cost. So
can afford to put 'em cheap"
You couldn't say nine shillings, could
ye"
"Well-I don't know. Eff ever do sell
cheap it's to an honest old farmer, who has
to work hard for livin'. But look here
eft yell solemnly promise not to lisp a word
to anybody how cheap let ye have it, I'll
say nine shillin's. But 1 hadn't ought to
Il hadn't-that's fact.''
So Dowley took the measurer and went
to his desk and got his pocket book and
came back with a five dollar bill, which he
handed to the peddler The latter took it.
but did not Immediately return the change.
what times these are for Inventions"
said the peddler. "By the hockey, 'spect
nothin' but what every man IL have silver
shovel one of these days. Ye ever heard
'baout this French imperial magnetic