Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-03

should be down that night, II ne got rested
enough"
And then Josiah told 'em that '.he should
be glad to see 'em down a-visitin' any time
but he had jest bought organ"
| don't know but what they would have
laid holt of Josiah, if they hadn't been sc
tuckered out, but as 1t was they was toe
beat out to look anything but sneakin'
And so We drove off.
The mantymaker had told me that day
that there was two or three new agents
with new kinds of machines jest come to
Jonesviiie, and l was jest a-teii!n' Josiah on
1t when we met a middle-aged man, and he
looked at US pretty close, and, finally, he
asked US as he went by US, 'if we could
tell him where Josiah Allen lived"
Says Josiah. Il am alvin at present in
this oIe-horse wagon
Says ne, You are thi1kin' Of buyin' a
SEWN machine, haint you?"
Says Josiah, Il am a-turnin my mind
that way"
At that the man turned his horse round
and followed us. and 1 see that he had a
SEWN machine in front of his wagon.
Our old mare had 4 colt, and SEEM a
strange horse come up so cluss behind US
1t started the colt up, and she kicked up
her heels, and started of full run toward
Jonesviile. and then run down a cross-road
and into lot.
Says the man behind US, 81 am a little
younger than you be. Mr.. Allen. II you
VIII hold my horse. will go after the colt
with pleasure"
JoSiaii "us SlaO enough, and so he got
into the feller's wagon; but before he start
ed on, the man, says he, You can look al
that machine in front of you while / am
gone. l tell you. frankly. that there haint
ahother machine equal to IT in America. II
requires no strength a ALL infants can run
II Tor days at a time; idiots; If anybody
knows enough to set and whistle they can
run this machine; and IL is especially ADAPT
ea to the olind-blind people can run IL
jest as well as them that can see. A blind
woman last year, in one day, made siS
a-makin' leather aprons; stitched EN- all
round the edge two rows. She made two
dozen OF EN-. and then she made four dozen
gauze wells the same day without changing
the needle. That is one of the beauties Of
the machine. its goin from leather to ia &c
and back again without changing its gear
1t makes 1t so handy for winln1in It is so
tryin Tor wmmin. every tire they want
to 20 from leather to gauge and book mus
lin, to have TO change the needle But YOU
can see for yourself that ii hatnt got its
equal in North America"
He heard the colt WINNER and Josiab
stood up in the wagon and looked after a.
So be started off down the cross-road.
90 we sot there ieelin considerable like a
procession, Josiah holdin' the stranger !
horse and l the old mare. And as we so,
there. ZIP driv another s!!ck-looxin' chan
aad bein' ahead. he spoke to me, and says
he:
Can you direct me. mem. to Josiah AL,
lens house,
IT is about mile from here" and.
band" ~
rs he?" says he, in a genteel tone.
Yes, says /. I'VE have been to Jones.
and
Il see." says he. interruptin' of me. 81
see now IL IS. And then he went on in a
lower tone: IF you think of buvin' a SEWN
machine don't get one OF that Teller in The
wagon behind you. ! know him well-he is
one or the most worthless shacks in the
country, as you can plainly see by the looks
OF MS couEtenance. If l ever see a face on
which knaVe and villain is wrote down i; is
on hiSen Any enc with half an eye can see
that he would cheat his grandmother out OF
heI snuIt handkerchief, IL he got a chance. "
lie talked so fast that l couldn't get 2
chance to put in a word edgeways for 10.
siah.
His SEWN machines are utterly worth.
less. ie nam never sold one yet; he can't
dis character has got out-folks know him.
There was a lady telling me, the other day
that her machine she bought of him all fell
10 pieces in less than twenty-four hours
after she bought 1t; fell onto her infant, d
sweet little babe. and crippled IL for life
see your husband is hayin' a hard time OF
II with that colt. / will jest hitch my horse
here to the fence and go down and help him
| want to have little talk with him before
he comes back here" So he started off on
the run.
1 told Josiah what he said about him, for
II madded ME, but Josiah took ii cool He
ScSlco W iONe 10 SET tncrG ana see them
two men run. l never did see & colt act g
that one did. They didn't have time to pass
word with each other TO find out their
mistake; it KEEP emp on keen run. They
would get II headed toward US and then /,
would kick up its heels and run onto some
lot and canter round in a circle with its
head up in the air, and then bring up short
against the fence. And then they would
leap over the fence. The fust one had white
pantaloons on, but he didn't mind 'ern; over
he would go, right into sikuta or elder
bushes. And they would wave their hats al
II and holler and whistle and bark like dogs
and the colt would WINNER and start of
agin right the wrong way, and them two
men would so a-panting after il. They had
been a-runnln' nigh on TO half an hour, when
good-lookin' young feller come along. and
seem NE a-settin' still and holdin' the old
mare he up and says:
Are you in any trouble that can assist
your
Says 1, 1--WE are going home from Jones'
and"
But Josiah interrupted me- and says he,
land them two fools a-caperin' after il
are SEWN machine agents."
The good-lookin' chap see all through IL
In a minute, and he broke out into a laugh
IL would have done your soul good to hear,
it was SO clear and hearty and honest. But
ne DIDN'T say a word, he Grove out to go
by us, and We see then that he had a ma
chine in the buggy.
Are you a agent?" says Josiah.
Yes" says he.
What sort a machine is this here?" says
Josiah, liftin' up the oil cloth from the ma
chine in front of him.
"A pretty good one" says the Teller, look
in at the name on it.
rs yours as good?" says Josiah
Il think Ii is better" says he. And then
he started for his horse.
Hello! stop." says Josiah.
The Teller stopped.
why don't you run down other fellers'
machines, and beset us to buy yours?'
Because l don't make practice of stop
pin people in the street"
DO you haunt folks day and night? foller
EN- up ladders through trap-doors, down
cellar and under the barn?'
No" says the young chap. IT show peo-
pie how my machine works. If they want
it. l sell 1t; and if they don't. leave"
How much is your machine?" says Jo-
siah.
'Seventy-fve dollars"
Cant you," says Josiah-"becaGse
look SO much like your old father, or be-
cause l am a Methodist, or because my
wife's mother used to live neighbor to your
grandmother-let me have IL for sep
The Teller got up in his wagon. and turn
ed his machine round We could see il
plain. 1t was a beauty. And says he:
You see this machine, sir: think II is
the best one made. although there is no
great difference between this and the one
over there; but l think what difference
there is is in this ones favor. You can
have it for SI5 If you want 1t; if not /
will drive on
How do you like the looks on it, Sa-
mantha?"