The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-06-24
TRIALS OF A QUIET LIFE.

There are many minor developments OF
modern life in cities--particularly in this
| city-that do not add to the Joy OF exis-
tence. A great proportion OF these har-
rassing ills are heaped upon the over
weighted shoulders of the housewife
"the lady Of the house"
Here in Providence the peddlers, huck-
sters, beggers, colporteurs, solicitors, CEN
sus takers, tax assessors, gas and water
meter inspectors, and all the tribe that
demand attention and answers, have
grown to an innumerable throng, and SO
secure have they become in the practice
of their calling that they are insistive,
often insolent, difficult to dismiss, and
terribly trying to the temper of the good
wife or the handmaiden.
There may not be any way to deal with
this plague. There is certainly no
known method OF nbluffingu them, or
discouraging them, CT convincing them
that there is no market for their wares in
your house.
There are certain domicilary visits that
must be endured because they are neces-
sary to comfort. The milkman, the ice
man, the spring water man, the butchers
boy, the baker, the grocer's deliverer, the
gas and water meter inspectors, the
school census taker, the directory agent,
and few others, we welcome with more
or less gladness, or more or less
tolerance. But the loud-mouthed and
insistent vender of stuff not wanted,
the agents for things you want to avoid,
the old-clo' men and women, the hand
organ men, the rags-and- d-bottles men,
the peripatetic tinker, the rug fiend, the
red-nosed beggars, aud the classes related
they destroy serenity.
Not only are they annoying, per Sc, but
they are a menace to quiet mind,
source of terror to womankind and OF APP
prehension to mankind. There is class
Of these vendors that profit by browbeat-
ing. They do not solicit; they demand,
and IL they are refused they get ugly and
threaten and swear. Some OF them seek
out the kitchen entrance, and IL il is not
locked they walk into the house unan-
nounced, and they are very hard to get
rid OF.
Hucksters, ice-creamers, rag-men, soft
soapers and some others, do not trouble
housekeerers except by the harsh brawling
of their wares and the ruthless fracture OF
the neighborhood's peace. They are some
times useful. They may be endured for
the sake OF the occasional need OF them,
and because they earn in this way live
lihood for families that are only paaive
accomplices.
But there ought to be some remedy for
the outrage perpetrated 10y the brutes who
live by bullying women into buying some
useless truck they do not need and do
not want, though it is difficult to devise
one 1t is shameful that women grow TO
dread the sound o. the doorbell, as many
do, and feel compelled to furtively survey
the porch before answering 1t, to dis
cover il some burly bulldozer be not there |
to pounce upon them with a demand that
soap, cheap glassware or some trash be
purchased, and to insult them II they |
dare to refuse TO buy.
Perhaps there ought to be stricter
license ordinances. Two-thirds OF the
peddlers are OF no earthly benefit 10 lie |
people, and IL they were entirely prohi.
bited everybody would be glad and |
gamers. Perhaps few good drubbings |
by able husbands would be beneficial; |