The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-08
TRIALS OF AN AGENT,
ONE DAYS BITTER EXPERIENCES OF
A MAN IN NEED.

Unable to Find Other Employment He
Undertook tho Task of Pcddling :. He
Now Appeals to Housewives In Eehalf
Of tho Chaps Who Ring the Doorbeli.
If psrchance my reader Is !: busy house
wife whose patience and temper are sore
u tried BY the ipossssnt ringing OF huck-
stsrs, psddlers, agents aud the like, ] ad-
lure ber 10 stay her wrnth, for these men
arc trying a. best they can to gain living
from hard and upsympathetio world.
And o very poor living and very hard
world 10 is 70 these hapless waits of for
tune, many Of whom are forced by hard
luck and poverty TO take up this most M
pleasant employment Mono, / am sure, does
% from choice. II is this or--starvation.
Too proud to beg, too honest to steal, from
door 70 door the weary agent goes, meet
ing with rebufis and insults and callous
regard that cut . mans heart to the
quick.
It fell 10 the writer's lot, through cir
cumstanoes unnecessary to detail, that he
was forced to try to earn his bread by
any honest means he could. The "ignis
fatuus" of promised employment had
lured him into the bog of pennilessness. l
knew that an agents life was not rosy
one, but had heard of men making at
least living. and, being young and
strong, why should not 1? looked around
for something to sell and finally chanced
upon safety pin. could get dozen for
60 cents, which I could retail for 10 cents
each, quite a nice profit, and visions of
dozens sold In day brought speedy solu.
tion of my financial difficulties.
Never shall forget my sensation when
I rang the first doorbell. ] could feel my
cheeks burn, and had 1t not been for the
presence Of two men on the opposite corner
] believe would have turned and fled. 1t
was too late The door opened, and before
me stood my first possible customer.
For moment was too embarrassed to
speak; then stammered, "Is-is-the
lady Of the house INF" (The proper formu-
In, believe.) "Yes, SIR" she was. With
q grand effort produced sample of my
pin and began: II have here madam, a
new safety pin, an excellent thing for chill
dren; will positively not come unfastened,
cannot bend or break and which am sell
ing at 10 CENTS would you take one?" She
must have read my inexperience at
glance, for 1t was with smile she an
swered, "No, do not need any; good
day." and the door was closed. Setback
No /. Well, next door perhaps they will
need some. No, they had no children. The
next had children, but they didn't need
pins; so on to another; perhaps they were
pinless Here / met no response to my
ringing, and lacking courage to ring again
walked past few houses to brace up for
another trial
Hardly had the bell ceased to jingle in
the place was then trying when win
dow raised, and In no gentle accents /
heard: "Get OF my steps with your dirty
feet We don't want anything" got.
Although my shoes were neatly black
ened, felt as II had acres of mud on
them. And meant Great heavens, II man
convicted Of some cowardly crime could
feel more abjerk than did pity himi l
walked SO fast to get away and cover my
modification that passed out of the
block before could collect my senses. 1t
seemed to me as II every window held some
one watching me and that every one knew
my errand and had contempt for me- My
purpose was an honest one, but shame was
on me. ! had thought that being neatly
dressed and as flattered myself of gen.
teel appearance / would not have the
agents stamp; now my disguise was torn
from me, and was scorned by all men.
However, this was not going to do. My
last few cents were represented by these
wretched pins, and sell them somehow /
must. / soothed my injured feelings by
thoughts of better luck, and, though sadly
lacking my former confidence, started
on another row of houses. At some was
listened to with patience. fancied once
had O customer. At others l scarcely be-
gan before the stereotyped "Don't want
any" came. Time and again the door was
closed in my face at the first sign of my
calling, and at several places the house
holder contented herself with answering
from q window. My prospects Of selling
scanned to grow less and less.
While less sensitive than at the first, I
WAS still haunted by the idea that every
body was looking at me, and had not
'chanced upon my first customer would
have even then given up in despair. At
the last house In the row oheery little
woman answered the bell, and when I
showed her my attractive C) article she
was attention at onoe. "Why, that Is just
what want" Would wait minnie un-
til she got her pursep Would II would
have waited hours. God bless her! Tho
word of encouragement and kind good day
was like water to q thirsty traveller.
That 10 cent piece she gave me would
not part with were I starving. grew
hopeful again; had walked through two
blocks and sold one pin; time, 90 minutes.
had II left twenty-five blocks and 3
hours and 90 minutes more and all would
be gone. Dogge,lly went from door to
door, with q defiant air that sadly belied
my feeling. really would have been sur
prised II had sold pin, but meant to
see the thing through to the bitter end.
Growing more and more tired and heart
sick, I kept on until dusk found me miles
from home II was not 20 much the In
ability to dispose Of my stock In trade; IL
was bitter feeling Of resentment against
the callous, hard hearted world that de-
prived me Of desire or courage to face Its
insult, rebuffs and thoughtless cruelty TO
one 90 unfortunate as to bean agent