St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-02-18
Life on the Road.

shaken hands with the book
keeper, the cashier and the two entr,
clerks and had deposited his sampl
cases in a corner by the safe and pulle,
OF his sumptuous fur-lined overcoat
which be hung on knob OF the lette
cabinet, he seated himself in the JUNO
partners revolving chair and elevated
his neat shoes to the blotting pad o,
the desk and said: "How's tricks?"
Nothing to growl about said th,
cashier, shaking the ink from his per
and wiping it carefully on the lining
OF his coat. We've got about all III.
orders we can handle for one while.
guess you can rest up and get acquairt
ed with your family for the next weel
Or So"
"And get started out again in time
tu eat Christmas dinner at Jcnesboro
Cross Roads or in the dining-room a,
Natertank Junction. 1 see my finisl
all right. Didn't l make dandy trip
though? What Gid the boss have Il
say about it?"
He didn't soy anything-he just
swore." replied the bookkeeper. "Yes
he did, too. He said that if you hadn' :,
better sense than 10 sell to men like
Bolsinger Brcs. and THEM 4 Waite,
people rated u and NJ in Dun's last
as long us you've been on the road, he'd
call you in and let You take up your
cd job in the prints. He's gone home
row. but he left word if you showed
mp TO tell ycu to come in at nine o'clock
tomorrow morning"
The drummer dropped his feet from
the desk and started up from his chair.
"Bolsinger Bros. rated" Then he
smiled gently and resumed his seat.
"Pretty well for you," he said. You're
getting funny in your old age. Smithie.
II hurts my eyes TO look at you, you're
&c bright. I'm going to take you out
with me the next time l go to enter
tain customers"
IF you took another man along to
sell goods you'd be fixed, wouldn't you :
You could attend to the expense ac-
count yourself all right. There's where
the old man gives YOU the credit you're
ertitled TO. He says your expense ac-
counts are the most artistic things on
grand scale he ever had sent in to
him. How did you put in that over
coat?'
You're too anxious to get my job,
or might tell you,' said the drummer.
opening a penknife and beginning TO
trim his nails. Have you heard the
latest story:"
Il have" said the bookkeeper. Il
siu't going 10 tell it TO you for year
o. SO. though. You might forget your
self and spring it on somebody. and
then they d fall dead. You were talking
about Christmas; where did you cat
Your Thanksgiving dinner:'
"Poriaker. Kan.-a dollar'n a half
house. and the best in the town AT that
Oh. | had turkey, all right. and crar-
berry sauce, too. TO say nothing of a
k;oe dish Of warm tomato juice Ia
oyster cracker. But you never saw
turkey worse treated i'm the kitchen
than that one was in your life. He was
black on the outside. red in the middle
and blue at the core, and be had the
sinews Of heavyweight champion.
There was pie. also" added the drum
mer. looking reflectively at his finger
nails. NO, don't want TO talk about
that pie; | want to forget it if can.
lis better thus.
met man. though, that day-a
mar that was man." resumed the
drummer. This amt no barroom talk.
I'm handing you the rectilinear, undc-
Waiting merchandise. He was man"
Take him for all i'm all, We ne 'er shall
look upon his like again." interrupted
cne of the entry clerks. rs there any
curtain raiser to this, or do we crowd in
now and get il over with?"
"Well," said the drummer. ~ want
70 tell you that man knocking about
IS l do is apt to get cynical. His finer
feelings get the edge worn of, until
you can ride a-straddle Of them with
out experiencing any sense Of discom-
fort. He gets SO that his ideals of the
good and the true and the be autiful get
as dim and shadowy as South Carolina
hog. by the time he's made ten towns
in seven days and has 10 send four
pages of closely-wri;ten explanations
and quarter of page of orders on the
seventh day he has often come to the
that the world is as hollow
as IN Edam cheese rind two hours after
y free-lunch opening. He loses all his
freeh faith and trust in human nature
and has to look up the mortgage reg
isfers at the county seat whenever he
gets a good order. A man might almost
as we'll be in politics. Once in awhile.
though. he finds one OF natures IN
spelled children. with an inch thick of
cream on the milk of human kindness
-as did on Thanksgiving"
SIT was good liquor, was it?" asked
1he cashier.
The drummer looked at him Scoru.
Islly. that's yesr idea ot . good 81