The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1914-12-17
Collecting on
Christmas
Told by a Drummer

BUN1H uf US were putting u
~ Sunday evening swappin
IA yarns OF our early days ON tn
road when II came the turn o
an accident insurance special,
."rhe first trip ever made was whe'
I was a kid Of twenty" he said. =
was shipping clerk In an agricultura
implement house IN Brooklyn wa
to make collection. and. OF all days II
the year. was 20 see the man oi
Christmas day.
"Why thenf Well. the chap ! wal
10 see was n big farmer up In the hill'
Of Sullivan county, and he did quite &
business In farm implements among bi,
neighbors. lie had given the house a
bunch OF notes running -four months
and falling due Sept. I. Every one OF
them came back protested.
! "rbe junior partner had charge OF
( the collections, and be figured ther,
/ was Just one sure way OF mailing the
chap. and that was TO get to the house
Christmas morning.
/ Il don't remember the name OF the
/ village had TO get OF at. but ! do re-
/ member II was mighty cold night
when | arrived there. ! got away all
1 right in the morning after the hotel
man had given me all sorts of direc'
tons about the way TO get to John
stons place. twelve miles away.
Johnston himself opened 1t and
without waiting for a word from me
said Come right in. stranger. Mighty
cold morning. mint It? S'pose You lost
your way
Il didn't commit myself one way or
the other, but accepted his invitation
by walking into the parlor There was
bunch OF children in the room, one
lad of sixteen or SO, who was told to
put the horse up There was big
Christmas tree in the window, all dee
grated with shiny ornaments and tin.
sci.
"We chatted for quite awhile until
he had 10 20 to the barn to help his
men tend the horses, I played with
the children, and when he got back |
had the ittleSt girl on my knee and
was reading TO her
"'Started showing again Johnston
remarked as he stamped his feet on the
rag rug outside the parlor door. Din
ner'll be ready IN a little while, but
III have the wife hurry it up If you
have TO get away
81 told him | couldn't think OF but
ting in on the family that way and
thar IL he'd give me few minutes I'd
like to talk little business with him.
"'You'll talk no business TO me to-
day be said 'You'll have dinner and
supper with Ms and mighty good bed
tonight. You can talk business In the
morning.
But ! broke in
"'There's no "bnt" about 1t. That's
the program, and I'm boss In this
house"
"And let the tell You. boys. had
bully time.
After breakfast my host took me
into the little office he had between the
parlor and dining room and told me TO
lire away.
what DO you think | said: Mr.
Johnston. don't want to talk business
ut all I'm going on my way. and III
come again tomorrow
Don't be afraid. Ii it's something
disagreeable spit II out3 be said.
What's the question:
when are you going TO take up
those notes Of Ehrman & Wilson's?
That's what they sent me up from
brooklyn about But after the friendly
way you and your wife have treated
me ! have nothing more to say. I'm
ashamed OF my Job
You're all right. young man. he
10 my astonishmeBt and re
lief I don't blame you bit. and ]
admire the stand you take Read some
more stories 10 Nellie out of her book
while ! hook after the cattle. and by
and by wen drive to town. and III fix
up the notes for yon. have been
pretty hard up the last few months,
Iut got In a sum sf money a few
lays ago. and everything n D. X. now
When We got TO the bank be gave
ne certified check for the 5000 he
,wed the house and a ten dollar bill
or myself TO buy something for my
,aby as present from curly headed