Norwich bulletin., 1919-12-26

Written Specially for The Bulletin.
 As between a lunkhead and a ras- cal, I think l prefer to deal with the rascal
 He-the rascal-can be depended on to cheat you if he can, and you are, therefore, constantly on your guard. You know what to expect from him. You know that he will swindle you out of your false teeth, if such thing is anyways possible. You know that he is a liar. You know that he doesn't keep Snd doesn't expect to keep his promises; that he doesn't pay or in- tend to pay his debts. Very we'll; knowing these things, you can always keep to the windward when dealing with him. You don't trust him; you don't give him credit; you don't be- Heve him; you have as little to do with him as possible, and that little at arms length. Consequently he's not liable to stick" you very badly.
 But the lunkhead-the plain, every day dunn fool. who means well but doesn't know enough to tell evil from good at monday; who wants to be honest but doesn't know how: who can't hear right nor see true nor think straight; who takes his or her whims for conscience and. as Ike" tpiOlAAiCN OnGt BllIdStu It, lIllSldh6S IIlc regurgitations of a sour stomach for the whisperings of rernorse-that kind of critter no one can depend on at any time or under any circumstances He is liable to Go thA right thing when you're confidently expecting him to do the other: and he's cocksure to do the wrong thing if you by any chance look for him to do the right. He's unstable as water and uncertain as the movements of bluebottle fly.
 Usually ignorant; always conceited- ly self satisfied; pitifully narrow. vet invariably stubborn as mule-oh, well, what's the useP We all know the sort. There are representatives of 1t in every city and every village and every hamlet. Tn fact. there are some communities where I think they out number all other classes.
 1 was taking with a farmer who carries his butter. eggs, fowls, vege tables, etc. to a neighboring city the other day. He has q route" in that city. which he follows pretty closely He does not sell to stores but delivers to private families. 'Do you want any more eggs than you're setting?' ! asked him. Sure was the reply T am gathering almost none of my own and can almost always sell a
  too dunn high. What you gettin' for yours?' I answered that I had sold some for ninety cents. That's jest about all I can get in the city" he eeturned 'T hear about their gettin dollar and dollar ten. but my cus- toners won't pay it. I got ninetv-f five cents for the last I took over and had to do some talkin' to fetch it."
 Then he went on to explain that the housewives he dealt with, though he had done business with them for years and they never had any complaint as to the freshness and quality of his goods. seemed ohsessed with the idea that the formers were in league tc rob them by charri7g needlessIy nfef prices for all farm products. Why couldn't he sell eggs for fifty cents now, as ne did last summer? Thar was one woman's tart demand. Ht tried to evp'aiu tnat hens weren't ap 10 lay as freely in winter as in sum. mer. She knew better Hadn't sh, read in her fashion nnagszine that f was just as easy to have eggs 1T December as in June? He couldn' fool her It was all a deep laid pio of the greedy far1rers to rob the help less city folks. She admitted tha the stores" charged even more tha1 he did. But that was to be expected Anyway it was no use to tell her tha there weren't just as many eggs nov as last summer. or that there was an, excuse for their costino more. Yes she'd take just ore dozen. and h. might bring her another dozen eacl trip, but she proposed to have him un dersiard that she knew he was prof iteering.
 And that settled it.