Year: 1875




street, passing from one house to an
other, with little basket on her arm.
You may have seen that she is very
sprightly and although somewhat loud
of voice and very abrupt in manner
that she has dash of humor, and is, in
vulgar parlance, quite up to snuff. You
may have observed her bouncing in TO
d place as if in the full determination to
bounce everybody else out of it, and
you may also have observed, if you
have watched her closely, that when
she cmerges she has little more mon
ey and little less soap than when she
went in. For that is her business
selling soap. And, although she is
woman she prosecutes it with such ex-
traordinary vigor and in such novel
way that she is unusually successful.


The other day she entered q promi-
nent house on Fourth street 1t is not
necessary to state what prominent
house, except merely that it is the one
where George works. George is q
young man who is contemplating mat.
rimony. He is q very nice young man.
But he is, at the same time, . very
bashful young man. And when she
entered and made straight dash for
bis desk, he colored to the roots OF his
hair.


81 went to sell you some SOAP" she
said in such peculiarly loud voice that
George colored still more. And the
clerks and the lady customers looked at
George and ut her in surprise.


ave got some of the incest soap
here that you ever used" she went on,
dabbing q cake under Georges nose to
have him smell it


"I-I don't want any soap, madam,
stammered George. I'm very much
oblige to you, but IL really don't
want it."


"Oh yes, you dol" said the lady deci-
dedly. 81 know you do. You wash
yourself, don't youi You want to keep
clean, don't you?"


George answered that he hoped so.


"Of course you do, and here's the
soap to do it with. Genuine brown
Windsor, three for quarter, half dozen
honey, fifty cents. Just think how
cheap il is, and here's transparent soap
FIVE cents ball; how many will you
have, sir?"


"But don't want any" burst forth
from George.


"Oh, come now, you know you DO;
anyway if you don't your wife does,
and of course the baby needs it."


Here there was roar from the clerks,
and George felt as if he would be CRATE
full to the floor if it would give way
and deposit him gently in the cellar.


"And you know babies cant be kept
clean without soap. The great thing
to keep babies healthful is soap and
your wife will never forgive you if you
dent bring her home some Of this nice,
elegant, sweet-scented Windsor. Do
take cake and try it. Remember it
will be your fault il the baby dies"


Here there was another roar from the
clerks.


"Madam, have no wife, and have
no babies, and want no soap, said
Geo. with his face in a high state Of in
fammation.


"Well, nobody knows what may
happen. You look like a nice young
man and I'm sure the ladies will fall in
love with you-provided you keep
yourself clean. And you can't do it un-
less you take this soap. Now, do take
just one cake, ten cents. Or, if you
don't want soap, what else is there that
I can bring you that you will buyi
Will you buy some hair oil, or some
nice pomade for your moustache or
some flavor for your mouth to take the
smell of that ugly tobacco away, or
suspenders, or complexion powder,
Q'ye got some better than that you're
using now,) or sleeye-holders, or socks,
Or"


"Madam, I'll take the SOAP said
George in desperation. And the heart
less clerks roared once more.


And the lady bursted out of the
house to fud another customer. Thus
she forces her sales; and though oddly
done, sympathize with her and re-
spect her. For it is to me the sublime
spectacle of q woman fighting her way
unsided through the world. And I
take this opportunity Of bidding her,
with all my heart, God speed"