18«7 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



127 



BOOK AGENTS AND THEIK BUSINESS. 



GOOD ADVICE FROM DR. MILIiER. 



'HILE the subject of hook agents is up, al- 

 low me to refer to another phase. Among- 

 boc>k agents, as in all other callings, there 

 are good anrl bad people. For the benefit 

 of two classes I want to speak. First, for the 

 benefit of any readers of Gleanings who are 

 good people, and who are liook agents; second, for 

 the benetlt of any upon whom hookj agents, good 

 or bad, may hfippen to call. 1 will give you an il- 

 lustration of what sometimes happens. 



A book agent of pleasing address, and who de- 

 sires to do good by selling a good book, comes to 

 my house and rings. The lady of the house, en- 

 gaged at some occupation which she can with diffi- 

 culty leave, possibly some mystery of cookei-y, at 

 a critical moment when a few minutes' absence 

 may bring disaster, stops and cleans up her hands, 

 and. like a true daughter of Eve, looks a little to 

 her general apiiearauce, then goes to the door, and 

 admits the stranger. 



" Ts the gentleman at home? "or if, as maybe 

 the case, he has learned my name, '* Is Dr. Miller 

 at home? " 



Not knowing what may be the business in hand, 

 she comes to me, where I am very busily engaged, 

 perhaps with a hive open. Closing up as speedily 

 as possible, I get myself a little in shape, go into 

 the house, and greet the stranger, wondering 

 whether it may be some old friend whom I do not 

 recognize, and a little fearing it may be a book 

 agent or an insurance agent. He commences, per- 

 haps, by saying, " What a fine view you have from 

 herel Really, I didn't know such a hilly country 

 could be found in this part of the State." 



" Yes, this is one of the least prairie-like parts of 

 the State." I reply, in a manner equally pleasant 

 with his own, at the same time inwardly denounc- 

 ing myself for being a little hypocritical in speak- 

 ing so pleasantly when 1 am really feeling cross at 

 the interruption, for by this time I begin to feel 

 sure his visit is not to be a profitable one for me. 

 For some time a conversation is carried on by 

 him, my replies becoming more and more in the 

 form of monosyllables until finally he introduces 

 the object of his visit. Failing in his effort, he 

 goes away with a feeling of disappointment, possi- 

 bly with a feeling of pity for me that I did not get 

 the full benefit of the book or other article he wish- 

 ed to sell me, never dreaming, perhaps, that he has 

 been doing me a serious wrong in making such 

 demands on my lime and patience. Now. good 

 people, if you must have an agency for a book or 

 a broom-holder, don't — I was going to say steal, but 

 perhaps I had better soften it a little by saying 

 don't take the time of others in that way. Make 

 known your business at once. If Mrs. Jones comes 

 to the door, don't ask her to send for Mr. .Tones. 

 Consult other people's convenience as well as 

 your own. You have no right to impose on their 

 courtesy by taking time that they would not will- 

 ingly give if they knew your errand. To those who 

 have calls from agents, I would say, the chances 

 are so many that you will have to pay more for 

 articles thus purchased than you would have to 

 pay for them elsewhere, that in general you may 

 do well to refuse to buy in all cases. Possibly one 

 time in ten or twenty there might be a case where 

 it would 1)6 well to buy; but if you allow yourself 



to buy in this one case you will he likely to over- 

 balance it by buying at a loss in two other cases, 

 so the safe plan is to refuse all. Learn to say 

 pleasantly, but very firmly, that in no case can you 

 be induced to purchase. The agent will say, that 

 if you do not purchase, you can at least look. Tell 

 him just as plainly as before, that it is not worth 

 while even to take the time to look. There is much 

 in the positive but courteous manner; and the 

 agent, thus good-naturedly repulsed, will go away 

 much better satisfied with himself and with you 

 than if you had wasted a half-hour by parleying. 



To the young people who almost all, at some 

 time, think of trying this sort of business, my ad- 

 vice is, " Don't." That's the general rule. There 

 are exceptions. In a sparsely settled region 

 where stores are not easy of access, even a pack- 

 peddler may be welcomed. But in towns or vil- 

 lages, or in their vicinity, there is no need of 

 agents in general. There may he an exception, in 

 the case of an article that the purchaser must try 

 at his own home, the agent showing its use, or of 

 some article which is never kept in stores. 



Please don't think that I have no feeling of kind- 

 ness for agents. In many cases they are impelled 

 by good motives, and are really to be pitied. In 

 my college days I was fortunately so poor as to be 

 obliged to work my own way. One vacation 1 

 undertook the business of a map agent. I was 

 about as forlorn and homesick a mortal as you 

 could desire. 1 made little or nothing at the busi- 

 ness, and was probably a nuisance to many, and of 

 little use to any, for the nnips were hardly worth 

 the price, even if the profit did hardlj- pay expenses. 

 When clothes-wringers first came out, I took 

 an agency and sold a number at a fair profit, doing 

 a good thing for the people and myself, but T went 

 only a few miles from home, and in no case, if I 

 remember rightly, did 1 sell to any except ac- 

 quaintances. This was one of those cases where 

 an agent was necessary to show the people at their 

 own homes how to use the wiinger. 



Marengo, 111. C.C. Mii-i.kk. 



Friend M.. in the above article you strike 

 at the real trouble in this matter of book 

 agents, and I confess it never occurred to 

 me before. It is this: They from tlie out- 

 set—at least a great many of them, and, in 

 fact, all of them that are objectionable — pre- 

 tend to be something they are not. If every 

 book agent, when he comes near your pieni- 

 ises, would hold out his book, and say. " Sir, 

 I am a book agent : liave you a few moments 

 to spare to talk with meV" that would end 

 all the trouble. Not long ago a gentleman 

 who might have been, judging from his ap- 

 pearance, some distinguished statesman, de- 

 sired to see me individually; in fact, he 

 would not tell his business to any of the 

 clerks. He put out his hand, took off his 

 hat, and expressed great pleasure in being 

 able to take A. I. Root, of whom he had 

 heard so much, by the hand. Then he dis- 

 coursed eloquently about the growth of our 

 business, and giving employment to so many 

 people, etc. When I had talked as long as 

 I could afford to, I suggested getting to bus- 

 iness. This man was a book agent. He left 

 his package near the door, so that I might 

 not suspect he had something to sell. Now, 

 I was obliged to l)e rude with this man, and 

 I confess I became exceedingly vexed when 



