164 THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 



Don't you, my lad, if you go into a swell London 

 shop (whether to fit out your bridal, or in any such 

 bashful mood), on giving an order, content yourself 

 with simply entering in your pocket-book the price 

 stated by the airy and self-satisfied individual who 

 shall accompany you through the show-rooms, giving 

 the prices so fluently after rapid calculation with pen 

 from behind his sapient ear. Get the particulars 

 written out of each article that you order, the price 

 it shall be for cash upon delivery, and the time of its 

 certain delivery. To that document get your fashion- 

 able attendant's signature appended, " Catchem and 

 Co., per Oily Wideawake," or else the chances are that 

 upon receipt of the goods you will receive also an 

 exceedingly spiced invoice, far hotter than you in- 

 tended, and which shall curtail you of some reasonable 

 comforts for months to come; while if you go open- 

 mouthed to your solicitor, and mean to blow them 

 up bodily, you will find that there is no locus standi. 

 They will shield themselves under the simple reply, 

 " We gave only a proximate estimate." So you, my 

 dear, will be beautifully done. Uxperto crede ! 



I am more urgent upon this point, as there is a noble 

 trustfulness about the mind of youth, which is most 

 admirable and highly romantic, but simply doesn't pay. 

 For many a year how have not we old fellows been 

 prone to half-apologize if we had dared to ask whether 

 " discount were allowed ;" " if such be the cash price ;" 

 " whether it were of the material," and so on. And it 

 is with something of an angry rebound of feeling that 

 one triumphantly demands now from the most self- 

 possessed shopman "the best material for the lowest 

 figure ; and be quick, please, for I'm in a hurry." 



