283 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 



smooth fellow with eyes that he doubtless 

 prides himself on, cimc Saturday morningancl 

 talked so long to Mrs, 11. in spite of all she 

 conld do, that she could hardly get rorsnd'no 

 the afternoon prayer meeting. When tivld she 

 did not want his book, he assured her she was 

 mistaken. In answer to her statement that 

 we made our purchases through the regular 

 channels of trade, and never dealt Vv'ith ped- 

 dlers and agenLs, he declared he would sell 

 ■nii his book, and actually (I'd sell !i;i2.00 

 worth of his books to the hands in my employ, 

 In my absence. 



[3 it not well to invest money in books? 

 Most certainly it is if they are needed and 

 used after they are purchased ; but to be coax- 

 ed into buying a book that you had not felt 

 you needed, would be "Toodles door plate." 

 In onr own home there are books that voluble 

 agents have persuaded us no family should be 

 without, lying unread year after year, until I 

 have finally been driven to telling agents flat- 

 ly that I would not look at their books and 

 wares, nor listen to their strings of false- 

 hoods. Pictorial bibles have been peddled 

 through our county by men who have as 

 much of an idea of the real purpose and intent 

 of the Bible, as a pet dog would have of a 

 work on Astronomy. All meritorious books, 

 and all meritorious wares of any kind, are 

 quickly found upon the counters of establish- 

 ed dealers, and there they can usually be had 

 for a fair price. 



Oar business men in almost every depart- 

 ment, are keenly alive to all real improve- 

 ments, but as they sell to friends, neighbors, 

 and all who have learned to relj^ upon them, 

 and as their good name is of more value to 

 them than money in the bank, they could not 

 be induced to give their patrons the wares, or 

 charge the prices that agents do. Honest and 

 faithful men cannot afford to travel about, for 

 there is always plenty for them to do where 

 they are known ; and such a one would find it 

 more profitable to stay where he was well 

 known, than to go continually among strang- 

 ers. Again, if every one were to tell tramps 

 of all kinds, kindly but firmly, that they 

 would have nothing to do with them, the bus- 

 iness would soon die out of itself. The men 

 that beg or peddle from house to house, would 

 soon talvC up some other pursuit if it did not 

 pay ; and those who consent to bear the re- 

 butt's that of late are so frecjuently met, only 

 do it because they know what opportunities 

 arc to be found for sharp bargains if they can 

 once force an entrance into our homes. 



We at one time supplied peddlers with 

 clieap spectacles at cost to them, by the dozen, 

 of 12j^c. each. These fellows gave them high 

 .sounding names, claimed for them the most 

 miraculous virtues, and sold them for several 

 dollars per pair. One of the peddlers sold 8 

 pairs for $7.00 to one of our prominent citizens 

 within a half hour after leaving our store; 

 and so smoothly did they tell their falsehoods, 

 that we for a while almost despaired of being 

 able to get people to see what they were doing. 



If we bought nothing we did not need, and 

 paid only fair prices for what we did buy, we 

 could with* moderate diligence keep out of 

 debt and have a little ready c'asli ahead for 

 those fine chances that occur in the life of 



every one, to make good and safe invcstments. 

 If you think ytm do not pay out your nsoney 

 foolishly, just take an invoice of your eft'ccts 

 some rainy day, and see how much you!!^ha>-t,' 

 bought tlmt youjiave never needed; ol' look 

 over your cash account at the end of the year, 

 and see what proportio;i of your expenses 

 have been judicious ones. But suppose the 

 peddler or agent you treat so uocharitabl}'' 

 were your own brother or father, says som i 

 one. In that case I should thank the public,^ 

 who would tell them by actions and words 

 that they roust settle down and have some 

 local habitation, if they would be treated as 

 friends and fellow citizens. 



Is it not much pleasanter for all parties, to 

 have those who are in need, go where the 

 goods wanted are kept for sale, instead of be- 

 ing continually solicited to buy something of 

 which they are in no need V It eertsiiuiy can- 

 not be pleasant for one who travels about 

 with the go3ds to feel that he is, many times,, 

 forcing his presence and business on those- 

 who not only have no interest in the matter^ 

 but are often so full of cares of their own, 

 that they have no time to waste on outside 

 trifles. I can speak from personal experience, 

 for I too have traveled about from house ta 

 house, looking perhaps pitifully, as well as. 

 wishfully into the faces of those who were 

 many times inopportunely summoned to no- 

 tice my humble wai-es, but I did it but a few 

 clays. In that short time I made huge re- 

 solves of having a place of business where I 

 was known, and of having pec>ple come to mc, 

 when my humble services were in request.^ 

 rather than that I should long'er go in quest 

 of those who did not want to see me. Think 

 of sumnioning some ambitious housewife deep- 

 ly intent on the duties of house cleaning, and 

 after she has washed her hands, perhaps- 

 snxoothed her hair, and mayl>e made some 

 slight change in her working apparel, to find 

 when she comes, nothing but an impertinent 

 peddler, for of late they are getting to be ex- 

 ceedingly illmaunered, when tbey have reason 

 to think there are no men folks about. Some 

 ladies were a fevvc days ago discussing the 

 propriety of locking the doors, when suck 

 personages api>eared, l>ut this course would 

 lead us to run the risk of ill treating tho^e 

 most deserving, just as I may welcome you 

 dear reader, with distant coolness, when you 

 pay me a visit, be:'ore I can feel sure you are 

 notiin insurance agent, or something akin. 



Since writing the above, I have several 

 times thought it was perhaps too much fault 

 finding, and that i^erhaps I v/as making a 

 one sided plea ; that some might say it hardly 

 agreed with niy repeated advice to my reader.s 

 to start out with their honey and hunt up 

 customers. I certainly would not do this, for 

 I do not know that I ever felt annoyed at see- 

 ing a farmer or market gardener come about 

 v/ith his produce. I believe such people are 

 generally pleasantly welcomed, and that if we 

 do not wish to purchase, we aie always 

 pleased to look at the fine fruits of their own 

 industry. It is the utter strangers, those who 

 are false in their whole get up, and who never 

 expect to see us again, who only care for the 

 money they may get, and have little or no 

 scruple as to the means they employ in gettirg 



