3i6 



RECREATION. 



nel said. She had never thought it wrong 

 for women to wear birds on their hats, and 

 didn't care what she used for trimming as 

 long as it was becoming. For her part, 

 she didn't care whether there were any 

 birds or not, and was sure there would al- 

 ways be something nice to trim with. He 

 left in disgust, and sought the shoemaker's 

 shop, where he found the proprietor en- 

 gaged in a game of checkers with the vil- 

 lage schoolmaster. The little Englishman 

 had been beaten 3 successive games by the 

 pedagogue, and was not in a nice temper. 



"Got more readin' stuff now than I know 

 what to do with," he said when shown the 

 magazine, "an' I never have no time for 

 mopin' over books an' sech like, anyway. 

 It's business with me, all the time." Busi- 

 ness did not seem to be rushing that morn- 

 ing except in the checker line. 



But the Colonel was on his muscle then, 

 and for a plump hour kept the shoemaker 

 from his beloved checkerboard, and drove 

 him almost wild with a rapid fire expla- 

 nation of the merits of Recreation. He 

 did not expect to get a subscriber, but was 

 determined to make one person in Wick- 

 ers listen to what he had to say. At last 

 he stopped, and the little cobbler, rousing 

 himself as from a dream, said : 



"Now, gol dum me for a fool for wastin' 

 my time on such blanked nonsense ! I 

 wouldn't take your cussed magazine if 

 you'd give it to me." 



"All right, Mr. Duff, but you must re- 

 member that I have wasted an hour talk- 

 in? to a chap 200 years behind the times." 

 He rose to go, but in the doorway turned 

 and said : "Better put labels on those 

 boots and shoes of yours so that people 

 will know what they are. Folks are likely 

 to take them for specimens of Aztec pot- 

 tery, crows' nests, stuffed woodchucks, or 

 something of that sort !" Then the Colo- 

 nel ambled away. It's a wonder, consider- 

 ing the way our reckless chum talked, that 

 somebody didn't wipe the streets with him 

 that day. 



The canvassing business was looking 

 rather slim to the Colonel, when sud- 

 denly a bright idea seized him. He is 

 subject to such spells. The idea he had 

 seemed to please him, and with a 

 jaunty step he crossed the street to the 

 tavern and entered the bar-room where 

 were congregated 3 or 4 farmers and the 

 regular complement of village idlers. With 

 a winning smile on his face he called up all 

 hands and bought the drinks, said drinks 

 consisting only of some warm lemon pop 

 and a potent article of whiskey. All but 

 2 of the assemblage took whiskey. Then 

 everybody went out and sat on the piazza 

 in the shade. 



"What fine scenery you have about here," 

 remarked the Colonel, "and what a chance 



for all kinds of outdoor sports ! I wonder 

 more city people don't come here. Best 

 of places for camping, boating, fishing, golf, 

 etc." 



A long, lank, chin-whiskered granger 

 spat on an unoffending rosebush, and 

 '"'lowed that they was a putty tollable 

 chance for campin' round these parts.' 



"I don't believe the beauties of this lo- 

 cality have been properly advertised," pur- 

 sued the Colonel. "If people knew more 

 of this part of the country there would be 

 plenty of campers here during the whole of 

 the summer and fall. The farmers could 

 get city prices for butter, eggs, milk, poul- 

 try, etc., and the people of this village 

 would have a rushing trade in all lines; 

 Now there is the 'Daisy Shooting and 

 Fishing Club' of our city, with about 60 

 members. They leave town in September, 

 and want a place nearer home than the one 

 where they have formerly camped. There 

 are plenty of other clubs, too, that would 

 be glad to come here. The members of 

 these associations are wealthy, and like to 

 spend their money when they are out. If 

 the people here are enough interested in 

 the matter to build boats, furnish guides, 

 etc., I shall correspond with the managers 

 of these clubs, with a view to getting them 

 to locate here. This is the reason I am 

 canvassing for this sportsmen's magazine 

 f.o-day. I wish to find out what the senti- 

 ment is here in regard to having these clubs 

 come here for their annual vacation, and to 

 this end I am looking up the sportsmen 

 of the place. I am sure it would be to the 

 interest of this town and surrounding 

 country to have outsiders come here. 

 Well, I must be getting back to camp." 



He rose to go, when the long, chin-whis- 

 kered farmer spoke : 



"What sort of a book is this here maga- 

 zine you're a takin' orders for?" 



The Colonel produced his samples, but 

 did not have to do any talking. He secured 

 5 subscriptions on the spot. 



On the morning of the second day after 

 the occurrences just related, as we sat 

 quietly fishing from the shore, a freckled 

 frowsy urchin with a cedar fishpole and 

 one suspender hove in sight. He came over 

 to where we sat, and gazed intently at the 

 Colonel. 



"Say, mister," he said after a moment's 

 hesitation, "you've got 'em." 



"What is it, sonny?" said the Colonel, 

 looking at the freckled youth in some sur- 

 prise. 



"I say you've got 'em, all right enough." 



The Colonel looked at his bobber float- 

 ing placidly in the stream, and then at the 

 boy. 



"What's the matter with you, kid?" he 

 said. "What have I got?" 



"The folks over in town," 



