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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
WITH THE
TRAVELERS.
A Drummer's Yarn.
urn, done pretty well this year, the crops
came in first-rate, and then Josiah had
four or five head of cattle to turn off, and he
proposed I should have a sewin' machine.
Though we don't coo at each other so much as
some do, my pardner, Josiah. is attached to me
with a firm and almost cast-iron dtvotedness.
But I said to him : "Josiah, I had rather
Tirzah Ann would have an organ, because if she
is ever goin' to learn to play, now is the time.
And I have got a couple of sewin' machines that
have run pretty well for upwards of—well, it
ain't no matter how many years, but quite a
number, anyway."
But Josiah hung on to that machine, and
Tirzah Ann seemed sot on her organ, and
finally, Josiah ups, and says he: " I will get
both on 'em." And Tirzah and me thought we
would let him have his head in the matter.
So it got out that we was goin' to buy a sewin'
machine and a organ. Wall, we made up our
minds on Friday, pretty late in the afternoon,
and on Monday forenoon I was a washin', when
I heard a knock at the front door, and I wrung
my hands out of the water, and went and
opened it.
A slick-lookin' feller stood there, and I in-
vited him in and set him a chair.
'' I hear you are a-talkin' of buy in' a musical
instrument for your daughter,'' says he.
'' No,'' says I, " we are goin' to buy a organ.''
" Wall," says he, " I want to advise you. Not
that I have any interest in ic at all, only I don't
want to see you imposed upon. It makes me
mad to see a Methodist imposed upon. I lean
toward that perswa'sion my*elf. Organs are
liable to fall to pieces any minute. There
hain't no dependence on 'em at all ; the insides
of 'em are liable to break out any minute. If
you have any regard for your own welfare and
safety, you will buy a piano. Not that I have
any interest in advising you, only my stern de-
votion to the cause of right. Pianos never wear
out."
" Where should we go to get one ? " says I,
for I didn't want Josiah to throw away his
property.
" Wai," says he, "as it happens, I guess I
have got one out here in the wagon. I believe
I threw one into the bottom of the wagon this
mornin', as I was a-comin' down by here on
business. I am glad now that I did, for it al-
ways makes me feel ugly to see a Methodist im-
posed upon."
Josiah came into the house in a few minutes,
and I told him about it; and says I : "How
lucky it is, Josiah, that we found out about Josiah had to milk after dark. And says Josiah,.
as we was eat in' supper after bed-time :
organs before it was too late ! "
" Samantha, as for standin' it so much longer,
But Josiah asked the price and said he wasn't
goin' to pay out no $300, for he wuzzn't able. I can't and won't. It's a-runnin' you down,
But the man asked if we was willin to have it and l a m sp'ilin' my clothes a crawlin' under
brought into the house for a spell—we could do that barn so much, to say nothin' of fillin' my
as we was a mind to about buyin' it; and, of hair and mouth with dirt and straw and
course, we couldn't refuse, so Josiah almost feathers." He helped himself again to the
broke his back a-liftin' it. And they sot it up in cherry pie, and says, with a gloomy expression
the parlor, atd after dinner the man went away. onto his face : " There has got to be a change. "
" How is there goin' to be a change ?'' says I.
Wai, this took place about noon. I had a
" I'll tell you," says he in a whisper, for fear
awful headache, and I told Josiah, says I V How
I am goin' to tusselwith them agents this after- some on 'em was prowl in' round the house yet.
noon I don't know, enjoy in' such poor health as " We will get up before light to-morrow mornin'
and go to Jonesville and buy a organ right out."
I do to-day."
I fell in with the idea, and we started for
When I felt well I could get along with 'em
better, but it didn't seem to me as if I could Jonesville the next mornin'. We got there jest
argue with 'em all the afternoon, feelin' as I did, after the break of day, and bought it of the man
and Josiah had got to go up into the woods to at the breakfast table. Says Josiah to me, after-
ward, as we were goin' down into the village :
work."
" Let's keep dark about buying one, and see
Says Josiah : "I'll fix 'em. I'll set a trap jest
how many of the creeters will be a besettin' on
outside at the gate, and ketch 'em in it.''
Sajs I : "That won't do no good, Josiah ; for us to-day."
Says I: " You must love to be haunted by 'em
if you should disable 'em I should only have 'em
to take care of, and if you should ketch one in better than I do."
Says he : " I ' d love to fool 'em. "
it the rest could get over the fence.''
Says I : " It's jest about such foolin' as the
Says Josiah : " Can't I fix the clothes line so
little boy done that let his father whip him
it would trip 'em up ? "
through a mistake, jest to fool his father." But
" Not in the daytime," says I, depress.edly.
" Take that old popgun of Thomas Jefferson's seein' that my companion looked disappointed,
and load it with beet juice, and shoot 'em with I told him that '' wasn 't my way to tell every-
it, and make 'em think you have drawd blood." thing I knew. I should say nothin' about
"Theie haint no beet juice," says I, in a havin' bought one.''
So we kep' still, and there was half a dozen
gloomy tone. " And if there was, how could I
fellers follerin' us round all the time a'most, into
take aim, with my head as it is to-day ? "
" Wai," says Josiah, " I have got to go any- stores and groceries, and the manty-maker's.
way. You lock up the house and go to bed, And they would stop us on the sidewalk, and
argue with us about their organs and pianos.
and mebby you can keep 'em out.''
And so I did, as soon as Josiah started off. I One fellow, a tall, slim chap, he never let Josiah
let down the curtains and locked the doors, and outen his sight a minute, and he followed him
laid down. I heard knockin' to the door a after he went after his horse, and walked by the
good many times, and a considerable movin' side of the wagon clear down to the store where
and stampin' round the house, but I never I was, a-arguing all the way about his piano..
stirred till it was time for Josiah to come home, Josiah had bought a number of things and left
and then I roused up and thought I would hang 'em to the store, and when we got there there
on the tea kettle. Well, I jest histed up a stood another one, the organ man, by the side
corner of the window curtain, and I could jest of the things, just like a watch-dog. He knew
see a pair of shinin' boots in front of the parlor Josiah would have to come and get 'em, and he
door. I went to the other window, and there I could get the last word with him.
Among other things, Josiah had bought a
could see the hull on him. It was that piano
man. I went into the kitchen, jest as still as I barrel of salf, and the piano-feller that had stuck
could, and I heard a talkin' on the piazza, and I to Josiah so tight all day, offered to help Josiah
peeked through a hole in the curtain, and there on with it. And the organ-man, not going to
sot two of 'em ; one a sewin' machine man, and be outdone by the other, he offered too. Josiah
the other a organ ; so they was friendly to each kinder winked to me, and then he held the old
mare and let 'em lift. They wasn't used to
other, and sot together.
such kind of work, and it fell back on 'em once
As I stood there, the organ man spoke up.
" They must be to home pretty soon, and I or twice, and most squashed 'em; but they
guess that piano feller will find that I can stick hipped to, and lifted agin, and finally got it on.
But they was completely tuckered out.
it out as long as he can," says he.
And then Josiah got in and thanked 'em for
'' Yes,'' says the other feller, '' and I guess
that t'other feller will find that he can't tucker the liftin', and the organ-man, a-wipln' the
sweat offen his face, that had started out in his
out me if he should stay here all night."
Thinks I : " Mebby I can slip out the back haid labor, said he '' should be down to-morrow
door and fill the tea kettle,'' but I '11 be hanged mornin'," and the piano-man, a pantln' for
if one didn't set there on the back stoop, lookin' bieath, told Josiah "not to make up his mind
down the road that led to Jonesville, as close as till he came. He should be down that night
if he got rested enough."
a cat would watch a rat hole.
And then Josiah told 'em that '' he should be
I went back to my room again, wore out and
depressed, and I wished Josiah would come. I glad to see 'em down a-visiting any time, but
peeked out of the winder toward the barn to see he had just bought a organ."
I don't know but what they would have laid
if I could see him, and happenin' to cast my eye
down toward the ground, I see one of his boots holt of Josiah if they hadn't been so tuckered
stick out a little ways from under the barn ; then out, but as it was they was too beat out to look
I see that he had got as far as the barn before he anything but sneakin'. And so we drove off.
The manty maker had told me that day that
see 'em, and then he hid. I knew there
wouldn't be no gettin' him into the house, till the there was two or three new agents with new
enemy had dispersed, but yet it was a satisfaction kinds of machines jest come to Jonesville, and I
to know that my companion was so near to me. was jest a-tellin' Josiah on it when we met a
Wall, they never went away so Josiah could middle-aged man, and he looked at us pretty
come out of his hidin' place and I could get sup- close, and finally he asked us as he went by us,
per, till sundown, and I had to get supper and '' If we could tell him where Josiah Allen lived.''