Rawlings Institute - Hits and Bits Yearbook (Charlottesville, VA)

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MY EXPERIENCE AS AN AGENT. T was in the year 1872 that I began, using the every-day expression of the country people of my section of the country, to shift for myself. It was no easy matter, I can assure you, to aeeustom myself to regular work, tbr my parents had been wealthy, and I, being the only child, had been spoiled in every conceivable mannen. But now that my parents were old, and had lost all of their hard-earned wealth, I was forced to start out to make my own way, and to support my parents. The inhabitants of the homes and villages adjoining my native home were,tbr the most part, simple, energetic, hard-working people who found both pleasure and enjoyment in the small things of life. Having received a box of stereoscopic views and of stereoscopes, the life of George NVashington and that of Queen Victoria, which I had ordered from New York, I borrowed a horse and buggy from a friend, and on the 12th of June, 1872, I left my dear old home for better or for worse. ' My experiences on 1ny first trip were many and various. Stop- ping one day at a farm house at about twelve o'clock, I was invited in to dinner, which consisted of pork, cabbage, turnips, co1'n bread and butter. After dinner I showed my ff wares. The views pleased the people greatly, so they bought quite a number, but the life of Queen Victoria was an abomination in their sight. IVeuns ain't never heard tell of her, an' the fact is, weuns don't care about havin' no such book of no such woman what weuns don't know nuthin' 'bout, they said. They bought the life of WVashington, however. . Just as I was leaving the old man said to me : Young man, I most in generally gives younguns from the city a talkin' to when I see 'em. It dns me a sight of good, and I ai11't above saying that it dus some on 'em what' s got sense, good too. You seems to have some sense, though you do sell that book 'bout that woman what we don't know nothin' 'bout. Let me say to you that weuns air not like you' uns be, so don' t go 'bout this country with your head high like you air a-stepping on the clouds. I thanked him and followed his advice, greatly to my benefit. NVhile in a small town, I stopped at an old colored man's house one morning. He was much pleased with the views and bought several, but the books met a tt cold reception. ff WVhat for does you sposen I wants to know any more 'bout George IVashington and Queen Vic? I done knowed George all his life. He was de wickedest nigger you eber heard tell of Course I know all 'bout him. YVan't it jus' las' year dat he stole Captin Radnor's bes' horse and were cotched and put in jail? An' de nex' mornin' when dey went fur to look fur him he had broke de jail an' had fell outen de fouth story an' had broke his neck. You needen think you can sell dat book'round here, cause everybody knows George. An' dat 0116 'bout Vic, I don't want dat nuther. I knows dat 'oman. I knows she stole de satin dresses of de 'Squire's young miss, and was put in jail, an' dar she is yit. I did my best to C011Vil1CC him that they were neither the George nor the Victoria of his acquaintance, but he would not be convinced, so I had to leave him wondering why de lives of such miseble niggers was written up in books. It would take too much time and space to mention all of my experiences, so I will conclude. I gave up that work at the end of the year, but I have never regretted the time I spent as an agent, for it had for mc both pleasure and profit.

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Q66 X7 A A AA A-5 QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ A'l' THE DINNER TABLIQ. .Iran S. : The Bible says, ' man cannot live by bread alone.' What does that mean, Mrs. J. ? Mrs. J. : It means we do not gain real life by eating. Katharine T. : 4' Yes, thatis so, we ean't live on bread by itself. Mr. M. told us in Physiology class that fborl must have five chemical substances to nourish the bodyf' Miss H. : HI like 'Tale of Two Cities' better than anything Shakespeare ever wrote, don't you ? Ask Marian N. when she is going to begin her work in her Orphan Asylum. Mr. M., reading in Chapel : Thou feeclest the lilies ofthe air, Thou waterest the birds of the field. Ask Mrs. J. if she has seen anything Black lately. Mr. D. : Miss Winfrey, can you tell me what it costs to have a real nice dress made ? Robbie WV. : H Why, Mr. D., you are not going to have one made are you? Mr. D. : Oh-ah-um-er, not yet ! Inquire of Mr. D., how the U Increase is progressing. Mr. M. QPhysiology Teaeherj: Many of' the diseases of the American people come from eating badly made bread. For instance, so few cooks ever put enough soda in light-bread. Alan IV. : 'f Mrs. J., my hands are all broken out., I am afraid I have got. the chicken pox. Mrs. J. : Don't be alarmed, it is nothing but iudigestionf' Jean S.: N Mrs. J., do you think girls ought to be engaged while they are at school iv' Mrs. J. : Certainly not, I waited until two weeks after I left 73 school.