rant of the condition of the American people. If
they have heard of America, that is about all, with
some in higher walks of life. In Germany, the seat
of literature in Europe, as much ignorance was be
trayed with regard to America and her people, as in
Italy and Switzerland. On page 170, volume 2, of
her letters, she says : " We are sometimes amused
at the questions that are asked us, such as,
4 Whether English is spoken in America ? ' ; A
gentleman asked me, " Whether we came from
New Orleans or New York ? " as if they were our
only cities ; and another said, in good faith, ' Of
course there is no society except in New York ! '
Oh, genii locorum of our little inland villages,
forgive them ! "
" We are, too, often reminded how far our country
is from this. Yesterday, a Russian gentleman said
to K., ' Who is the sovereign of your country,
miss ?' * Mr. Van Buren is the President of the
AND RECOLLECTIONS.
205
United States.' ' Ah, yes, but I have heard the
name of Jackson. He sprang from the lower class,
did he not ? ' ' Pray what is the title of the chiefs
of the lesser departments ? ' :
Such ignorance, Dear F., would be unpardonable
in a school-boy ten years of age, in the United
States.
18
LETTER XXV.
Parting with Friends Farm Life in Watertown Good Farming-
Castles in the Air Bookselling Parents Obligation to Children.
MY DEAR F. :
Associations ever so pleasantly formed, have to be
broken up sooner or later, by separation. It was
with a pang of regret that I took the parting hand
of loved friends in Boston, and it would have been
hard to be reconciled to this removal, had it not
been to my own native place, and to the very home of
my childhood. The death of my mother had left a
vacancy in the old home, which nothing earthly
could fill, and my father had no heart to engage in
his farming business alone, nor was there any neces
sity for it, at his time of life. By his solicitation,
we removed there in March 1859, and commenced a
farmer life ; had our object been to lesson labor, we
should have failed accomplishing it, for with an in
crease of business came an increase of labor and
care. Farming is the most healthful and indepen
dent way of living, in the world, and then the bread
and butter of one's own raising, tastes sweeter than
AND RECOLLECTIONS. 207
any other ; besides, good farming is profitable and
sure business. Horace Greeley, in one of his agri
cultural addresses, said he never heard a man com
plain of farming being poor business, but that was
a poor farmer. This is, perhaps, true of every
other business. The light of science has given a
new impetus to agriculture, and made it a more
attractive calling for young men who have, hitherto,
sought their fortunes in the unhealthy atmosphere of
the city, contaminating to both mental and physical
health. If parents wish to kill their sons outright,
as sure a way as it can be accomplished is, to shut
them up in a shop or counting-room of the city,
away from the invigorating air of the country.
Of the three years farmer life we spent in Jeffer
son County, you have some account in another cor
respondence, and of my reluctance to leave old,
familiar associations, and come among a strange
people. This was done, as you have seen by a peru
sal of that correspondence, with a view of bettering
our circumstances in a possession of a home of our
own. When age begins to creep upon us, the re
flection is not as pleasant as it might be, that we
have no shelter for our heads when night approaches.
It is an easy matter to sit and devise plans for the
future, and listen to suggestions upon which to build
castles in the air. All of this is accomplished often
in less time than I have taken to write it. But there
208 PERSONAL SKETCHES
is a little more stern reality in the fact of laboring
early and late, out of doors and in, for a succession
of years to accomplish this object with a hope of the
realization of your day-dreams, and a deprivation of
everything but the bare necessities of life, and at a
point when you expected to rest under a vine of
your own planting, to have the whole dashed from
you with a few pen-strokes, and transferred to the
hands of another, by one who laid the foundation
for this air-castle. That these trials in life, all have
their uses in the allotments of Providence, there is
no doubt, though we fail of discovering them at the
time, and their crushing weight sometimes drives
hope from us, and we know not which way to turn ;
either way we see nought but darkness.
I have been drawing no fancy sketch, dear F.,
but one in which all the characters are real.
Being well aware that the ordinary wages that
women can command, in these times, would not be
sufficient to accumulate a sum in ten years, that
would build a shelter for our heads, to say nothing
about expenses of food and clothing. The winter pre
vious to this I had taught a district school, two and a
half miles from our residence, and drove a horse there
and back, every day ; not staying from home a
single night in the time. More snow fell during that
winter than any previous one since our residence
here, and more than any one since that time ; more
AND RECOLLECTIONS. 209
than half the distance to the school-house, was a
north and south road, and piled full up to the tops
of the fences a part of the way. Sometimes the
horse would be nearly buried in the drifts. At this
juncture of affairs, my husband's health was very
poor as it had been for years, and our two children,
but six and seven years of age. I tried to think of
all the employments women ever engaged in, and
none seemed so feasible as selling: books. This was
entirely new and strange business, but I' resolved to
try it, knowing full well that, I never should succeed
in anything, without trying first. Leaving my chil
dren in somebody's else care, was the most objection
able part of my plan, and, as some of my friends
have expressed a wonder that I could do it, I will
here say that, I never should have undertaken the
task of travelling and selling books, had I not others
depending in a measure on my exertions for a sup
port. I could have got along, myself, some way,
without that extra exertion, but the idea of children
at that tender age, being without a home, nerved
me up to efforts which no other earthly inducement
could have prompted. I look upon it as one of the
greatest evils of society, and one involving more
crime than any in the long catalogue of evils, for
parents to be the means of bringing children into
existence whom they are unable to provide for, in a
comfortable manner, until they have the capacity to
18*
210 PERSONAL SKETCHES.
provide for themselves, and next to it is, the foolish
indulgence of some parents in the other direction,
that is, not impressing upon childrens' minds the
necessity of industrious habits, and thus acqiiiring,
gradually, a knowledge of the means of helping
themselves to an honorable living, either by their
education or the labor of their hands. It is a fine
thing in these days of fickle fortunes, to have an
education, and know how to labor in addition to it. ,
There is but little danger of children, or anybody
else having too much practical knowledge, neither
boys nor girls.
LETTEK XXVI.
Commenced Travelling and Selling Books First Field in Parishville
Incidents in the Trade Jefferson County Parishville and
Watertown Printing Offices turned into Cigar Factories.
MY DEAK F. :
Having once made a resolve to become a travelling
bookseller, I commenced at first on a very small
scale by way of experiment. I started with a horse
and carriage about the 20th of August, 1856. I
had never, then, nor have I, yet, heard of but one
female book-pedlar in Northern New York, besides
myself; that was Miss Mendell, of Ellisburgh, who
is now dead ; she died in Philadelphia before I com
menced the trade. We had always kept our de
nominational books, and a few others, for the accom
modation of such as we happened to meet at home
and away, so my first stock was already on hand.
Parishville was the first place that I ventured to go,
and this was but six miles from our residence. On
the way I called at some houses where I was well
acquainted, with a beating heart, but with better
success than I had anticipated. I took another
212 PEKSQNAL SKETCHES
route home through the corner of Stockholm, and
when the night had come I was again at home, hav
ing travelled twelve < miles, and sold five dollars
worth of books. The next day I took a larger
variety with me, and sold ten dollar's worth ; at this
rate my little stock was soon going to be exhausted,
so I wrote to Boston and ordered another large lot,
among them a variety of children's books, all Colored
and full of plates. For the benefit of beginners in the
business, I will give it as my opinion that juvenile
books of the right stamp, ought to be a large share of
the outfit of those who engage in the business, for two
reasons ; they are the more profitable, and they do
so much good to those families who never go to a
book store, and, consequently, were it not that ped
lars carry them to the door, they would never get
them. It has been a great satisfaction to me, in my
peregrinations in out-of-the-way places, to see little
bright eyes glisten when they gathered around my
basket of beautiful toy books, and very often when
I have taken my departure, and thanked the parents
for their liberal patronage, they have assured me
that they considered themselves the party under
obligation. Here, then, was a mutual blessing, they,
rejoicing in the opportunity of purchasing the need
ed article in their own houses, and I, that I made
them and myself the better off for the call. One
man in the extreme south of Jefferson County, who
AND RECOLLECTIONS. 213
never leaves the immediate neighborhood of his
residence, more than once a year ; but who, with his
family have a love for books, and no opportunity to
purchase them within fifteen miles of home, bought
bountifully of me every time I called at his house,
and has frequently expressed his thankfulness that I
had been sent to him ; for, by that means, he said,
he had been permitted to read books which he never
should have known had been published, " Why,"
he would say, in his eccentric manner, " you are
doing more good than any preacher in the country."
In the four or five times that I stopped at his house,
he purchased from twelve to fifteen dollars worth of
books, and, instead of its making him poorer, he was
the richer. This world's goods are not the best
riches after a man has got enough for his comfort,
and, what is better, there are hundreds of people
that are well aware of it, and for their own good
there ought to be more.
One man, in the town of Parishville, has bought
of me, in the three years of my travelling, nearly
one hundred dollars' worth of books. After the
amount had reached nearly seventy dollars, I asked
him if he would take what they had cost him, now
he had read them, and have them taken out of his
house, and never see them again ; " No," he said,
" not as long as I have enough to eat and wear with
out it." But there are striking contrasts to this
214 PERSONAL SKETCHES
value of reading matter, in the estimation of some
people, I am sorry to say, as an incident which I
will relate will show you ; and before relating it, I
will caution you not to think it must have occurred
away up here in the " south woods ; " no, not here,
for I am happy to state that I have never happened
to " light on " such a man as that in St. Lawrence
County ; and, for fear you will be charging it upon
some of the innocent people up on " John Brown's
Tract," in Lewis County, or the barren hills of
Clinton County, or in some back woods in Canada,
for you know I have been in all these places, I am
just going to tell you where it was. "Well, it was
right in "WatertoAvn, not more than three miles from
the village ; but " don't tell of it," for that is the
very town, you know, I have told you so many
good things about, in my former letters, because I
was born and " brought up " there. Now for the
incident. It was on a lovely street, that I had not
been for years, though I was somewhat acquainted
with the inhabitants. The house was one of the
most beautiful in all that locality. As I neared it,
the first object that attracted my attention, was the
large quantity of green lattice-work surrounding it.
This was loaded with flowering vines, and the season
was that in which nature puts on her liveliest dress.
The building itself was snowy white, with green
blinds, and the profusion of lattice-work spoken of.
AND RECOLLECTIONS. 215
Ah, thought I, as I stepped from the carriage, here
is a very tasty man's dwelling ; he must have studied
all the books and papers on rural architecture, and
here, in this beautiful home, he has put his knowl
edge to good practical account. I stepped on to the
piazza and rapped on the front door, for there was
no bell, and a gruff voice inside, said " Come in."
As I opened the door, a cloud of pent up tobacco
smoke met me in the face, so thick that you could
cut it with a knife. A strong breeze which was
blowing from the lake, soon cleared the way for an
entrance, and as I said "good evening," I made the
discovery that the man was one whom I had known
in former years. He and his young wife sat near
together, both smoking long pipes, and the lady was
nursing a baby. After I had taken a seat and the
usual complimentary salutations had passed, I said ;
Well, J., you see I have turned book-pedlar. Let
me sell you some books." " Books ! " he exclaimed,
" what do I want of them ? " " Why, to read, of
course." " I never read a book in my life, and I
would rather have one pipe full of good tobacco,
than all the books you could bring me." This, I
had no reason to doubt, and, for the want of any
thing more appropriate, I said, "I presume your
reading is all from newspapers ; how many do you
take?" "I have kept house twenty years, and
never took a newspaper in my life." The best part
216 PERSONAL SKETCHES
of this anecdote is, that before I left the house he
bought a book. A new era in his life had com
menced ; but I never had any means of knowing
what use he made of his book, for I never have seen
him since ; perhaps he used a leaf at a time to light
his pipe with. That night I spent at one of his
near neighbors, also an acquaintance ; and his wife
said that she could testify to the truth of his never
taking a newspaper, for if the woman wanted to cut
a pattern, she always asked her for a paper. I ad
vised my friend to take one paper, at least, so that
he could know how to vote, understandingly. And
for a little fun, I told him if he didn't I would have
him sent to Barnum's Museum as a natural curiosity.
I have never found in my travels, besides himself,
but one man, who did not take a newspaper for his
family, who could read, and this one did not make it
a rule never to take one. Imagine, dear F., the
consequences of every family in the United States
following the example of this one ; the printing-
offices would all have to be converted into cigar or
tobacco factories, and the host of printers and book
makers go South, and take up their hoes in culti
vation of the weed. A picture would be presented
to the world, that even the puffers and chewers
would turn from in disgust. But I will leave this
filthy subject for a separate place.
LETTER XXVII.
Progress in my Business Too much Labor for Strength All mY
Labor in a small Compass Absurdity of the Idea of the Book
Trade ever being Exhausted Importance of Parents Keeping
Suitable Books on hand for Children.
MY DEAK F. :
Until the Spring of 1857, which was the time we
were obliged to move, I constantly worked at book
selling, and left my children at home with a hired
woman, never staying away from home over a week
or ten days at a time. This was a sufficient length
of time to test the expediency of any further trial in
my new business, and then a change must be made in
our household arrangements. We had got a house
put up but not finished, and our new farm was let
out upon shares. I had forgotten to mention that
we were in debt for another piece of land oppo
site our dry forty acre lot, for the purpose of getting
water, for I suppose you are farmer enough to know
that a farm without water is like a gun without a
lock useless. Our whole farm was then large
19
218 PERSONAL SKETCHES
enough for all purposes of our use, nearly ninety
acres. Every cent of my book profits up to the
time of breaking up house-keeping, was paid out
for building, and other improvements ; and my hus
band had got an appointment in the business of col
lecting subscriptions for the St. Lawrence University
so we were both earning money faster than ever we
had been able to do before. About this time I made
arrangements with my sister to keep my children
one year, and send them to school with her own
and trust to Providence for a recompense. I told
her if I succeeded in my business, I would pay her
one hundred dollars for her care of my children,
and their board. Accordingly, once in three months
I paid her twenty-five dollars. This, with the school-
books and clothing, amounted to about one hundred
and twenty dollars for the year, which I paid, faith
fully, per agreement, and every cent of it from my
own profits. This was but a small share of my earn
ings that year, but the balance was all used for paying
up old debts, and in improvements on the farm, after
my own expenses were paid, including one hundred
and fifty dollars my father gave me. In that year I
sold fifteen hundred dollars' worth of books. Do
not imagine that I spent many idle hours, for I labor
ed incessantly in all sorts of weather, often exposing
my health in a manner I would not advise any one
else to do, neither shall I again ; but I felt a necessity
AND RECOLLECTIONS. 219
for It, then. My ambition mingled with hopes of " a
good time coming," ran away with my strength. I
have now a settled rheumatism in my left shoulder,
no doubt induced by taxing its strength beyond
endurance, in carrying books, and a constant expo
sure to the cold. I did not foresee this result at the
time, or I could have prevented it, in a measure, by
making my burden lighter. This is only another
proof that a fearful penalty awaits the transgressor
of physical, as well as moral laws ; and no matter
how worthy the cause engaged in, the feat is inexor
able. A pirate vessel well directed, and sound in
all its parts, will go safely across the ocean, at the
same time that a missionary vessel, with a hole in
the bottom, would sink. My peregrinations were
not all by private conveyance, but they were in a
very limited circle : they extended no farther east,
than Lake Champlain, nor west, beyond Rochester,
and Prince Edward's County, in Canada. Nine
tenths of the books I have sold, have been sold in
the three counties, Franklin, St. Lawrence, and Jef
ferson. At the first glance of this small territory,
one would naturally conclude that, but a very small
ampunt of business of this kind could be done ; but,
if I were to continue the business ten more years, I
should not want any more territory than this, and then
the great failure would be, in the lack of time to visit
a third part of the towns. Not half of the towns in
220 PERSONAL SKETCHES
these three counties have I ever been in, nor a tenth
part of the streets in the towns where I have been ;
nor have I seen one fourth of the families, on the
streets I have been. Very often the people have
made the remark to me, that they " should think I
would get the community supplied with books after a
while." This is a very absurd remark. When
Mrs. Partington gets the Atlantic ocean wiped up
with her mop, then St. Lawrence County will be
supplied with books, and not before. The old lady
was pretty good at small slops, but the ocean was
" quite an undertaking." You* might as well talk
about getting the county supplied with beef and
+ potatoes ; after a person has partaken of a good din
ner one day, his appetite is just as good for the next
day's repast. The more books there are sold in any
g| place, the larger the demand, as I know full well by
experience. The very places where I have sold the
most books, are the best fields of labor for the book-
. seller. Sometimes it takes a good deal of drilling
to convince a family that money expended for books
is a good investment, but, after persuading them to
buy one, the next sale comes easier. Many a family
accumulates a library in this way, which the money
it cost would be a small temptation to part with. I
have, in my mind, severaj such, who have purchased
almost every book they own, a few at a time, of me.
I have often heard parents complain, that their chil-
AND RECOLLECTIONS. 221
dren had no taste for reading'; and such, I have
always observed had no books, or at most, a last
year's almanac and a bible. I have seen and become
acquainted with a great many children, but I never
saw one that could not be attracted with the right
kind of a book for its capacity, if commenced with
at a right age. This fact I have tried to impress
upon parents, in my teaching-school days, before I
had any special interest in the sale of books. The
time has been when parents honestly thought their
duty was done in that direction, when they had
bought a spelling book and reader for their children,
and that, not till after they had commenced going to
school. There are more books torn to pieces by
children who never see one more than once a year,
than by such as have them to handle ; so they become
familiar with their value at a very early age. As
soon as a child is old enough to hold a book open,
and turn the leaves over, it is old enough to own a
picture book.
19*
LETTER XXVIII.
Gratitude for Favors Kind Treatment and Liberal Patronage
Forbearance of Creditors Means of success in selling Valuable
Books American Portrait Gallery Livingston's Travels Re
collections of a Life Time, by S. G. Goodrich Horace Greeley's
opinion of Biographies.
MY DEAR F. :
I have dwelt somewhat in particulars, in my last
two or three epistles, as it seemed necessary to give ,
you an idea of the causes which operated to drive
one into an unusual field of labor for women. Of
course there have been a few Mrs. Prims and Miss
Chatty s, who thought it was " very improper," but
these have never treated me any other way than
well, in my presence, and have laid no particular
obstruction in my path. I could not reasonably
expect any thing further of them. On the other
hand, words would fail were I to attempt to express
my thanks to those who have assisted me with their
liberal patronage, recommendations, and hospitality ;
they have all been poured out with an unsparing
hand, to make bright my pathway, and I feel now
that it is impossible for me to repay them, so great
AND RECOLLECTIONS. 223
is my obligation. It is somewhat remarkable that,
as far as my business is concerned, I have never met
with any but the kindest treatment, and I have
dealt with thousands of people. I have read and
heard of those engaged in similar business, and have
seen some ladies in the cars, merely travelling short
routes, who have complained of ill-treatment from
baggage-masters and conductors ; but my observa
tion and experience have all been on the " angel
side " of human nature. My habit has always been
to speak respectfully and treat with civility all whose
business it was to wait upon me in public places,
and, without an exception that has been the kind of
treatment I have received in return, for the three
years I was constantly travelling. Rail-road con
ductors, baggage-masters, steamboat captains, stage
drivers, and hotel keepers, have all been perfect gen
tlemen, and generally patronized me liberally.
I have sold and bought books on credit to large
amounts, and have never, out of hundreds of cases,
and many of them entire strangers on the start,
found more than four or five who did not meet their
obligations as they agreed ; and these, the majority
of them, lacked ability as well as disposition to pay.
I have but one, now in my mind, who showed a dis
position to be dishonest, and this one was a girl, a
fresh importation from Erin's Isle : she failed in the
attempt.
224 PERSONAL SKETCHES
It seems to be quite a satisfaction to some talkers
and writers, to villify human nature by putting their
morals and practices to the lowest ebb ; but the facts