THE COUNTRY STORE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13739, 21 May 1910, Page 10

THE COUNTRY STORE.

» , '.'_' ANCHORS AND ANCHOVIES ' 'j ISNICIALLI W RUTIN VOH "IHE rBESS/l . A bell over tlio door workod on trigger principle s,-ts v,> a terrified clntter of alarm, .so that thero is no chanc* * of tailing in under taiso colours. I_a boll casts doubt.s upon tbo just and unjust alike. It has no preferences or prejudices. Ii i*. „o iwrt of its duly to niMitun* lino distinctions. It Mmpfr bawls ter tin. ninMoi, aud its resjMttsi. biht.. ceases. Ho may bo fitting at meat with lv ? tannly. Someone makji H prehniinary observation through tj» glu> door with lts garish-colonnj edges and prim lace curtains separating i tho sanctity oi tho home iroia 5 clanguoi oi undid commerce. Or else |v seal filing eye v.v( be gingerly apcW lio i sii.aii circular pv< _.-.,0.0 nt t te I.nok oi mo mi,.ji ui.oii i, mi ii tho Jnufo jiu.isii and tuiHipeiicis J»otti mi. Nt revel. v.»ne s M tlj) t uu___ na\o been aonormmly ulmii-i*'. ss v, como Uirou_.ii tne ordeal .-l-u-out quailing. Pi-rn.ips tlio lord oi ui|- Miu.vaid nmiseJi uui advance f& asf ,-itani join command. He edg» goige.s oi luoio-iandise of even* hiijfa, gi.sß.aue-, anion,; Jiummochs. of onL)' o.eiis, ,uid nnuily emei£is uusi.i',l 1 upon mo plateau to w-ucu you aim- tne i-cuntcr are looted, tic ttiU legajrd yon witn nuld hii-__uciou it yoc e.i.u see to be a stranger m mo land, • and > you; lrctlul vast seems to march' c. unit* Jim, in a seiitv, ul inglouous i>a_ • .Vllto . . niiV lomposito odoui cleaving about Iho NiUiiHiy &toio ir> ono ot iu> magi iiiiiniu_.,.>i)io characteristics.. It is a - smell Sot dried linn, coil, of rope no., cliitnes and bacon, .ill toiled, into .no. j'J lie liiyiouieius iic*.-!' vary, llioir viroportioii may diller m diDeri cut caAes— mere may W more ropo i ilian lnlg in the established uioma of • one s.toiVo, and moi«> bacon than ne«clothes i*i that i*l another; but all fotii <■ are inevitably to bo traced. A zest ol last ilugir.'.s kerosene i& i.i'tou con* . ceded by\ way ol Mniinnng \ our voit\) >. seems to! souk up moro readily in 4 "_* t-ouiuiv 11store ttian i_uy\. hero 'else,the mollis lev, and festooned thicklyl" Willi boons, blankets and nigs sprat?' *" ■ jc r.indotn everywhere. ConversatioK liMiiiehedjupon- 1 sea so thick.* stmltled with sliopls nnd shallow., may reason-' ably be j expected to turn up at tho' other n-nu dismusicd and badly " strained.l . -~ ' The country stoic is a vivid epitomo-..' ot local f activities. For 'in ngncititural cowimunity it will play bindef * twine anel plougti reins as trump cards; for dairyijifi there will be calf-meal and * milking bails; lor wool-raising, shears"' and raddle and whetstones; for mining, " "' tin dishe*., shoveta. and gum-boots. An-* oecasionnl acoordeon and llaunting pinlf . si'k handkerchiefs for black-blocks**, irivolity. ' The contents of its shelve.," otherwise sweep the wholo gamut *of. huninn needs. Behind the counter 4$V. tbe old-fashioned treacle-tin painted' " green. with a tap like • ■»' - gate-fastener. Tinned meats . -of \~ tlio moi-e substantial sorts . fiifl'JV an honoured placo, as also do patent, _.§ medicines and tobaccos of tho heavier weights. Hardware of all v\l portly billies, capacious pannikins, fia£"."/i ing pans, nnd cooking pots—gleata' ""'jl from murky corners. Ready-mad_'„';' ? | suits of clothes, and stark white*sliittsf '-'-Jj with pink paper above their ' glossy. *-."•■ chests, hang 111 squat dejection swiiiging wooden staves. A rnddily- '<<.B yellow saddle with flashy surcingle anA Jii tinny stirrup irons, worth half «_:;.'_?! whatever price* may havo been placed upon its pretentious alias looks' ;,'',•.» though it had awaited the arrival 'of f-Jm un uiibopbisticated tenderfoot for yc-Tg.i-i'Jfl Oilskins and plough chains with a saifct-'f of onions underneath, in .|1 with some unwritten Iaw t nearly fflP|i:*"S ways hang check by jowi in a store..' Front it an anchor may 'be \§m diawn as easily as an anchovy. "'•^H The storekeeper often is hutcher baker as, well, As a rule he is agent' . B for a sprinkling of insurance com* *i| panics. He represents a given brand ; 3 'i of sewing machines, and disposes of.;-! bicycles on deferred payments. invariably casts a friendly .eye upon; - g the interests of a daily and v weekljv.'j| nowspaper. He lends /Crockery foe .'is every cnurch tea-meeting, and receive-""".'-' fi payment only wihen anything ,is hro_t-__J',.;i;fi He measures country dandies for new,. ",'ll raiment, of purple, and may be feliocl/i-B upon to do or say the right thmg-af $ § tho right time when' -a noighbon_'s. g heifer- has a turnip fast in its gullet o__.#B the roadman's hack is tied in ii\triiif;-?g lover's knot of barbed wire. He'boy*. |"" H sheeoskins and fat and receives tendej* "*•■ for the Road Board. '^^1 The country storo.is the recogni_«'*J| herald for the country-side. cations of dances, of approachiug cbßß*|l-|{« services, of the next visit of tho p_H->"i''B tuner, of coming stock sales, of concerts in - the schoolroom, all wsH resting-places in tho windows. Tho'_floir|ffft keeper must -provido hitching IW-tJ-ifljlH front, and a spacious yard at the h»*|*lfi| where his clients may pnt up tij&Ufflj traps withouL money "and without piittj&S He must tako chargo of - their, tMmjm and papers. ( Ho must spread' a yorfjt _m over the heads of odd packages, to called for in tho sweet by and hy_./Rfi"?fflj must givo credit from one harv_»t'''t4'<ff| another. He is tho buffer bet-eM||l capital and labour; ho is the rei»si-«#l§i| for the village gossip; ho dresses owR his Sunday best once now and ""thiols and adventures forth to town to M&8 his morchnnt. Ho accumulates weaKlf m his atmosphere of dried ling .#B~.-;»» coils of ropo, and new clothes „ »_-).fi bacon, and finally, ho is called fathers. His son, perhaps, his stead, and he, too, plays his pw'i*S upon a stage decked with portly. -M.M lies and oilskins, patent medicines *WiM blankets, tinned meats and until in tbo fulness of time the cnrtajJ*R,ii falls again. "^"M But the country store goes-ou Mill ever. W&M