[figure description] Page 125.[end figure description]

The other day, Uncle Consider and Aunt Patience
came down to New York to trade. Uncle said he'd go
and buy some jewelry—a black emanuel buzzum-pin
and some antic ear-rings—for the girls, and an onion
seed-sower for the farm; while Aunt Patience went
looking about for a sewing-machine.

After a while Uncle Consider, in his meandering
down Broadway, stumbled into Wilcox & Gibbs's
sewing-machine show-rooms. He saw so many little
machines, and pamphlets, and nice cases around, that
he took it for an agricultural warehouse.

As the old man entered the store, the polite Mr.
Hankey, who always shakes hands with all new customers,
advanced to meet him, saying:

“Good-morning, sir. Can I show you a sew—”

“Good-mornin',” interrupted Uncle Consider, grasping
Mr. Hankey's hand. “How d' do? I kum into
buy—this is a machine store, ain't it?”

“Yes, sir, this is Wilcox & Gibbs's; we sell the best
machines—'

“Well, Mr. Gilcox & Wibbs, I want to buy a sower—
one that will sow all kinds of little truck—a machine
that will sow cotton, will sow—”

“Yes, sir; our machines will sew anything in the
world, and gather, and tuck, and ruffle, and fell, and

[figure description] Page 126.[end figure description]

hem, and puff; and we send a binder and a feller with
it—fifty-six dollars, sir, for the plain machine, and—”

“You say it will bind as well as sow?”

“Certainly, sir; bind anything in the world.”

“And gather, too?”

“Anything, sir.”

“And sow anything we may have to sow on the
farm?” asked Uncle Consider in amazement.

“Sew anything and everything, as straight as a
clothes-line,” replied Mr. Hankey.

“And you sell 'em for fifty-six dollars?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Well, Mr. Gibcox & Wills, then you jes send me up
one of them thar machines that will sow onions, bind
buckwheat, and gather apples,” said the old man, unrolling
his leather wallet and laying six ten-dollar bills
on the counter.

p627-136

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