world of
good; and although you are not worth a single dollar to-day, if you will
always refrain from drinking, keep your head level and attend to
business, you will be a rich man some day. Now, remember what I tell
you."

I told him if I met with the same success in the future as in the past,
I felt certain of the need of a level head to manage my business.

He assured me that no matter what the past had been,--the more rocky it
had been, the smoother the future would be.

I worked in Adrian about two weeks, meeting with splendid success, which
of course enabled me to return the two dollars to my newly-made friend.
From there I went to Hillsdale, and at a drug store kept by French &
Son, I bought the ingredients for the manufacture of my polish.

It was my custom to take down the names of every housekeeper who
patronized me, and read them to the next person I called upon.

When I started out in the morning, on my first day's work, Mr. French's
son laughed at me, and said he guessed I wouldn't sell much of my dope
in that town.

On returning to the store at noon he inquired with considerable
interest how business was.

I reported the sale of over a dozen bottles,--small ones at fifty cents
and large ones at one dollar. He seemed to doubt my word, and asked to
see my list of names. I read them to him, and as we came to the name of
Mrs. French he threw up both hands and said:

"I'll bet you never sold her a bottle. Why, she is my mother!"

"No matter if she is your grandmother; I sold her one of the dollar
bottles."

He cried out:

"Great Heavens! father, come here and see what this man has done. He has
sold mother a four-ounce bottle of dope for a dollar, that he buys from
us by the gallon!"

Mr. French, Sr. said he guessed there must be some mistake about that. I
assured him it was true.

Then the young man suddenly exclaimed:

"See here, I wish you would go to my house and see if you can sell my
wife a bottle. She always prides herself on getting rid of agents."

"Well, I wonder if your mother doesn't think she can 'fire them out'
pretty well, too?" inquired the father.

"Yes, but I'll bet he can't sell to my wife," ejaculated the young man.

"Tell me where you live."

He pointed out the house, and said he would not go to dinner till I
reported.

I made the call, and returned in about thirty minutes with two dollars
of his wife's money. She had taken one bottle for herself and one for
her mot