any man could make a living with
such a thing, and foolishly asked if I ever sold any of it.

I answered his question by asking if I had not sold him two bottles, as
well as three other men in his presence; and asked if he was in the
habit of buying everything he saw, whether he needed it or not. He said
he bought it because he thought it a valuable article to have in the
house, and was going to send it to his wife.

He asked what my price would be per week to work for him. I told him it
was strictly against my principles to work on a salary and would prefer
to engage on commission even if I didn't make as much money.

He explained that he usually remained in a town from three days to a
week and sold on the street during the evening and Saturday afternoons.
He offered me twenty-five dollars per week and all expenses, or five per
cent. on all my gross sales and all expenses. I accepted the latter,
provided he would not expect me to do anything but sell goods at the
times specified. This suited him and I started with him that afternoon
for the West. He informed me that the auctioneer he had been employing
drank too much liquor and was in consequence unfit for duty half the
time. I assured him that he would experience no such trouble with me.

He said that was one reason why he concluded to take me, and confessed
that had I accepted his invitation to take a drink he would never have
given me the position.

During our first ten miles' ride I was racking my brain for something to
say when I should jump up to make my first sale. I had never sold a
dollars' worth of goods of any kind at auction, and the only experience
of a similar nature that I had ever had was the four days' sale of prize
soap.

However, I valued that four days' experience very highly at that
juncture as I felt that it was experience, at any rate, and would no
doubt help me in the way of giving me self-confidence.

Fortunately for me, the first town we stopped at had the license so very
high that we could not afford to pay it, and decided to continue
westward and postpone our first sale till the next night. This gave me
an opportunity for further study, which I grasped eagerly.

I slept but little that night, but spent the time in manufacturing a
line of talk on the different kinds of goods handled by my employer, and
the preparation of a suitable opening speech.

At any rate, the next evening when we drove into Blissfield, Michigan, I
determined t