After trying to lead my man into conversation, I would spring the real subject of my talk quite suddenly.
“Oh, by the way, Mr. Smith, how would you like to have a nice family bible?”
Mr. Smith.—“A bible, eh? Oh, I have the old bible that mother gave us when we were married.”
Agent.—“Yes, I know. But we have a bible that discounts anything you ever heard of. It is a facsimile of an English bible that sells across the water for forty-five dollars. We are only charging twenty-two, and you pay only three dollars a month, without interest. It is the finest thing on the market today. Other publishers are dying to get our secret, because we are selling at less than it would cost them to manufacture the same article.
Mr. Smith.—“Your bible must be a mighty fine one to cost twenty-two dollars.”
Agent.—“Right you are. In the first place, it is printed on the very finest quality of white linen paper. Its cover is a superior quality of Morocco leather; the type is large and clean; the full-page engravings are executed on steel in the finest manner; it has the old as well as the new testament, enriched with parallel references and a fine biblical dictionary referred to in marginal notes. In addition to all this, it has elegant blanks for a marriage certificate, and a family record, together with the illuminated Lord’s prayer and the ten commandments, all on separate and decorated pages. To cap the whole thing and to give this bible a special ‘tone,’ there is a Swiss music box in it which plays twelve different hymns. Every time you open the bible you have the benefit of a choir, and if you ever feel like staying home from church just take down the good book, have your little boy fall asleep by the fire, and you’ll have a ‘meeting’ of your own—psalms, hymns, services and all. Why, man, it is the most complete and beautiful thing of the kind you ever saw, and if you don’t agree with me, on your honor, I’ll give you fifty dollars.”
Mr. Smith.—“Whew. You’re a long-winded feller. I know that bible is fine, but I just haven’t got the money for it.”
Agent.—“You’ll admit a good bible, clear type, solid binding, spring back and up-to-date is something every Christian household should possess; and how often are you called upon to invest in one? Once in a lifetime; and when you do, you ought to buy carefully. A good bible is like every first-class article. It pays for itself in the long run, and the difference in price is always well worth paying. Think of the satisfaction of owning a genuine good article, that you will not have to replace in a lifetime. Besides, it is a staple ornament in a man’s home and speaks for his morals and fear of the Lord—which, you know, is the beginning of wisdom. Better let me put your name down.”
Mr. Smith (hesitatingly).—“I ought to see Maria first.”
Agent.—“This is the time you don’t want to see Maria, because you want to surprise her. This bible business is a new venture with us, and this is my first trip out. But next trip I want to do an immense business, and I would like to get a book in here as a sort of an advance advertisement. I’ll tell you what I’ll do. If you won’t say a word about it to a soul, and will give me your order, I’ll knock off seven dollars from the price and make it an even fifteen dollars. And I’ll also cut the payments to five cents per day—just one little, round nickel every twenty-four hours—till it’s all done and paid for. And I’ll tell you, my friend, if I ever expected to be prosperous and have what the world calls a run of good luck it would be while I was buying a bible. What do you say?”