I was enabled to discharge the onerous duties of this profession, only by that rigid adherence to system which formed the leading feature of my mind.  A scrupulous method characterized my actions as well as my accounts.  In my case it was method —­ not money —­ which made the man:  at least all of him that was not made by the tailor whom I served.  At nine, every morning, I called upon that individual for the clothes of the day.  Ten o’clock found me in some fashionable promenade or other place of public amusement.  The precise regularity with which I turned my handsome person about, so as to bring successively into view every portion of the suit upon my back, was the admiration of all the knowing men in the trade.  Noon never passed without my bringing home a customer to the house of my employers, Messrs. Cut & Comeagain.  I say this proudly, but with tears in my eyes —­ for the firm proved themselves the basest of ingrates.  The little account, about which we quarreled and finally parted, cannot, in any item, be thought overcharged, by gentlemen really conversant with the nature of the business.  Upon this point, however, I feel a degree of proud satisfaction in permitting the reader to judge for himself.  My bill ran thus: 

Messrs. Cut & Comeagain, Merchant Tailors.  To Peter Proffit, Walking Advertiser, Drs. JULY 10. —­ to promenade, as usual and customer brought home... $00 25 JULY 11. —­ To do do do 25 JULY 12. —­ To one lie, second class; damaged black cloth sold for invisible green............................................... 25

JULY 13. —­ To one lie, first class, extra quality and size;
recommended milled satinet as broadcloth...................... 75

JULY 20. —­ To purchasing bran new paper shirt collar or dickey, to
set off gray Petersham..................................... 02

AUG. 15. —­ To wearing double-padded bobtail frock, (thermometer 106
in the shade)............................................. 25

AUG. 16. —­ Standing on one leg three hours, to show off new-style
strapped pants at 12 1/2 cents per leg per hour............. 37 1/2

AUG. 17. —­ To promenade, as usual, and large customer brought (fat
man)..................................................... 50

AUG. 18. -- To do do (medium size)................. 25

AUG. 19. -- To do do (small man and bad pay)....... 06

TOTAL [sic] $2 95 1/2

The item chiefly disputed in this bill was the very moderate charge of two pennies for the dickey.  Upon my word of honor, this was not an unreasonable price for that dickey.  It was one of the cleanest and prettiest little dickeys I ever saw; and I have good reason to believe that it effected the sale of three Petershams.  The elder partner of the firm, however, would allow me only one penny of the charge, and took it upon himself to show in what manner four of the same sized conveniences could be got out of a sheet of foolscap.  But it is needless to say