- description
- # Attempting to procure new clothes from the first farmer
## Overview
This subsection, titled "Attempting to procure new clothes from the first farmer," is an excerpt from a larger work, likely a novel or biography. It details a specific interaction where the protagonist, Israel, attempts to purchase clothing from a farmer. The text spans lines 3480 to 3497 of the source file.
## Context
This subsection is part of [CHAPTER XIII. HIS ESCAPE FROM THE HOUSE, WITH VARIOUS ADVENTURES FOLLOWING.](arke:01KG8AJJ261FWJ1RK528BTY9AX), which is itself contained within the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection. The text was extracted from the file named [israel_potter.txt](arke:01KG89J1DKC9HHJRKY25JZBEXW). This subsection follows the subsection titled [HIS ESCAPE FROM THE HOUSE, WITH VARIOUS ADVENTURES FOLLOWING.](arke:01KG8AK5N1RMM3XRMGGBS02KR4) and precedes the subsection titled [Seeking help from a second friend and encountering his wife](arke:01KG8AK5N3VTG6XFKR6DRKJZY5).
## Contents
The text describes a conversation between Israel and a farmer. The farmer expresses surprise at Israel's apparent wealth, noting that his clothes do not suggest prosperity. Israel, looking like a "scarecrow," offers to buy the farmer's suit with cash. The farmer, upon seeing the money, accuses Israel of being a thief, confirming his suspicion due to Israel's inability to explain the origin of his funds. The farmer then drives Israel away, threatening him with arrest.
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- 2026-01-30T20:48:45.260Z
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- description_title
- Attempting to procure new clothes from the first farmer
- end_line
- 3497
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:47:55.385Z
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- start_line
- 3480
- text
- “Where did you get so much money?” said his entertainer in a tone of
surprise; “your clothes here don’t look as if you had seen prosperous
times since you left me. Why, you look like a scarecrow.”
“That may well be,” replied Israel, very soberly. “But what do you say?
will you sell me your suit?—here’s the cash.”
“I don’t know about it,” said the farmer, in doubt; “let me look at the
money. Ha!—a silk purse come out of a beggars pocket!—Quit the house,
rascal, you’ve turned thief.”
Thinking that he could not swear to his having come by his money with
absolute honesty—since indeed the case was one for the most subtle
casuist—Israel knew not what to reply. This honest confusion confirmed
the farmer, who with many abusive epithets drove him into the road,
telling him that he might thank himself that he did not arrest him on
the spot.
- title
- Attempting to procure new clothes from the first farmer