Mr. Scully had a very unusual job. This suited him perfectly as he was, by all accounts, what many in Barbersville called--out of earshot, of course--an "odd duck." In the course of his very unusual job, Mr. Scully did not encounter many people. This was far from being the result of Mr. Scully’s aversion to human contact during the course of his day. His famous backyarders easily spoke to Mr. Scully’s preference for human propinquity. It was a simple particular of Mr. Scully’s occupation that he met so few people. And, truth be told, it made his job much easier when no one else was around. From time to time, however, one distraught person or possibly a whole shivering family awaited him on the graveled roadside while he went about his duties. These occasions were not happy for Mr. Scully.