The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1852-10-30
THE MINNESOTIAN.
From the New York Commercial Advertiser.
Shopping.

| oeIeral years since, Mrs. Flamley, my spouse,
requiring silk dress, prevailed on me, after
much persuasion to assist her in the selection
OF pattern. Shopping is my abomination,
but there was no withstanding the honeyed
compliments which Mrs. Flamley passed upon
my taste in the matter of female fixings, and as
had been but recently married, was desrous
OF seeing her tact in this most indispensable of
female accomplishments.
| First we went to Stewart's s. and to a question
| OF the polite and accomplished salesman of the
silk department, whether madam would look
at light or black silk, Mrs. Flamley's reply
was 'bOth.'
First the dark silks were thrown on the count
er in great profusion, each piece laid open, the
ends drawn out and most skllfully displayed.
They were of all conceivable shades, and in my
opinion were handsome enough for the dresses
of queen, but not sufficiently so, my wife
thought, for herself Somehow she said,
there was not sufficient character in the col
ors This difficulty proposed to meet by sug-
gesting brilliant red, or yellow, or pea green
but toss of the head, and a request to the
salesman to show silks of lighter cOlOrs was all
the response she deighned to give.
Now the light silks were tumbled down by
dozens of pieces, perfect avalanche of them,
but they were all too light. Then silks of me-
dium shades were shown, probably fifty pieces,
but not piece of them all took my wife's eye
The patient gentleman behind the counter
then proposed that madam should look at the
silks with shaded strips on the delecate pads.
To this, my wife readily assented, and we NOV
ed along to clear place on the counter, which
was rendered necessary, not only from the fact
that the striped and plaid silks were opposite
the clear place, but we had accumulated pile
OF silks some three or four feet high, and had
more been shown on the top of those we should
have been obliged to mount stepladder in Or
der to examine them. The clerk was equally
unsuccessful in his plaids and stripes; none of
them were 'the thing ] made rapid estimate
that we had already looked at silks to the val
ue OF half million of dollars, and really felt SO
ashamed and concerned at the great amount of
trouble we were giving the unfortunate sales
man, that the cold perspiration stood out upon
me like drops of rain. Still the exhibition pro-
ceeded, from small plaids and small stripes, to
large plaids and large stripes, and figured silks
and watered silks, my wife all the while tossing
about these valuable goods with the most re-
lentless Indifference.
After looking just an hour and half we left,
and when we were in the street demonstrated
with Mrs. Fiamley on her extreme fastidious-
ness OF taste as to dress pattern, but more es-
pecially reproved her that on leaving the store,
she expressed no regrets to the obliging sales
man, that she was unable to suit herself To
this my wife remarked, that it was the business
of shopman to be polite and attentive, as
they were hired for that purpose, and after We
had argued the matter little to no effect, we
entered another Broadway establishment, where
the same process was gone through again, abOr-
tive as before We looked at silks, sufficient in
quantity, and brilliant enough in lustre, quail
ty and color to clOthe the females of Court or
Kingdoms metropolis, but none were Just
what my dear wife wanted.
The third silk concern was visited, then the
fourth, the fifth and the sixth, and the result
was still the same.
On consulting my watch, found that l had
now consumed five hours in this proftless and
bootless tramp. and while I was meditating
French leaue, l found myself drawn unwilling
ly into the seventh large establishment inward
ly grumbling at my folly, and avowing that on
leaving the store my experience in shop gad-
ding should terminate for life. Advancing to
the back of the store, and noticing the peculiar
features of the salesman, began to hope. l
am somewhat of a physiognomist, and when
saw that clerks little sharp, crafty eyes under
an overshadowing forehead, his well formed
nose, yet little peaked very little peaked,
the rounded projecting chin, the naturally COM
pressed lips, yet schooled from the necessities
of his profession into a certain suavity of ex-
preston, made up my mind that Mrs. Flamley
had at least met one equal to the achievement
Of checking her further tramp by selling her a
dress. At this point began to feel an interest
in the game, and kept my eye on the proceed
ings.
For the first half hour the movements and
counter movements on the counter, and both
sides of the counter, so to speak, were very
similar to those l had observed at the other
store, and began to have my msgivings Ca
ses of silks had been exhibited, and no Dress as
yet, bought Still my eye was on that saga
cious countenance which would have done no
disgrace to a Washington politician. The
drama progressed, all the silks had been shown,
and none suited we had actually started for
| the door, and was rejecting upon the absurdi-
ty of belief in physiogomy, when the sharp
voice of that salesman One moment, Mad
ann arrested our progress. I'VE have says
he, piece of silk already sold and laid by for
a customer, which 1 should like to show you,
Madam, merely for curiositys sake. 1t is of
rare texture and the most recherche pattern,
and we had the pleasure yesterday, of selling
the whole piece to Mrs. Fitz Goggin, the lady
of Alderman Fitz Goggin, of Goggin place,
who had it laid by for her as soon as She set her
eyes upon it, At this 1 could see that Mrs.
Flamley's eyes fairly glistened; the right cord
had been struck, and now felt that the crafty
eyed gentleman was master of his art.
If there is anything that will influence and
move the mind of my wife to action and decis-
ion it is the example of "upper tendom," and
when the name of that distinguished leader of
the fashion, Mrs. Fitz Cannon, was mentioned
MRS. Flamley betrayed all the tremulOus ankle
ty to behold the silk of that lady's choice, that
young Miss would evince in preparing to hon
or her first invitation to a grand soiree. As
soon as it touched the counter and was laid
open, what love of silk burst from my
wife's lips. Now, my dear, you can see that
am not so difficult to please after all this is
Just what have been searching for all day.
The salesman perceiving his advantage was re-
solved not to lose it (; yes. Madam, he observ-
ed, after Mrs. Fitz Goggin had laid it aside,
the lady of Gen. Bayonet, who saw it an hour
afterwards, offered an advance of fifty cents a
yard on the whole pece-but we could not sell
it twice you know 'Oh! of course not my
wife replied, putting on one of her most win
ming and insiduous smiles, but as want mere
ly one dress, am sure you will oblige me by
cutting it; Mrs. Fitz Goggin will then have a
large quantity, and would hardly miss it, you
know
AT this the clerk affected to look puzzled and
W. ovprinU and shakin0 hic hood l., a Il,I;o,.