, 1864-12-02
1adx shoppers and male clerkg.

Onehundred thousand dollars day that is
the figure of the receipts of one large establish
ment in New York which is frequented, almost
exclusively by women. The natural inference
is, that ladies do a great deal of shopping, and
are plentifuly supplied with funds for that pur-
pose and that they do, and are, would certainly
be the judgement of any person who should take
the trouble to make tour of inspection of the
different shops which line Broadway. Morning.
noon and afternoon they are crowded by a NOV
ing, ceasless throng of women, of every kind
and degree. What they all want to purchase, is
a mystery which their most intimate friends are
not able to solve. They are well and comforta-
blv. even elegantly dressed. Take birds-eye
glance at their homes, you will find wardrobes
full of dresses which are scarcely ever worn;
band boxes full of bonnets, drawers so crowded
that the lace ofa chemisette peeps out here, a
bit ofembroidery there, and little bands of strings
in every direction.
What is it that they want? Shall we say oc-
cupation9 And shopping supplies it, in meas
ure at least Dangerous occupation, too, when
its motive is only to while away the time-dan-
gerous, because every temptation is hidden IN
every new design, and soft lustroUs fold; dan
gerous, because the purse-strings cannot remsin
open forever without trouble at home and lee
lures on extravagancei dangerous, because the
handsome young man with the dark moustache,
money than husbands in giving it,
Spite of the war, and the disinterested offers
of patriotic young ladies, who desire to fill the
lucrative situations at present occupied byyoung
men, we see no change in the business houses
in which male clerks have been accustomed to
preside They are as numerous, are as well
dressed, and as carefully polite as ever. How
tenderly they smooth down the folds of a cloak
How delicatey they draw the mantilla over lean
Ill al, oh hat
unutterable things they look at pretty woman
while they recommend this shade of silk, or that
especial fabric, as the one best suited to her
complexion pair of fine eyes are worth sew
eral hundred dollars additional salary to a sales
man who knows how to use them. We would
not discourage any honorable effort on the part
of needy girls, but we fear the field ofuseful en-
ployment which they are looking for will not be
found as clerks-at any rate, not in the estab-
lishments that ladies frequent.
Men make business of it, that is one reason
and girls do not. Thus, to male clerk, eve
ry woman is pretty and worthy of respectful
attention, provided she has money which can
be exchanged for his goods We have seen real
genius displayed in this respect, and wondered
why it had not found some more appropriate
sphere of action. The sharp and accustomed
glance, taking in every line of face and figure,
detected even the possibility of a charm, andtook
it at once as the Keynote LOT the tuue IL was
necessary to play. fyouth had departed from
one who never possessed any claims to beauty
in other words, ifthe woud-be purchaser was
rretreivably old and ugly, the higher charm of
expression was laid with such hattering unc-
ton to the lady's soul, that she would do her
best to look expressive of something or other,
and failing to do it satisfactorily be sure to JUS
tify his appreciation of her intelligence by buy
ing his wares.
Women are too jealous of each other to be
kind, and female clerks will not learn politeness
as an art. They will snub and look cross, as
the fit takes them, and wonder what that 'old
dowdy' expects to do with white bonnet, and
why she will make herself look like guy in a
head-dress young enough for her grand daugh-
ter. The simple rule, that woman should new
er be old or ugly to a clerk, any more than to a
gentleman, they cannot, or will not compre-
hend; neither can they understand why they
should submit to airs, and not indulge in any on
their own account. In Paris they do things
differently. There, women make the best clerks;
and only an apprenticeship in that city will ever
afford the training which our girls require, in
order to fit them for business pursuits.-From
Talks on Romens Topic.