Litchfield enquirer., 1871-06-15
rHE pER1Ls oF sHopftNo 1NpARts

THE PER1Ls OF SHOPPING 1NPAHfs.
 Worse even than the rudenesa andim. pertiuence to which travellers are eubjeCked in Paris is the gigantic system of cheating to which they too often fall victims from their total lack of experience ii1 cry hmCh villainy at home. The persOA whe par chases a point lace hounce, velvet dfeDa, or package of gloves at StewArts, os Ho- mer's, knows perfectly we'll that it is un- necessary for him to inspect the quality or verify the quantity of his purchase before paying his bill. It is not SO in Paris. The best known and oldest houees do not e0wu- pie to add to their lawful gains by all hinds of cheating. have myself been coanixant of cases where six yards of velvet have shrunk to four; where an embroidered dress has been found to be embroidered on one breadth only-that one, of course, the part exposed to view; where packages of gloves have been opened and imperfect pairs substituted for those chosen; and where velvet cloak has been sent home, carefully and elegantly done up in box with quantities of ribbons and tissue paper, but on being ex9mined (the usual care in packing having aroused suspicion) proved to have had one of the breadths replaced by defective piece of velvet. I have also known an instance where some valuable Russia sable skins were sent to highly recommended and well-known cloaksh0use in Paris to be made up, and several of the skins disappeared in the process. In another case a lady bought splendid en- graved amethyst in Italy, and sent it to cne of the fashionable jewellers of Paris to | be set. The amethyst was sent to her in an elegant setting, but the rich violet hues of the stone had faded strangely during the i process; and examination revealed the fact | that well executed copy in purple glass had been substituted for the costly gem. Fortunately. small flaw on the under eide of the amethyst had not been noticed by | the imitator, and the lack of that identify. ing mark in the counterfeit enabled the la- dy by threat of legal process, to recover her jewel In less important utequally fragrant case an American lady selected . bonnet, pad for it very uuwisely on the spot, and gave orders to have it sent home. When it arrived it proved to be miserable imitation of the article she had purchased, the feathers, lace, velvet, etc.. being of very inferior quality. She went back to the milliner to make acomplaint, saw there the identical bonnet she had originally se- lected, but, being poWerless to obtain re- l 0OO440aAA08sSaSgO O@4AAA to have the exchange effected, and t0 ob- tain the article she had really bought.
 It is fact well known to all AmeEieAn habitues of Paris that the heads of one oi the largest and most celebrated of ths glove houses there are in the habit of send. ing in their old paid bills to their formal customers when the strangers list RppgiseG them of these unwary foreigners. For ir most cases the receipted bills have been left at home, and the hapIess traveller hal no other choice than to pay and to anth
 ematize French roguery as he does so. was one day an eyewitness to an amusing scene in that shop. A gentleman entered with countenance highly expressive o
 indignation, and snmmoning the shop-wo
 man, who spoke English, he displayed tG her a long bill dated some two years back ]. T paid this bill before l left Parigss hG said in very positive tone. taa.stsssv l. You must be mistaken was the equally positive reply. We never send in OuT bilIl after they have once been spaid.s LfThere was very feeling emphasis on the 'neyer.
 Perhaps you can produce the receipt? This was said in sneering tone calculated to exasperate saint l.aa@ aitsa nf9 The gentlemen made answer by layine down the cane and the disputed bill upon the counter, and extracting pocket. book from the breast-pocket of his coat. From this he drew out alpaper, which heounfold- ed and held before the shop woman. It was the receipted bill.
 To do this creature justice T. must con. fess that she seemed overwhelmed with confusion, and was profuse in her apol- ogies; upon which oneIof the proprietors of the establishment. who had been watCh. ing the scene from distance came to the rescue. T think can explain to the gen. tleman how the mistake occurred, he said in those mellifuous tones which come aa natural to Frenehmen as purring Co O. cat. and are just about as indicative of good nature or kindly feeling. We have snOth- CT customer of precisely the same name 1 merely an odd coincidence ZEE AaiaW
 But an odder concidence,' ,said the American. buttoning up his coat end sud denly blossoming forth into an astonish- ing Knowledge of French, 'is, that thia gentleman with the same name as mine happened to purchase the very same day of the year.
 And having discharged fhis Parshian ar- ! row he retired. ed.-Lippincott's, Magazins.y
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