The Portland daily press., 1873-10-03
Advice to Dry Goods Men.
WITH PORTRAITS OF FEW SPECIMENS.

Shopping would be di7ested of half its hor-
rors if drv goo clerks would be kind. Is ii
too much to ask? They have all the advan-
tage OF situation. They are familiar with
the locality. They knuw exacfly where the
black silks are to be found, what is the lurk.
ing place of the sheetines, what lrner is
haunted by the hosiery. The quality, The
price the style of goods--they have have IL
all at their fingers ends. They ar. barrlcad-
ed by all the counters and su ported by tanks
of acquaintances. You, constitutionally tir,-
id, tuli of msgiving concerning your own
skill and taste, With but vague idea OF what
you ought to want, enter palace OF sple dor
and confusion, to encounter, single hande',
these veterans of the yardstick. Ii they are
civil, frien6ly, reassuring, it is as much as you
can do to Keep your wits well in haLd, and
choose from the distracti,g variety the one
little supply that you demand. Ii they are
insolent, curt, Indifferent, what remains but
retreat?
There are different species of Objectionable
clerks. One is voluDe, familiar and altoSeth-
er abomirable. You never willingly APP
ornach him, but, accosting him unawaTes,
you feel as if you were instinctively and con-
stantiy holding him by tight rein to keep
him from open impertinence, and not always
successfully. To the seveIest simplicity OF
address he will someti' es respond rudely.
In novels, ladies are majestic. impressive, all
powerful. THEY repIess manifestations OF
ifl-breedng in others by the over-powering
grandeur of their own lady-hood. But in real
life real ladies' are quite as likely to be m dest,
shrinking. easily suhdued by brutality, and
capable of Offering to aggression no resist
ance but flight. Such swiftly succumb to the
bold and blatant clerk-succumb by flying
not buying. There is the teasing clerk,
who leaves you no quiet for reflection and no
space for comparison, but magines the way
to secure yOor custom is to urge you without
Intermisson. There is the indifferent clerk,
who says he has not the goods you want be-
fore you know yourself what yoI do want;
who throws the parcel down or the counte:
as if it were to take or to leave, but mani'ests
not the slightest interest in ascertaininS " ur
wish or accommodating or assisting you
There is the snapping-turtle clerk, 'ho
br, nos vou to the point, readjusts your some
what jpcoberent question, and answers you
with quick, impatient directne-s that quite
bumilitates YOU Him, though some con-
denim unmeasuredly, can tolerate.
Honest human petulance, born OF iatlgue,
ia the least pardonabe of m 'rcantile Ill man
nsrs can copsider that the man has been
the IA, oct for all sorts of questi ms. wise and
CoGfiss,. through long houls. Ii l had been
in his nlace doubt not that by time l should
erect an angel with groxl. But remember
h;s. O long-suffering dry-goods man! you
10, q made your bed and you must lie in it.
X@ Wo, re tied by the tape-measure of your
own u fro, >-will. 1t is your business to answer
OMastions Om" You are paid to display goods.
Doubtless th ere may often be before the coun-
isck le ., suPd prncne but these do not justify or
excuse e the display OF such traits be hiud he
counter. Still less 10 they excuse th,ic out
lay upon the modest, fhe noSrsate and tue
upright. When clerks uiVe peeh leased oy
won or who do not examine goods with frank
intent, but simply to idle ava superhuous
hour, to crafty morbid ant frivolous taste,
to bear off sIrreptitiously some imported
idea for domestic manufacture, it IS DOT a9sc-
lutely unnatural or impossible that tney
should be betrayed into irritation; bHt u IS
unbusinesS-like and unwise. They will nevt e,,t
er thus rep-ess the idle or the curious ~ ~
tley will often offend the unoffendIns. ali as
them remember that the shopping as ,se,, @, a.
the selling world is much-trieu ser aI pre-
suffering world. Does the woman'