The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1875-06-10

Sac Is going to Buy a faIl'
dress.
It's a stupendods job for a bargain
hunter.
She generally wears a black alpaca,
which is growing rusty, and it is
trimmed with black velvet ribbon,
and the overskirt draws in in front
so that you can see the shape of her
hoop all the time.
Usually she wears glasses, though
not always. Her hat, or bonnet, is
invariably trimmed either with pur-
pie or green.
She carries a shopping-bag on her
arm, so as to convey the impression
that she is buying something.
She begins her campaign at the
first dry-goods store she comes to.
She looks at ribbons, laces, flowers,
bonnets, bustlcs, anythingandeyery-
thing which offers. Not that she
wants to purchase in that line, but
she is there, and might as well see
what is. to be seen.
By-and-by she asks to look at dress
goods, which is about as definite as
it would be to step into grocery and
tell them you wanted to look at gro
ceriGs.
But the clerk is used to it. and
proves equal to the occasion.
The counter is strcwcd with de-
laincs, challies, empress cloths, thib-
cts, cashmcrcs, merinoes, etc, and
our bargain-hunter examines them
all carefully and inqdires the priceof
each. She.rayeIs out the edge to see
if the fabric is wool or cotton, and
she holds the goods up to the light to
make sure there are no thin spots,
and she compares them,with samples
from her reticule, and then she asks
the clerk to give her some. patterns to.
carry home that she may examine
them, at her leisure. And he swears
in his sleeve, and uses his scissors
yiciously, and slams the rolls of goods
around as if they had done him some
bitter personal injury. ~
The bargain-huntes elevator her
spectacles and looks at him in griev-
ed surprise. An expression Of Chris
tian solicitude, mingled with mourn
ful resignation, steals over her coun-
tenance as she requests HIM not to
fly out of his skin about it; there are
other stores in the world; and for her
part she prefers to trade where pco-
pie are civil.
Then she walks out Of the store
with serene and majestic composure,
and the proprietor scolds the clerk
and hints at reduction of salary.
The bzgain-hunter goes through
the next establishment in the same
way. She tells them she is going to
buy dress if she can be suited.
What kind of a dress? they ask her,
Well, really, she hasn't quite decid-
ed. Something nice and pretty,
though. What have they got? And
then the counter is piled up as be-
fore.
She. knows well enough that it is
a black alpaca she Is after, and she
has made up her mind to pay fifty
cents a yard for it, if She cannot get
1t for forty-fvc, as she intends to.
She looks over everything placed
before her, and asks ifthcy have any
thing else? The clerk suggests Irish
poplin-s2 25 a yard. Then silk at
IS, at 81, at s., and so on.
Then she takes a sample and goes
on her way.
She follows this business for about
a week, and then concludes to buy
that alpaca. She has to 60 every
store over. again, for she has forgot
ten the lowest prices. At last she
finds about what she wants. 1t is
ffty-fve cents yard.
Then she begins the cheapening
process. Couldn't they possibly take
less? It is more than she expected
to give. She guesses she.will goover
to Browns and see what she can do
there.
This threat brings the salesman
down FIVE cents on a a'yard. Fifty
cents is dirt cheap for that alpaca;
actuaflycost them more at the man
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