Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-11-01
SHOPPING IN PARIS.

6HufflNG LIN IAhAS
A sTAUNToN LADY IN THE PARIS DRY |
GOODS sHops-GRAPHfc DESCRIPTION
of THE PERILsioF FOREIGN SHOPPING
"A LETTER WORTH READING.
&C., &C., ~.
Correspondence of the Staunton V1NDloAroR)
One bright, balmy morning IN August,
four. American ladies sailed Iorth 70 en-
Joy a days shopping in the WORLDS
Capital" An open carnage was engaged
at ten O'Clock, with Instructions 10 the
driver to deposit his passengers al Bon
Marche in one hour, passing, en- rouIe, as
many points of interest as the time would
allow OFF. they drive through CROWDED
and gli5tering boulevards. In lew
minutes the cuachman checked his horses.
and, bown.g courteously. pointed with his
whip TO La Madeleine, mesdames. Ihls
| superb church, of the nobiest Corlnthlan
style, with it's far pillars and delicate
| columns, appears to spring from pea OF
blossom and perfume, for around the
Madeleine clusters the most famous flower
Place de la Concorde, where the vista was
enchanting. Beautiful !" Magnificent"
/ Ibid you. ever2"f mo, never, and never
| expected lo!l' do look at tsese elegant
| ly dressed ladies!p II cannot; have
| Tut two eyes, and they are neafly worn out
trying to see every Thing Oh this side T.
| ''Cathedl ale de Notre Dame" Oh, this Is
most wondelful The sunlight CLEANS
| over the countless statues above the doors;
| the deliberately decorated balconies and
towers; the dizzy heights; the glgantlc pro-
portions OF the building and Its perfect
| symmetry all these and more, fasclnate
l. wen Lhe llneducated eye. a-.-,..-s
''But W cannot stay here all day." ex-
claimed the little lady, whose soul was III
the happiness yet ahead. "Go on, coach
man. L mean allons, or allez, or some
thing; anyhow, drive on, sill vous plaiv!"
Only time for passing glance at the
palaces OF the Louvre and the Tuileries
which cover nearly sixty acres OF ground
| A moments pause before the gloomy old
| church of st. Sulpice, with its twin towers.
L
passing myriads OF foot passengers ana
meeting vehicles Of every description, es
pecially huge omnibuses, double-decKed
and crammed with people. BY and by the
destination is reached, and with ''bon
jour, mesdames,' from the coachman, four
friendless, foreign females are thrown en-
tnely upon their own responsibility in the
wide, wide world of Wicked Paris" AT
the west entrance of Bon Marche. eleven
O'Clock A. M, a convention was called.
'Now, girls,'' said the self constituted SUI
perintendent, 1--WE must remember that
our time is limited, and there is much to
be seen and done OF Infinitely greater In
terest and profit tnan shopping. Let us he
discreet anu sensible for once in our lives.
Waste no time in looking at articles we
do not want. aud cnatfering about prices
when we nave no idea Of buying, after the
manner OF the weak and frivolous OF our
sex. Above all, we mist keep together,
or the delay and anxiety will be intoler-
able" A murmur Of applause followed
| this admirable and appropriate address,
Ind then and there a solemn contract Was
unanimously formed, that each individual
would keep at least half an eye upon all
the others, as long as they were threadin G
the mazes of this vast shopping emporium
Then the day proper dawned Only few
steps, and most overwhelming display
Of neckties, of styles never even dreamed
of by Amer leans. How beautif I'll, and so
| cheap! They would cost three times as
much at home'' cat home, indeed,
sneered Nam 'selle; IL should like to see
you get such beauties there at any price.
Yes said the lady from Omaha, 1--WE
Shall be blind to our own interests if we dc
not buy lots of everything. We will GER
tainly need them if we live, and if we die
somebody else will get them.'' ION, why
did James make me buy everything in Lon
don bewai1ed the little lady. ''He sale
4 goods were better and cheaper there, and
it's no such thing! I will never, never be
governed by him again (unless he happens
to think as I do), and shall tell him so as
soon as get my eyes upon him! He said
there was SO much to see in Paris, l would
not want to waste time shopping. What
do care for palaces and paintings when
can be in such paradise as this? Men
don't know anything. [ shall be miserable
all next winter without, at least, one
Paris dress" Nam selle alphabetically
suggested, You will have to make presents,
when you get home: give your London
things to your sisters and cousins, they
won't know any better, and supply your
self here" This was a good idea, and the
party agreed to have a common purse, and
everybody buy everything they wanted
while the money lasted, and they could
"straighten up'' at the hotel. ...
But here was dilemma! Only one Of
this gay and festive quartette enjoyed a
comfortable facility in using the French
language, yet, of course, they wished to
talk and shop simultaneously. "Parlez
vous Anglais, - was asked most beseeching-
ly, but in vain, as one after another of the
daintily attired moustached statesmen prof.
fered his services. Mrs. James protested
me must have parlez vous Anglais man!
upe demoiselle can't parlez vous Francois
for quatre danes. Impossibelle!" A dear,
darling Englishman finally Game to the
rescue, and commenced the campaign by
calamity presenting each of his grateful
customers with beautiful fan, whereup-
on they pronounced him gentleman and
Christian After while the ladies de-
string to inspect costumes were conduc-
ted to charming little parlors and con-
signed to the tender mercies of smiling
saleswomen. Elegant dresses were dis
played and "tried on with ever increas-