New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-12-14
OF SHOPPING AND SHOPPERS.
THE CHARMS AND MYSTERIES OF BUYING.

PkGN-A QCAkER SHof-h'tfHS AM NNN'N
MER-rEcUuARIrIEs OF BUYERs-TnIcKs OF
SELLERS.
Tine chief words of this title authentic rs
the photographers can make them, though both are
n little barbarous The definition OF Shopping
is &" to visit shops for the purchase of goods, ana
that is Just what thousands OF people have peguh
already to do apropos Of the holidays. shops IN
the plural is proper 1t would not be real shopping
Il appeal to all feminine experts--to 60 into
single shop call for article buy 1t promptly, pay
itand take it away. A man could do that. lnthe
velocity of such transaction the chef charm
would be wanting. Where would be the delicious
hesitation the cautious selection. tho beautiful
balancing of utility and elegance. the agreeapic
Utilization of trying to make up ones MN"
Where the felicity of doubt. the wise precau'ioh
against subsequent repentance the shlVerine "po"
the brink II NAV the figure before piune'"s
into the cold river of completed contractI omy
sisters and cousins and aunts. o nv nearer ana
dearer ones have not been with you upon these
memorable expeditions sitting all by myself upon
little round stool feeling in that retail whlrl what
n nobody was and wearying of that eternal, mo-
notonous CRY of Cash. Was ii not apparent, even
10 nv self-Suficiency that the nude aborlgne. all
his life euiltlcss of all manner of dry goods, was as
competent as l to answer the questions; ~ VIII u
wash will it weari" All often have had my
little revenge. Often have L been assured
Of tears. that 1t did neither Chosen from all the
shelves. with wisdom awful to contemplate 1t
went IN rags aud colorless ruin and became dowdy
and dreadful designless and dingy to my hearts
content
Observe that Dr. Worcester says carefully: TO
visit shops" In the country there is usually but
one shop. and any perambulation for the sake oil
cheapening is impossible. The purchaser, who has
come. miles. il may be in "a one-horse shay 10
ex Else his or her functions. Is as 1t were. nailed TO
that counter In the city, the tar trader fits from
emporium TO emporium, now gloriiies TINS bazaar
and now that by her presence, and whatever may
he the immediate attraction, feels morally bound to
"look little further" This, doubtless, has the
effect of making Broadway brilliant; and 1t is also
profitable To the shoemaker Yet If were one
of those neat and NEE shop-girls-l see
them every morning of a weekday gong
TO their work as as l am going TO nv
breakfast-and if i had patiently waited for an
hour upon woman with genius for shopping.
one who knew her own mind 50 well that she did
not know ii al all can hardly tell what might have
happened If | had expatiatcd upon the merit or
magnlfcence Of the wares, until had become
MINDLESS until my feet ached, and my back. and
my head and maybe my heart. il would probably
have aroused whatever original sin carried under
my cOrsage. 80 says 4" a grim old fogy who Is as lit
tie likely As any creature to be employed in
ments and puffs preliminary or oblique. Every
body knows what happens when Greek meets
(reck-hOw is il when woman meets wo-
mani | wonder that there are not more ex-
blossoms of other than the ins0lvent sort
in the shops. Please remember my lady.
that You have the shOp-girl little at your
mercy Hers Is q difficult positiOn-yours easy
enough but for that misfortune of not being able to
make up your mind. Whatever YOU may say to her
aI,o hn Of hat sin tn
If your dignity is offended. you have only to com
plain to the walker" the restless Rhadamanthus
10 whom she ia not likely t. complain whatever
You may say 10 her.
The writer who could give a treatise upon the
art of Shopping" would merit we'll of woman
kind but the rule that there is disputing about
tastes" stands inexorably in the way.and we are not
likely to get the book or to use II If we should. In
the first place there is the embarrassment ofnchcs
not IN the purse but on the shelves and counters.
Such heaps upon heaps of beautiful things. So
many IL he desired. while the line of preference
though not underlined. is very thin Snch neces-
sity Of keeping within ones means! l remember
once beng dreadfully ashamed of myself. was
with a woman who seemed to me to be the very
embodiment OF Indcision. Should she take this
What was the price of thisi Had they not the
same goods of little different shaded And then
her hand went up to her mouth, and she became
mathematician rolled into one. III any woman
reads these lines she will know well enough what
did-how frctted. and consulted my watch. and
walked to the shop window TO look out, and made
myself generally disagreeablc. ! could not under
stand all that dickering and chafrrng and hggling
about sxpcnce; but | understood it well enough
afterwards when she said: 81 have kept You
waiting: but all my life have had to be careful
about sixpences, and careful too. what l bought.
I have TO be careful still" To say that
ashamed of myself would but mildly express my
modification.
shopping campaign has its victories not less re-
nOwned its defeats not less disastrous than those
of war. Sometimes il is the seller who wins the
batte-sometimes it is the buyer. To write of AL
this brings into my mind that story of the Quaker
shop-kceper who met Quaker customer of bis
going home with her bundles. He had been absent
from his place and had notion IN his wise head
that size had been trading with rival whom he did
not much love. " How much did thee give yard
for this Nary One dollar! Why am surprised
at thee. could let thee have it for seventy-ive
cents And how much for thisi Two dollars Why.
that was unreasonable / could have let thee have
it for dollar and half. Why will thee away
trading with strangers and worlds people. Mary 7"
Ii was the old lady's opportunity, and she improved
il. :" don't know what thee is talking about,
friend John she said; but did buy all these
things al thy store and if thee says the TRUTH thee
must owe me considerable money" Imagine the
feelings of that unfortunate Friend! l am much
mistaken if the spirit did not move him to get out
of that stage coach instantly.
There is another point which ought not to be for
gotten At this festive season. half the purchasers
are purchasing for other people. They might know
exactly what they wanted If it were for themselves.