National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-12-13

Greens and sofa cushions, and such stylish
mahogany chairs-just the thing for o
hall-and every description of hangings.
/ am going straight home now to tell Mr..
Tompkins about them. do want por-
tiere between the parlor and dining room
30 much. Well, / must go; good-by. oh |!
l forgot to tell you it takes just three
yards and half to make a asacque by that
pattern lent you, and you can get the
stuff best at Lansburgh's."
"All right" said Mrs. Simpson. II am
glad you told me. l wanted to get it to-
day. Good-by. oh! did you finish your
lambrequin ?"
YES, and I've been in every store in
the city to try to match IL in plush balls,
and l can't find any. Well, goodby."
perhaps combed-out crewel tassels
would do. They look very pretty for a
finish"
Maybe they would. I'll try them.
Goodby. Call in this evening and tell
me what you buy"
'Yes, will. Goodby."
Here the small boy broke in
Mamma, l want to go Baums. They
have Kris Kringle there, and he's all COW
cred with snow and beats drum. Johnny
says So"
'Yes, Johnny, by and by, when we get
uoWh 1Ohc Oh bOWg Mo Iuuob
hurry; it's getting late. meant to stop
in the Palais Royal, but 1 shan't have
time"
She didn't have time, but when she
reached tho door she decided she must
just step in and price those lace fchus
that looked SO pretty in the window.
When she got inside she was soon lost In
bewildering whirl of everything pretty
and useful that men or women could pos
sibly want to wear. Gloves of every
fabric and color, long ones and short ones,
big ones and little ones, trigly buttoned
up in the wrist or loosely and carelessly
wrinkled substantial Jersey cloth or
chamois gloves, suggesting market on
cold winter mornings, and long, dainty,
creamy ones, with an aroma of parties
and germans already hanging around
them. Stockings, too, enough to supply
two or three towns full of people; tre-
mendously long and enormously thick
ribbed ones for the bicycleIs; every variety
of gay colored ones for the children, and
daintily clinging silk ones that touched
Mrs. Simpsons very soul. Cleaning silver
and sparkling Rhine stones, combs, and
scarf pins and earrings, yellow alligator
belts and purses and satchels, fans and
lacos and ruches, the combination was
too much. for Mrs. Simpson, who wan
dered from one counter to another, ad-
miring here. pricing there, and buying
everywhere. At last the long-suffering
Tommy remarked, Mamma, you said
you would go to Baum's aud sec Kris
kringle beating u drum"
$50 l will, darling. Well go now" and
reluctantly tearing herself away with
many backward glance, Mrs. Simpson
started down the avenue. But she had
gone only few steps when she beth ought
herself, and turning round hurried back
to Stinemetz's.
us this the way to Baum's, where you
see Kris Kringle beating drum ?" in
iuired Tommy.
mo, darling, but"
Then won't CO." announced Tommy
firmly.
"Oh yes Tommy dear, come on. You
know / want to get something for papa,
and can't think of anything nicer than
silk umbrella, and he wouldn't like it
lift didn't come from Stinemetz's."
well, won't Co." said Tommy, firmly
planted in the middle of the sidewalk,
unless you'll get me a kazoo."
where is the one bought you last
week?"
II swapped it with Johnny Tompkins
for n knife"
well, suppose I'll have to, but hurry
up.'
1t did not take Mrs. Simpson long to
decide upon one of Stinemetz's beautiful
umbrellas, but it took her good while
to finish looking at the sealskin sacaues
and dolmans. the fur cloaks and carriage
robes. and the stylish cheviot riding caps
for ladies which she found extremely at
trsctive. The impatient Tommy hurried
her out, exclaiming as he bounded forth
"NoU, we'll get the kazoo, and then we'll
go to Baum's and see Kris Kringle beat
the drum
~ declare, Tommy, it's too bad" said
his mother. "You hurried me SO hadn't
half time to look at muff for Agnes
Now we'll have to stop at Willett &
Ruofrs."
But you must get the kazoo first" said
the persevering Tommy.
But before his musical yearnings were
satisfied even the unimpressionable
Tommy was willing to stop spellbound
before the brilliant display of stylish
young ladies and gentlemen-it seems
disrespectful to call them dolls--in Tay-
lors window, and he readily yielded to
his mothers suggestion TO go inside. In
side they found a bewildering display of
dolls from infancv up to hoary age, at
tired in every device Of stylish toilet,
with boots and gloves and trains, fans and
bangs and bustles.
While Nrs. Simpson was hanging fas-
cinated over the exquisitoly fine hand
kerchiefs, with their delicate embroidery,
and thinking how easy she would find it
TO select presents for herself, and how
charming it would be TO wave gracefully
one OF those elegant ostrich feather fans,
hor attention WAS attracted by the noise
of strife. She turned to find that Tommy
had chosen the finest of the dolls and
claimed it for his own, and was then en-
gagged in heated alteration with the
young lady in charge. She was Obliged
by bribes and threats to persuade him to
depart, and left reluctantly, Us she had
not finished looking at the variety Of
gentlemen's scarfs and pins, gloves aud
handkerchiefs, and thousand other
things which she was convinced her
friends would like better than anything
she could make for them.
The purchase Of tho kazoo in Elliss
was quickly accomplished, and while
Tommy olicited ear-piercing shrieks from
it his mother fingered appreciatively over
the tno editions of Beethoven. lSchumann,
and Chopin, and wondered If she didn't
know singer whose heart she could
gladden. with one of those collections of
beautiful songs. She could not resist
looking at the splendid pianos of every
kind-square, grand, and upriRht-the
fine organs and musical instruments Of
every description, and wondering IL It
might possibly be hor good fortune TO
have after Christmas the new Weber
grand sho had long wanted.
Then she hurried back to follow the
tide OF women pouring into Woodward &
Lothrop's, and to growl with tho rest of
them at the big show case which blocks