New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-06-30
A Modern Dry Goods Store.
rom the Detroit Free Press.

A Modern Dry Goods Store.
From the Detroit Free Press.
| wonder if the average merchant
ever stops to think what big hypo-
critic he is and what lot OF monkeys
he makes of his clerks. In the days
agone the lady who entered a dry goods
store was met with a courteous salu-
tation from proprietor or clerk She
stated her wants, and they were at
tended to in a business like manner,
and a 'good afternoon" followed her
as she went out.
What a change has come over the
earth! Recently as | entered a dry
goods store the foor-walker put on
mis- sweetest grin and "good-after-
nooned' me- He rubbed his hands
together, grinned. some more. bowed
five distinct times, and was sopleased
to show me to the towel and napkin
counter that he skinned his shins on q
stool without losing one'bit Of his an
gelic countenance.
Then the towel and napkin man
bowed and grinned and twisted and
smirked and "good- afternooned" and
"beautiful-weathered" me for three
minutes. If | had bought him a new
tin whistle, or a red top, he couldn't
have been more pleased. wanted
some crash toweling at about a shil-
ling yard. 1 knew that before | left
home. asked direct for what want
ed, and the clerk grinned and smirked
and twisted some more and said:
"Ah-yes-exactly-yes. Certainly,
ma'am, with the greatest OF pleasure.
You didn't want Turkish towels?"
"No, SIR"
"Ah-no! We have very nice bath
towel here for-ah-exactly thirty
cents-ah."
II want crash toweling'
Certainly, ma am-crash toweling-
1see. We are having beautiful weather
very beautiful. Here it is. ma am. -
At that moment the foor-walker
suddenly appeared. His face bore q
look of great anxiety. Icouldn't tell
at first whether he had touch OF the
collie or had heard OF a death in the
family, but it all came out after q bit.
He had been suddenly struck with the
idea that might have gone down Gel
lar OF up stairs to hunt for the towel
department, OF that was not being
properly waited on, or that the crash
toweling was off on a vacation. He
had run back to make sure, and what
a relief it was to him! He bowed and
smiled, and ducked and twisted, and
backed off.
Then the clerk bowed, and grianed,
and gurgled, and handed down some
towe]ing.
ri want four yards"
certainly, ma AMI see-bewtiful
day, yesterday-four yards--thlnk it
will do, eh?"
Just then the proprietor came up,
and his face carried such grin! He
was delighted to see ME. Didn't
want two clerks to wait Oh me? 1t
was a bewtiful day--very bewtitul
Did the towels suit? Ii rot he would
order from Europe. Notroube at all
you Observation-Disclosures again
good afternoon
The clerk had cut OF four yards O.
toweling, and laid down fifty cent
piece.
-yes-noth ingexse- table cloths
or NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. or anything
of the kind?''
''No, sir,''
"Ah-certainly-cash boy!-bewti
full day, isn't it-a thousand thanks
package ana'am--call again good
afternoon"
He smirhed and smiled. The floor
walker ran across my path to grin.and
bow. The proprietor followed nae TIC
the door to twist and twitter. I had
saved the three of 'em from the gal
lows by purchasing four yards ofcrash
toweling at "a shillinga yard, and they
were duly grateful.
am a plain woman. hope have
a fair share ofcommon sense. I know
lots OF other plain women with com
mon sense who are looking for some
merchant to open store where grin.
ming balloons will not be employed
to wait upon customers. One woman
out OF fifty may appreciate all this
soft-soap and tender taffy, but the
other forty.nine are disguised with it.
We want civil, courteous treatment
from shopkeepers and their clerks,
but let it end there. The proprietor
who exacts all this grinning and grim
aclng and bonfoolery, on the part OF
his clerk toward female customers is
mistaken in the sex. They have more
brains than he credits them with.