Omaha daily bee., 1888-04-01
Incidents at a Dry Goods Counter

winch tne aWyer entertained eaCn
other.
Incidents at a Dry Goods Counter
Written for the Bee by a Lady Clorb.1
Perhaps from no standpoint can hui
man nature in all its varied phases be
better viewed than from behind a dry
goods counter. Here the rich and poor,
great and small, old and young, come to
pour. their earnings through the sales
mans hands unon the alter OF neces-
sity or vanity.
The polite and smiling clerk who
handles that commodity of exchange
sees midst the vexations Of his daily
toll ridiculous characters and scenes
enough to fill a volume.
If you have never been in his place,
just step behind the counter by a door,
and watch for a few hours those who
come and go.
1t is a day for special sales. The
streets are thronged with shoppers. An
eager, impatient, i~ostling crowd is
surging in and out the door. Mark the
diversity of expression and appear
ance.
A tall, swarthy, black-eyed, black
haired woman has just entered. She is
angular and thin. Contracting her
brow into q formidable frown, she stalks
up to the polite aud gracious floor
walker, and, in a sharp, decided tone
that rings from one end of the building
to the other, she demands: "Have YOU
any jersey caps here?" She knows Just
what she wants. In three minute she
had passed to the farther end of the
building, made her purchase and
crowded back to the glove counter.
There she stands looking like grim de-
quires if there is anything she can do
for her, and almost starts at the re-
Spouse so loud and rough it comes.
Il want a pair of gloves; needn't
show me any kids probably suggested
by an open box upon the cOunter), |
won't have them. l won't pay over S5
or forty cents either, and | won't have
anything but black"
Her companion timidly suggested
that she believed she would like a gray
pair, as she had a new gray dress and
thought it would be nice to have the
dress and gloves match.
"Ohln reioined the decided friend,
$50 you have a new dress, have your
Well, get gray, then. | haven't any
new dress, and | shall nave black. Both
leave the store apparently pleased with
their purchase.
There is a big fat woman with a forid.
g ood-natured looking face. She is clad
in a distressingly dirty and tattered
a dingy gray. This is partially covered
by a still more sorrowful looking shawl
which she passes for black. An old.
black hat from which the brim is half
torn is kept in place by a ragged veil
tied over her ears.
AS she passes here and there, examin-
ing and handling everything and ask
ing inuumerable questions, she, too,
falls in the way of the floor walker.
you ~to-day?" she replies with a silly
giggle, ooh! nothing; [ jest come in a
peeking.o He left her "peeking," and
we did too, for voices at the dress goods
counter drew our attention thither.
Some one has enquired for alpaca.
There is but one piece on the shelf.
That does not suit. The customer
shakes her head and thinks she will
look elsewhere. The salesman, anxious
to make a sale, shows her serges in the
same shade. They will not do, she
"we have a nice line of other goods at
those prices; just step this way and let
me show them to you"
With a whitening look she turns upon
him and says: Il old you | was going
to look somewhere else, and I'm going
to do it, too"
She was not more amusing to the
looker-on nor more disgusting to those
waiting upon her than was her wealth
Ter neighbor at the calico counter
below.
Richly dressed in velvet and plush
she stood with a most uncomfortable
look on her face and a dime betwixt her
fingers.
She had purchased three yards OF
print at 81 cents yard, which figured
up a sum total of l0t cents; and was
summed up in the bill as IL cents. Now
the cause of all this dismay was that
extra half cent.
Mrs. Mighty Tight wanted it. The
salesman wanted it. Mrs. Mighty Tight
insisted that the goods were advertised
at 81 cents; and if they would not sell as
they advertised she would net patron
ize them. The salesman insisted that the
bin was IL cents, and IL cents must be
paid if she wanted to get her prints,
She turned to go. Still he did not re,
lent. She went almost to the door, ere
she retraced her steps, paid the extra
half cent and secured her calico.
VINO lS lulS! Dollc Olc JuSI from Llc
''old country sure. A big, buxom
maiden, with round, healthy looking
face, rosy cheeks and blue eyes; not a
bad picture to look at. She has not yet
made the acquaintance of that painfully
sensitive fellow, false modesty. Nc
sooner is she fairly within the door than
she inquiries Of the nearest clerk in NJ
very low tone, is yes got any number
nine shoes?"
Her companion (who has evidently
been over longer) turns the color of
full blown peony, clutches her by the
arm and drags her out to the sidewalk
whispering something there that cast
upon her lace such IA look of astonish
ment as to make it Il suggestion of
mighty o.
Now a trim, stylish figure ,%becomingl!
dressed, and a pretty, pleasant face
meets the eye. She will look at TIN
new spring dress goods. She is pleased
with everything shown her; so profus
in her praises Of their beauty and cheap
ness that it is quite IA pleasure to wal
upon her, though you know she has no
the slightest idea of buying. She han
dies and praises them o'er and DER
views them in light and shade, tries tn