Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-26
IN THE LADIES' PARLOR.
Enjoying the Different Types of Feminine
Nature.
[From the Yonth's Companion. ]

From the Youths Companion
No one who is obliged to wait in the
ladies' parlor of one of our large stores
need be at loss for amusement. To any
person with an observant pair of eyes,
entertainment is provided free. There is
no better place in which to see and enjoy
different types of feminine nature.
There is the old lady from the country,
up for days shopping. She is arrayed
in rusty black, with big plaid shawl, and
carries brown carpet bag, with green
parrot swinging in yellow ring worked
upon it.
When she opens her bag and innocently
begins to MUNICH her doughnut-seated as
she is Immediately beneath the notice,
"Luncheons Must Not be Eaten Here
even the woman in charge of the place,
noting how carefully she collects every
crumb in the paper on her knee, has not
the heart to disturb her.
As she rises to go the two gay young
girls who have been chattering in corner
while one of them coaxed pair of new
gloves upon her plump hands, rise also.
The old lady speaks to them; and they are
heard to say in reply:
"0h, yes; they are going the same way,
and they will put her into the right car
with pleasure"
One of them takes her bag; the newly
gloved fingers of the other daintily lift the
paper containing the remains of the dough-
nut and turnover; she fits across the room
and tosses it into the fire, then runs laugh
ing to catch up with the other. The three
pass out together, the little drama ends,
and the observer looks about to find some
other persons worthy of his attention.
There is the rosy lady with the music
roll, warming her numb hands at the fire,
and keeping one eye on the clock to see if
she must start yet for her class-a country
girl, evidently, come thirty or forty miles
in this bleak weather to take her lesson in
the city.
There is the pale woman with the head
ache, her eyes closed, lying back with her
head against rolled-up shawl and the
pleasant matron who goes to her with
vinaigrette and glass of water.
There is the distracted woman who has
lost something and keeps emptying her
shopping-bag into her lap, opening and
counting all the parcels, putting them
back, sitting still few minutes with an
expression of dismal resignation, and then,
apparently thinking that, after all, per-
haps she has overlooked it, repeating the
same process from the beginning.
There is the near-sighted girl holding
Greek grammar close to her face and NUT
tering conjugations.
All these are interesting, but the observ-
er is more attracted toward two young wo-
men in the dimmist and remotest nook Of
the room, who are laughing a good deal
while one of them tries to place herself so
as to conceal what the other is doing.
For some time .his remains mystery,
but, presently, stepping across tie two
yalises at their feet, the young women
come forward, and one of them is seen to
be bareheaded.
She goes to the glass, and there tries on
very pretty little bonnet, evidently just
trimmed, and turns to her companion for
inspection. 1t is approved, and they re-
turn to their seat, with whispering and
more laughter, and appear to be making up
bundle there.
The observer makes shrewd guess at
what it is; he thinks they are from out
of town, and are starting on a journey, and
that she needed travelling bonnet, and
had had no time to get it before.
There! they are going; they are gone.
A parcel lies on the seat they had occu-
pied. The woman in charge comes up;
smiles; smiles more broadly; opens and
displays it. Sure enough, it is the shabby,
old, discarded hat, labeled, in large, pen
ciled letters on conspicuous tag
HFor the Worthy Poor ?u