Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-01-29

tuc SdlcSplIlS nave SotiuiAooASh OA
what they sell above a specified figure,
and certain mistress OF ribbons of
whom l always buy when / have an OPP
because l am bewitched by
tho yellow curIs of her hair, often al
ludes to the day she struck bonanza
in Mrs. Letter and her order for $3.50
worth of assorted colors. Mrs. Hammers
ley. now Her Grace tho Duchess of
Marlborough, used to buy in the same
lavish manner, and She is regre tied by
those who laid aside their choicest
things for her inspection. sure she would
praise them whether she purchased
them or not. and would have smile
for the exhibitor. Sho had mania
for pretty underwear and was one of the
first women in New York to wear col
ored silk nightgowns. y small, DARK
Erenchwoman who con trolls this depart
ment in one of the large houses says
that on one occasion Mrs Hammersley
bought up their entire importation
as large then as now-because she
didn't want, even if one doesn't jostle
such things on the street, her bed
toilets duplicated. Her only equal in
taste in this direction, the French
woman declares, is tho Marquise LAMA,
who also has Il pretty corset reputa-
ton.
The Astors almost never shop, but
Mrs. Astor has made the reputation Of
one interesting little milliner A we'll
educated young woman had fitted herself
at the cost of considerable sacrifice on
her own part and her Others, for teach
ing. She obtained a position, but proved
too shy and sensitive to control the half
ho, i,,1i-
MARIAN" and stung by sense of failure
wandered up and down the streets
wondering what she could do. Down
hearted. giddy and almost fainting she
stumbled against a milliner's sidewalk
showcase and stared blankly at the
Paris bonnets inside. Then She went
savings and induced cousin who
kept n little stationor's shop in
a moderately good location to allow
her window room for a half dozen
hats of her own connection. 1t
sounds like fairy story, but in three
years she had sold rarely enough to
keep soul and body together when 4
carriage drove up one morning and Q
lady bought a black bonnet that was as
chic as IL was unassuming. The lady
had business, it seemed, with a decora-
tor who lived next door, and something
about the small stock of headgear had
caught her eye in passing. The lady
was Mrs. Astor. and tho sale was to tho
milliner tho beginning of better for
tunes. 1t was the ono chance tina ,
comes to some people, not to everybody,
in Il lifetime. Mrs. AStor mentioned
her discovery quietly to few people,
and the milliner has q tiny parlor now
on the avenue. and is going to Paris for
the second time for her stock in trade
this spring.
Mrs. Whitney is esteemed good
shopper and is accompanied on some of
her excursions this winter by Mrs.
Cleveland. Sometimes her daughter,
Pauline, who is 4 slim. pretty girl of T.,
is her companion, and metimcs, es.
pecially when she goes to buy a bonnet
she is attended by cx-Sccretary Whit
ney. Mrs. Whitney buys the best of
everything, and is very pleasant in her
treatment OF saIcsWomen.
Mrs. WhitneyS social successor III
Washington, Mrs. Morton, imports
noarly everything from Paris. but she
has Il wonderful eye for faces and re-
members from ono visit to another tho
salcswomcn who have waited on her,
ofton recalling to them some little in
cidcnt which they had supposed abso-
lutoly forgotten. This makes her OK
tremcly popular.
Mrs. Potter is known rs purchaser
at many csta blishments, and is neither
liked nor dislilcd especially. l re-
memb Der a couple Of seasons ago being
in quite swell establishment when
Mrs. Potter was trying on hats on the
other side of an ample screen. She
evidently supposed herself quite Sc
Guided, but it was another case of the
ostrich which runs its head in the sand,
the arrangement OF mirrors being such
that every turn of her head or move
ment of her long white fingers was re-
fected for the benefit of half a dozen
more or less curious Observers in the
main room. Bandbox after bandb box
tied with ribbons was carried be.
hind that wall of bamboo There
was low toned conversation. 4 myster-
ious rustic Of tissue papers and then
behold, in spite of the attempted priv
acy, chic little toque in black lace
and buttercups would be nodding and
bowling, as it were for the express ben
eft Of us outside barbarians. When
her selection had been made Mrs. Pot
ter did herself up in the ample folds OF
big black null veil and departed
silent as the sphinx and wholly uncon
scious that sho had been observed
Her shopping was conducted on differ
ent principle from that of Mrs. Lang
try, and that the methods Of the Lily
told better at the box Office, it is neces-
sary TO believe.
Her Lilyship wanted always a great
deal of attention, but her manners
were SO gracious that there was sort
of competition behind tho counter who
should do her bidding. The only time
| ever personally encountered Mrs.
Langtry shopping she was buying silk
stockings in light evening shades, and
was tho only woman on a swelterirg
Juno afternoon who looked as if she
had her temper or her temperature a,
all under control. She wore white and