Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-20

IFl
| HOLIDAY SHOPPING.
Some Questions That do Not Perplex Women
Folk and Some That Do.
| WHAT A RUSH there is now to buy some
w thing for Christmas and what puzzle it
is to decide what to get! How many are there
OF the throng who are pushing and squeezing
through the surging crowds in the stores,
fairly climbing over one another to get at a
something they are not altogether certain
whether they want or not, who passed through
the very same ordeal last year and the year be-
fore and 80 on for years back, and declared
positively on every occasionif they lived to see
another Christmas they would most certainly
select and buy what they needed weeks before
hand and be ready to laugh at others who did
not when the supreme rush came on? 1t is the
same old story-putting off the evil hour-and
now Christmas day pops right up for the
eighteen hundred and ninetieth time and
catches them all at sea as before
IN SHOPPING WOMEN LEAD,
though men probably spend more money dur
ing the holiday season. pretty liberal
minded man, for instance, will give his wife,
| to say nothing of what he gives the other men,
bers OF the family. handsome silver set, an
expensive dress pattern, q sealskin coat or
something that win pull him for good round
sum. In return he will get in all probability,
duck OF pair OF gloves" cravat or razor
strop, Mt which he is, of course, expected to be
| delightfully."- surprised, cheerfully thankful and
| altogether supremacy satisfied. He buys things
for other members of his own family, gives his
wife the money to buy something for the chill
dren and members Of her family and then lets
her look out herself for the money to get him
q present with. She invariably does the 'look
out business with serene neatness and dis
patch. OF course he knows thing or two, but
he has got to pretend like he don't. If he is a
strict accountant and finds by an algebraic
equation that his PB. which was at certain
time = to given quantity Of GB, is soon
| afterward - x or - XV+X, he understands
that it would be in bad form to say anything
about it to anybody or to let on like anything
was missing, so he just smiles blandly and won
ders whether 1T will be a Chimes silk handker-
, chief or Japanese pocket match box or simply
| a necktie.
PERPLExING QUESTION.
matter OF much worry to woman and
amazement to bystanders when out shopping is
the location Of and the inaccessibiity to the
back breadth pocket, which, as Mr.. Howell says
| ls reached by accidental discovery" 1t is
generally relegated to the rear portions Of the
skirt and SO enveloped in masses of folds and
| furbelOws that it is necessary for woman to
get herself into the shape of the letter to fer
retlt out and get into it. In the crush of a
shopping crowd no one can tell when she is be-
ing robbed-as she often is-about the only
question arising being whether the pickpocket
has been sufficiently paid or not for the great
trouble he had in finding it. This accounts for
many women carrying their pocket books in
| their hands, the principal object of which
method it appears is to afford a labor-saving
| device to snatchers, to say nothing of their
| frequently laying them on the counter or table
anIn hpnaft n hui fcr 40
| thief. Others III spirit of over precaution use
| the bosom OF their dress banking establish
ment. Whe:. they make purchase they have to
| unbuttOn few buttons, turn their elbows
toward the sky and delve down among strings
and things and fish out the monetary recepta-
Gle, pay the bill, get the change, return the
package to its haven of safety and rearrange
the dress-all while the clerks are annoyed
other women mad and the men around
wlnklng and blinking at each other
| IN A GREAT STATE OF HILARIrY.
Others still stuff small bits Of change, car
| tickets, &C., in the portfolio opening of the
left-hand glove, where it rests between the
palm of the hand and glove until she forgets
| it, when it drops out and gets lost lady in a
| herdic recently found upon getting in that she
| had neither money nor tickets and she vowed
she put them in her glove but few moments
| before. She got out to hunt them up and
found, just the herdic got out of hearing and
| ii
| the glove OF her right hand instead of the left
| as usual-and then the alleged March hare was
| a model of Weakness in comparison. If her
| husband did not get rubbed over the Goals that
| night on general principles he did not
know what streak of blind luck he was play
| ing in.
WHAT WILL THEY DO ABOUT IT?
The old-fashioned way Of carrying shopping
| bag or retlcule has come in again, and in that
some carry little leather or plush bag and
| inside of that their pocket book. They open
the draw strings of the reticule and take out
| the bag. close the reticule and open
the bag take out the pocket book close the
| reticule, open the pocket book, take out the
money, close the pocket book pay the bill and
wait for the change. They get that and open
the pocket book, put in the change, close the
pOckt book, open the reticule, take out the bag,
close the reticule. open the bag, put in the
pocket book, close the bag, open the reticule,
put in the bag, close the reticule and then,
when they reach home at night all worn out
wonder what in the world they could have been
doing all day not to have done more than they
did do.
WOMEN AND cRAvATs
A cravat, of all things, is one thing a woman
cannot buy to suit a man-that is. the men
think so. Nevertheless, it is her ''sine qua
nom when she gets ratified over what she shall
give him-and that happens nine times out of
ten. If she is wrestling with doubt between
beautiful gold-headed cane and an elegant
chinchilla overcoat she will cut the Gordian
knot by lighting upon last years cravat. He
accepts it, of course, like lamb led to the
slaughter, without a word. notwithstanding it
may be exactly the thing he would not have
chosen himself. Most men are very vain about
such things and keep their ideas cut closely to
certain line in style, finish and shade. Their
tastes differ as widely as one star differeth from
another star in glory, but woman would give
man the same kind six times in succession,
no matter if his complexion is as sallow as a
sweet potato and the cravat deep purple hue
If he is fond Of wearing subdued shades, she
will be sure to select one with all the brilliant
effects of a crazy quilt-if his tastes run to
something light and lively he will be apt to re-
ceive one of somber black that he could only
wear with becoming propriety at a funeral.
But he puts it on, all the same, and wears it.
1t is the thing to do without fail and he knows
it.
Lovers Quarrel.
Nha rru,o.( u, nc rx,n.