Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-12-11

] tnlS Joyous uolluhy lue uhh bDvA
unite in rejoicing, and common ties OF hu-
manity level all our ranks.
To wisescres and pretended philosophers
/ the mysterious agencies which aid old
| Santa in his work are as plain as day, and
all will admit that the grizzly phllan-
/ thropist has an immense establishment
extending over the whole OF Broad street
and another of almost equal proportions
on Main. And then, too. he has other
stores in remoter parts Of the city, and In
many an ugly little grocery the genial
spirit gives directions which VIII here
! after lead to that supreme bliss
the satisfaction of the inner man.
In the last week or so Broad street has be-
come alive with people, and from early
morning until long after twilight the
beautiful thoroughfare is crowded with a
busy, bustling food of humanity. intent
| on shopping aud eagerly engaged IN
making preparations for the holidays. In
the eyer-moving multitude are people
of every condition and age. IL ever
a man should 10 excused for loat-
| ING il is when he loiters on some corner 70
watch this throng 90 by, for IN lts num-
bers are hundreds and hundreds OK
handsome women and pretty girls. IL is
charming sight to see the sweet Virginia
maids, wrapped like some precious article
IN q maze of furs and cloaks and with
their cheeks flushed with excitement. AL
ell have their bundles, and all present the
picture of energy and happiness. From 4
! 10 o'clock IN the afternoon the shoppers
are out by thousands. and one can hardy
pass along the sidewalks without brushing
against them or recognizing some ac-
quaintance.
The north and south sides Of Broad
! street are as different as night and da :.
On the latter IS the great aggregation u
dry-goOds and other retail stores, and
here the social features OF the thorough
fare are more clearly marked. This ls the
side that all the girls chOose-partly be-
cause they find everything TO suit Their
taste in the shops and partly because they
can always count on stun bling across some
of their masculine admirers, who, by the
| wav, are very prone TO lnger on the cor
ners and puff their irTepresslble pipes.
On the north side are the grocery stores
and places where other articles more strict
~ pertaining to domestic affairs are sold.
| The danes who venture here are all sober
matrons or young ladies who seriously
contemplate matrimony. IL society belle
were 20 promenade on this part of the
street il would be almost equivalent 10 ON
open declaration on her part that ere long
she wonld assume the duties OF wife or
the care of household. In fact the class
OF people is entirely different here-they
have more practical andless frivolous ar
The BIC policemen who stand on the cor
ners Of Broad street NOWADAYS have an en-
| viable lot in llfc, for hour after hour thcv
| watch the ladies and gossip v .th sAe men
| who stroll around 10 see the crowd. 1t IS
| mistake 10 think the "bluecoats" don't
know what's going on IN social circles
Why. bless my soul, they are well acqualnt-
a n1y oh | 20
happen 10 see a pretty girl and would like
TO know her name, just go up TO one OF
the guardians" and say, Sergeant
(they all like to be called sergeant y,
whois that ladyf" They can tell you every
time, and what is more, they can inform
you who her father -, and whether the
flush upon her checks Is the real article
or the result of some vile concoctlon g
beguile the innocence Of unsuspecting
men. How tho big club-swingers find out
so much is more than l can see. have
often wondered, and can only attribute 1t
10 the fact that the ladies communicate the
news themselves, for they have the
utmost confidence IN tho officers and
often let out little bits Of gossip in official
Conversations Broad street, like every
thing else. has Its faults as well as merits
In the first place 10 is the haven OF baby
carriages and colored nurses, and the com
bination of the two make things decidedly
disagreeable at times. And then the girls
alloge-girls who always have an eye fol
the beautiful-that IN the evenings the
electric lights are very unbecominR tc
complexions and subject the tar pedes
trisns to many disadvantages.
The popularity of the great thorough
faro at this season, and especially the
south side, is due entirely to the stores
and already the windows are filed With
Christmas goods, which are arranged II
the most artistic and tempting. fashion
Every merchant is vieing with his neigh
Dor to make the most attractide display
anl in the maze of goods exhibited tn,
purchaser almost becomes bewlldered. a
few DAYS ago | was detailed to spenc
three hours IN examining the many
articles in the shops, but IL u
only honest to confess that two thirds o.
this time was devoted TO an inspection o
the congregated femininity as viewed IRON
a secluded spot on tho corner OF Flttl
street. When l really commenced my IN
destinations | was delighted beyond de
scrlption and sighed TO be a Rothschild o.
a Gould. First of all l went INTO dry
goods store, or rather one OF those BOZ
Marche" establishments where everything
on earth is sold. Thirteen lady
clerks -embarrassingly pretty to
young man-promptly seized .upoI
me, and for moment / felt
thrill of delight until l glanced a
my surroundings, ana then q teelinl
of horror cIept over me. We had drltteC
into the department which IS exclusively
devoted to those articles OF clothing whicl
Santa Claus so much delights to fill and
what was worse. a strange power or intul
tion told me that the appalling objects
were not meant for masculine inspection
And right here let me state that this !
the reason men won't venture IN dry-good
stores more frequently than they do; thel
never know what they are going 70 stumol'
across and when they should shut their eyes
But my far pilots. obliylous OF m.
thoughts, led me on, and finally. VI
stopped at a book-stand. There were hun
dreds of volumes, containing works OF tn
choicest authors and most exqulsitel,
bound. The most tastidlous reader couiC
have found something to suit his taste. TO
there was everything from Dante
Inferno" to the blood-curdling lltera
ture of Mother Goose" Every on
will admit that volume, wnlcl
is tastefully bound and well illus
trated IS far more attractive than one con
tanning the bare printing, and the eollec
tion | saw certainly possessed the merit
TO which l alude. From books l went L
booklets, and for the first time realize
how completely Ohristmas-cards had los
their lOlQ upon lne puphCs Ano OOOh,e
has now usurped its place, and like tn
change, for the little volumes, If sue
! dainty midgets can be dlgnified with tha
name are beautifully gotten up and mos
! exquIsitely colored.
In former days used TO think that pho
toeraph- albums were rather tacky," bu
when that fair bevy of l3 led me befor
, the counter which contained these article
forthwith changed my views. Nowaday
, the backs of albums. or rather Christina
, albums. are made of wood or platinum
, and they are exquisitely carved ana worke
with silver. In burst OF enthusiasm
, picked up one of the pretty things 9th
, albums, not the girls and it almost too
my breath away when heard musiczbo
, start up and play Whistle and VA
for Kate" The dozen and one clerk
explained that the instruments were IN "a
coverings Of the albums and that my 81
ter certainly ought to have one. OF "a
/ books. If peopfe weren't so infernall
4 mean would certainly have bought on
of those umbrellas which next met "a
|, gaze, for there was an equisite assortmer
ranging in price from 81 eeats to Si2.