The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-19
COURTESY IN STORIES.
a Further Contribution on a Much
Discussed Topic.

Discussed Topic.
From the Philadelphia Press.
The woes of the saleswomaa-or lady,
if she so prefers it-have made many
draught on public sympathy, so prompt to
go out to the wrong person. Not that she
is eactly the wrong person. There are
doubtless martyrs on both sides of the
counter, but we hear less of the martyron
the outside, who is certainly as much of
a bruised and bleating worm"
as Sir Boyle says, as the
other. The pale girl pulling down
box after box and bale after bale for
the exacting shopper, who ends up with
the purchase of a package of hairpins and
the threat to report her TO the floorwalker
for lack of attention, is certainly more
picturesque object of compassion than the
pale shopper who finds the fascinating
pursuit of making one dollar do the work
of two still further enhanced by the
naughty Indifference when it is not act
i've animosity) of the girl whom she is too
good-natured to report. No one thinks of
her rights and wrongs-least of all the
Saleswoman.
1 have heard of, but have never seen, the
woman to whom shopping was a diversion
and the examination of articles she hasn't
the remotest intention or means of pur-
chasing a delight. The papers poke fun
at her, the saleswomen complain of her,
but every woman question responds with
a groan. Heavens, no! ] hate to buy
even a spool of cotton" She may exist.
however, and she may torment the girl
behind the counter out of all patience,
but that is no reason why the next shop
per, an amiable and harmless person,
should find her pleasant smile met with
look of severe rebuke which makes her
feel like little girl caught in some mis-
demeanor, her appeals to the others
judgment with an Icy Il don't know, I'm
sure, just suit yourself and then be
obliged to wait from ten TO twenty min
utes, with her package and change in
full sight, while the young lady couverses
with male fe.low-cerk, or with an in
terested feminine group around her dis
cusses the party she and 'Mame" at
tended last night. '9
"What kind of, manner, do you expect
for a a week2' was the parting shot of
girl discharged for rudeness 10 Gus
toners, and doubtless the same feeling
underlies much of the ipattention or in
civility to which the unoffending shopper
is subjected. Doubtless it contains u
warning to employers, but to the sales
woman herself the obvious answer is that
so long as her manners are as they are, so
long may she expect to be valued at s.,
and dear at thaC.iThere are doubtless pro
pFl6lOfS VINO 10 HOO huOW budb .WDLlSu
say of their stores: "Oh, don't go there;
they have such horrible, disagreeable
girls" Those who do realize the harm
wrought by one discodrteous clerk occa-
sionally put up notices that Customers
will confer favor by reporting inatten-
tion on the part of employees which,
like any other scarecrow, quickly out
lives it's usefulness. The more brow
beaten the customer, usually the greater
or. dieinolina fion n Tna Ia nd
possibly lose girl her place, and most of
the complaints are made only by the ex-
acting customers with imaginary griev-
ances
Librarians. for some mysterious reason,
are more disagreeable than all other
classes of female clerks put together.
What subtle influence there should be in
the atmosphere of books and letters
which is generally supposed to be pre-
eminennly adapted to sooth the savage
breast to completely sour the milk of
human kindness, do not know ;all know
is what every one can testify to-that
reduced princess, obliged to do mental
work. could take lessons in disdainful
contempt from the supercilfons
tient and persistent enough, will go
against her apparent convictions and give
you the book you want. With her, as
with number OF others, it is not a case
of active rudeness so much as OF nom
agreeability, which is quite as exasperat-
ing-a calm indifference to your wants,
and even your existence, which proclaims
you too mean 4 thing for contempt.
The raison d'etre Of the disagreeable
saleswoman is not very far TO seek The
trouble in probably one-half the cases is
simply that they are ignorant of the rules
of good breeding, and do not know that
iciness of demelnor is not proof OF re-
finement, and that the repose which
marks the cast of Vere dc We're is out of
place behind a counter. The others are
merely tired and cross. Customers
bother them, and they are going to retail
late An important fact escapes the
girls notice; it is their business TO be POI
lite; it is not the customers. They are
engaged and paid to make buying and sell
ing easy; the customer is pledged to
nothing of the kind. And if they neg
lect their business, what can they expect
of herr