Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-22

B.Osd SgeSl ThrCn5td Lac lD'O The
Night VIII Holiday Shoppers.
MAKE, Al ANiMArEp PICTURE.
The Pnssiing Questions VII" ""ich
uoth-r. Have Ia to"trn" u"
,,Linu observation-disclosures for
M. Hest ciri-E,cr, body busy.

rain that ZEN during portion oil me
afternoon. vas or wleo from early moIi-
ina until within an hour OF midnight
with a great throng OF people. many oil
them making their Christina purchases
while others were on.y on the thorough
fare to see the sights. AND those VINO
were out Tor the latter purp Sc ala no'
come u vain. Huriy-scuriy cvery~ mere.
Push. shove. and josie. Elbow your
wa, through the crowd. for such you
must II you wish 20 make any heaGway
on this denseiy- packed street You pass
and rcpass tue same people. You see
them empiy-handod. and then you see
them with arms fun OF bundles Of every
conceivable shape and size.
There Is the mother. VINO has put on
buying The Christmas presents until only
a few days remain before the day VIII
have come. and who is now trying TO
purchase them all in one afternoon. she
has a task before her, but II is Just such
an one as she would not shirk for all
the world. First from one store. then
70 another. Books to be bought. toys
10 be bougnt The big wax dol WIN blue
eyes anu ,oiden hair FIR Mary. Ihis
type vi beauty ana nothing t.se, sHe
knows wiz l4Sase lie Attie S"i anu '"e
sa.,sman wnO SHOWS her COL Mhost
- ha.r - a shaCe iil hter or darker IMAM tnt
co.or which The Ltte one las tled So
hard TO describe 10 nti 3 promptly lou
that II WIZ LOt SAT-. HaUys 1 80 Chcsl
must contain everything the little fellow
80 earI,s.ly OXprtssea VISA iO4. VI SIS
WIZ A..s a. Don't u..lk 500 are
coins t. inteige the little mother INTO
ta....4- it, ole WI 80 to vstIy store
in toMn but wat she gets just the rgni
thlns. aha tnc Joy with wiie" nti bI.s.'
eycc Y w.i scatter his zoos on the
floor CHRISTMAS morning, win the eA-
c.amation that everything is mere VIII
amply repay her Tor the trouble she has
ta4.en IA setting II.
Then. there is the father. who has man
arod TO set away from the Office long
6.l.cn T. III .p town 10 buy a prtstn
or two. As rule, he d1es very little
Christians hopping. Mncu the season
comes n hands out the money. Wen
k.o..n. ta.t the hands IN whose care
he onirusts It Will not be reckless In
its expenditure. and tnat every dollar
viii bang happiness TO some one. But
t.tr. az, t.e presents for his We ana
mother. watch he usually purchases with
h.s own HANDS and 10 when Le blser
nj a uttls care in selecting. Yes. 10
matter how much the pressure Of bust
ness may be. he takes time 10 perform
tbs .osns task.
when YOU see a young man with
troubled. nervous look upon fac
aItting IN and out Of stores. tntn ycI
nay know that he is nearly bordering
IN 70 insanity in his efforts % select
present loc his test girl. Not ic"
young men also r IN mOer their mctle'a
and s.ste.- on these occasions. but you
can ways t.. whether he is mah.nt
the puicn4se for some member OF has oW
family or for some tair one outs d. h
home c.ro.e. It is at jewe.ry stores tAai
this young man $ generdiy see
Money? Why you would think that DO
had barre.s Of H. what - the h.tHy 10
ere TO him wlen he is buying some
dam b.t of jewciry FOR the sweet 5,
thing In tne wor.t"?
But Of d. the shoppers who tread Broad
street at this CAD season there is non
VINO is m-Te interesting tlan the DO.
VINO Tor the las six weeks has beer
saving up hs pennies In order that B.
might buy his motlor a Christmas gift
And there are hundreds OF sucn boys D.
this city wlO haze denied tacmse.ve.
dur rg the past few e,ks many itt.'
taey might have tae pleasure OF buyinf
a present and giving it to her on Chris
ms morn
When the shadows Of evening set ir
however. and the many lights throw the.
glare upon the thoI ughlares. the stu.
presents a somewhat different seen
On 10 81 faces nave disappeared. There
stli a throng but il is not the happy
hot 90 no.
during he day swept the thoroughfare
Ike a great tide. The faces one meet.
with now are more caTewOrn. Womer
who during the long hours OF the da.
were engaged in arduous toll. shut In b
the walls of factories from the me.r
scene going on outs de- are now free 1.
do their Christmas shopping l. T.
payday" with the masses and the last
Saturday night before Christmas. Mel
and women ~ The humber w-lks OF lie
with the hard-earued wages IN their po-k
cts. crowd the ores. and the scenes OF
the day are aga enacted beneath tn
gare Of lncandescent lights. TIE pur
chases now are not so costly as they
were In the day. and there IS no hand
some oquipage awaiting In front OF n
stores TO convey the shoppers and tneii
packages home. Yet the cashier. in his
s.evated place above the crowd, Is kept
cute as busy. as with def fingers he
makes the change and sends Il speeding
back to the clerk and customer waiting
for It in some distant portion of the
store
The crowds on the street grow less and
less as the Saba h approaches and whei
the beis toll the hour midnight, ano
Christmas week is fairly ushertd In, the
thoroughfare was almost deserted.
While so many are engaged in the plea
sures and the enjoyments which the neal
approach of Christmas brings. there are
many to whom the joyous season means
days and nights Of hard work. AT the
express flee a force OF hands is kept
working nights. and for TWO weeks before
Christmas and many are the gifts that
find their way through This office to the
absent ones far away. a look into IN,
eXurrss-ofi.ce would show what would
appear TO be a scene of dire Infusion
but the men know their business. and
the boxes and bundles are shin"od away
as fast as they come In, though the pile
never seems TO decrease. Yet by Christ
mas-Day most OF them Will be In The
hands Of those Tor whom the, are in
tended The post-oiice is crowded with
mali matter OF every descripu n at this
time OF year and the clerks there have
a busy time OF II.
The unfortanates Of the city are mo-
forgotten Oh Christmas Day. The boys
OF the Male Orphan Asylum and % The
Masonic Home sre all given a Christina.
dinner that iine should enjoy.
Neither Is tn criminal forg item Thu
conwcts Of he ,nitentiary al fare bette
IN the anniversary day and Justice jobs
makes many Door wretch happy h'