The morning times., 1895-12-22
SHOP GIRLS TELL HOW
Pertinent Hints for Christmas
Shoppers in Washington.
THEY ARE NOT ATHLETE
Beg Their Customers TO Have Some
Mercy-They All Would Prefer
Men as Purcllasers-knOw Before
hand What Is Wanted, and Then
Don't Tarry to Price Things.

There Is growing and frequently ex
pressed opinion among the thousands or
morebig andlittle bits oTfenilninity VINO help
preside over the various departments in
Wasnington's stores, that q school for
the instruction OF ladies, and men, too,
sometimes, in the peculiar art of shopping
should be established here.
Especially in the holiday sea son re their
minds set on the need OF sucn an Institution,
and just now the things that the y are sa ying
about the female shoppers who make their
working hours burdcnsome, are really cx-
pressions almost too strong for pretty lips
to frame. But IL was at the close of hard
day. work when Times report er suggested
to Ia number OF them that they formulate
some advice for Christmas shoppers, and if
few condensed it into u suggestion that
the ladies' forever refrain from purcha sing
anything but becfsteak, they couldn't be
The place that suggested itself TO the
reporter as the best field for securing
advice on the subject was u big dry goods
store duwn town, and thither lie went.
His expectations were fully realized.
Dozens "f pretty girls behind showcases
and counters, half curtained by hanging
ribbons. Iaces, cluaks, all looked per
fectly willing to tell h,iw shopping should
be done in the blsy seasons.
THE HUN OF BUSINESS.
The store was blaze uf light. The many
voices, talking uf this and that, kept up
an inccssant hum, and the cash-boX rail-
road overhead whirred and clicked merrIiy
away, carrying wealth to the cuffers oil
the proprietrrs. And with paper and pencil
in hand the reporter collected the ideas
and sometimes the names and addresses Of
the pretty girls.
Some told how the ladies should act
when shopping. Others told how they W OuId
do 1t II they had big wads III money, and
two or .hrer, maybe u few more, were pos
sessed OF The firm conviction that none bat
husbands should be III owed To do the family
shopping. if they ran across things that
Were ton intricate for them, well, they
could rely in nust cases on the shop girls
Judgment
There were two girls behind a counter
whereon ribbuns and laces We're displayed,
when the reporter leaned over and blush
ingiy confided his mission. At first they
We're disposed la be doubtful, but when
persuaded Of his sincerity une OF them,
whose rusy checks were tinted from natures
color box to match her blue eyes, after
looking around to see that the manager
was at a safe distance, said:
-.'Will / give you some advice to shop
pers? Barrels OF II, and / hope they'l are
read IL. First, please tell them that shop
girls are not athletes, and that it requires
a great deal of physical exertion to drag
DedNS D0NtS uOWn from sHtlNts ana up
from under the counter all day lorg
'Of course, we wouldn't kick if they
bought anything. but half OF them only
want To- feast tLcir eyes on pretty things
they cannot possess. That. / suppose, is
feminine trait, but it's tough ON the
girls
The other girl. whose checks were just
as rosy as the first maidcns, but whose
eyes were black. nodded approvingly,
and tie bluc-eyed one continued:
Then tell them tn make up their minds
about what they want before they leave
their homes The women who don't know
what they want until they see it, are
another awful strain on the nerves and
tnu>,lcs oI us Giris. They are almost as
as people who don't want any
thing. but" LuTriedly. there comes the
and l guess I've told you enough
about shoppers.
well, guess. he wants TO hear from
me-" said Black Eyes. tthey wouldn't tell
their names,) and. as the manager turned
up another aisle, the reporter said he did.
We'll, III tell you what they do do, and
then you can see how they ought to do"
This statement made up in earnestness
for its lack of elegance and the reporter
forgaye it, while the little girl went on.
A HORRIBLE EXAMPLE.
"A lady came in here today and the
only thing on earth she really wanted was
to find out whether we could match a
piece of ribbon for her. She didn't tell
me that, though. / pulled boxes up and
pulled them down, until had the counter
covered with them. l showed her new