The Van Buren press., 1899-01-07
BUY HAIR DYE FOR FRIENDS.
That Is the One Occasion When
Women Do Shopping for
other Women.

"I don't know whether women make
it rule to go about shopping for other
people," said a city hair dresser, but
we find a good deal of unselfishness in
that respect in our line of business
Our customers rarely ever shop for
themselves. They buy for friends.
Once in great while very young girl
will come in, select two of those little
curls they wear at the nape of the neck
and boldly pin them on, or have us
pin them on for her, in broad daylight,
but the exception is the rule. They al
most invariably match their own hair
and buy the curls for friend.
at is the same way with frizzes and
switches. We sell any number of them
for friends of the buyers. They sit in
front of the mirror and try them on un-
til they match their own hair to shade,
pay for them, and carry them home to
their friends. And hair dye! We never
sell that to the individual who selects
it. We always sell it for friends.
"Only yesterday a customer came
in with an embarrassed air, and stood
looking thoughtfully down at the hair
pins in the showcase. knew she didn't
want hairpins. Before she spoke knew
exactly what she wanted. They all have
the same little air about them when
they want hair dye for friend. She
was a young woman, but there were
white hairs all along her temples.
81 want to look at some hair dye,
she said.
showed her several varieties.
"'I am buying it for friend she re-
marked, casually, as she turned the bot
ties around and examined the labels.
"'What color?' asked.
"She gave a quick glance in the oppo-
site mirror.
"Light brown she answered.
"I took down bottle of light brown
dye.
"'Will it injure the brain?' she in
quired. They always want to know
that
"'Of course not said l.
"I would rather not-that is, mean
my friend would rather not use it at all
than have it injure her brain. She
would rather be gray as rat She
laughed and looked in the glass again,
She isn't so very gray after all, she
added, only n tiny little bit just at the
roots of her hair
az am sure 1t won't hurt your
friends BRAIN said |. Hundreds buy it
for their friends, and we have had no
complaints so far
"'If you are sure she said, I believe
you may put me up hottie, but you
must be sure. My friend wouldn't have
her brain injured for all the hair dyes
in the world.
81 don't think you need be afraid
it will injure your friends BRAIN as
sured her as I wrapped up the bottle
Not in the least. Where shall | send
it?'
"'Oh, you needn't send it, she cried,
quickly. I will take it to her myself
"I knew she would do that. They
never have it sent. We long ago dis
pensed with our delivery boy. We had
no use for him. They are good to their
friends, these buyers of hair dyes,
They invariably carry the parcels home
to them. They may have a spool Of
thread, or paper of needles, sent from
other stores, but not hair dye. If the
bottles were large as demijohns be-
lieve they would still lug them home
themselves.
"'The directions are on the inside,
told her. BE very careful to have your
friend follow them implicitly.
"I will
"Her veil had come unpinned.
pinned it on for her, taking look at
the white hair on her temples as did
so.
with one or two applications your
friends hair will turn beautiful light
brown 1 said, encouragingly.
"'Yes?' she took the bottle and
walked to the door. You are sure now
that it won't injure her BRAIN she
asked again, her hand on the knob
"'Quite sure said l. And I hope
your friend will be pleased with it
called after her as she went out into the
street, broad smile on her counte-
nance and her friends bottle of hair
dye tucked securely under her ARM
N. Y. Sun.