The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-05-10

1t was a new shop, very stylish as to
window effects, and inside the stand
about models looked exceedingly pronis-
ing, says Dorothy Maddox in the Phila-
deiphia Enquirer" II believe" said my
friend. II shall find here just what I
want
We stopped before the shirt waist coun-
ter. a favorite place. and one where most
of as stop these days. Not that we are
doing much more than hopesagainst hope,
for of all disappointments l think the
bought waist Is the greatest.
1t seems at the factory to nave been Mt
ted over a pillow tied in the middle or a
clothes pole. However. I AVE no time in
this article TO air its shortcomings. Other
grievances clamor for space.
Behind the shirt waist counter stood a
girl, such a pretty girl, until we came to
know her. when the old saw, Pretty is as
pretty does broke the glamour of her
charms into a thousand pieces.
She was not nicely behaved. Somebody
had told her evidently that she had beau
tiful eyes. She dropped them upon every
conceivable pretence. and when one is
anxious for information / must say a
pair of downcast orbs are trying.
NY friend. a lovely person. and dressed
in exceeding taste-I merely throw in this
informc ton to show that neither manners
nor clothes win get one attention-asked
to see something in lavender waists. Two
were reluctantly exhibited. both very
jaunty. Can 1 try them on?p This aues-
ton received an apathetic w don't try
on our waists
well" said my friend, 81 a had so
much bother getting waists home and
having to take them back. can you tell me
how you think such a waist might be al
tered? You see 1t has no shoulder seam
The young woman evidently did not
think. 1t was too warm to think. She
mumbled over something. l did not catch
one whole word of the sentence.
1 whispered to my friend: "She looks
tired. let's go back and see if we can find
anybody who will eondescend to show us
tailor suits"
The person in charge of the suits was
austere. She had small use for anybody
not known to- be something more than a
locker. l nave never encountered greater
indifference to a sale. She might, per-
haps. il we a given affidavit to good
intention. shown us what she had in STOCK.
AS 1t was we were marched up to a lot
of dangling costumes, the revolving ma
chine turned. and then, as PLAINLY as IL
she had said so, We were ioia we nishe
taka them or leave them.
I'm one year from now" I remarked as
we left the establishment, MARX my
words. we shall see this shop in the
hands OF the sheriff. 1t is Always 80.
No firm can keep on its legs for any
length OF time when the great buying
public is treated with such manifest IN
difference"
I shall never again put my foot inside
this shop. neither will my friend; and
as she buys the best and at the choicest
figures, the shop has lost a good Gus
toner.
Probably the members of this firm are
utterly ignorant of the perfect apathy
which controls their salsspseple. l would
never complain to their heads, for no
matter how discourteals a woman might
treat me, I should hate. because OF her
sex. TO have her lose her place. Other
women feel as I do, and for this reason
we are again and again snubbed peyoho
our lust deserts. We are trying; we are
some of US thorns in the flesh OF the SIS
tiers who toll; but when a woman taxes
up any life work she must expect to De
subjected to annoyanees of all Kinds
Why, We're I to treat my newspaper
patrons with the same discourtesy that
women are treated by clerks in the shops
I should not expect to hold my position
for a single hour. And yet there are
times without number when l am SO
weary of being patient.
One thing is certain, were / head OF a
firm where women were supposed to be
catered to 1 would see, bless my soul If
l would not, that there were people on
hand that knew how to cater.
Every morning somebody vitality inter-
ested in the welfare of a shop should
Keep in mind throughout the entire J
dav.the fact that we pay salaries for the
purpose of selling goods We want tact,
good sense, good nature. without any,
thing that savors of badgering. Just a
sr,nshiny Willingness to please. Nothing
obtr,lsive
A short lecture of this sort might mend
matters. If women dared complainant
+bere we won't. and the clerks know it.
that is where we are many times fool
isb 7 admit: but our pity gets the better
of o,,r common sense.
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