Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1899-12-21
CURRENT EVENTS.


1 tha
engaging manners of the store clerk ,ro
put to severe strain by the endless pro-
cession OF shoppers who line up in front Of
the counters without the slightest idea Of
buying anything but who wish nevertheless
to look over the entire stock of the Store
The clerks are there to show the goods Of
course and so the shoppers ask the price
of every thing in sight and insist on bav-
ing all the articles on the top shelves
brought down and spread out before them
and the contents of the show cases 6sbed
up tor closer inspection. They examine
every piece infinitely and haggle over the
price of each until they secure the reduc-
ton of half cent or so; when they either
buy ten-cent handkerchief or calmly float
away with vague intimaton of calling
again some other day. The clerks still
smiling and affable rush the different lines
displayed back to place and usually finish
lust in time to greet another crowd of i'm
possible purchasers who want them all
pulled out again. So it goes through the
long day and evening and small wonder
if the persistent amiability of the people
behind the counters becomes little forced
and that their boiling indignation occa-
sionally threatens to burst through the
polished shell of courtesy and pour itself
on the heads of their tormentors in hot
lava of words. But the watchful eve of
their guardian angel, the genial proprietor,
wards off all danger from the shoppers as
he stands in the background rubbing his
hands together and ready to greet each
conner with the affectionate effuson usually
reserved for the return of prodigal son.
1t is his harvest season and in his protect
ing presence the most aggravating buyer
can pursue the even tenor of her way with
all the security felt by the incorrigible
urchin who was found in a circus menag-
erie poking the animals through the bars
of their stout cages for the fun of hearing
them roar.
The crying need of the day is for some
form of innocent amusement suited to
grown people. The spectacle of digniied
men and women with glasses and gray
hair trying to amuse themselves at church
sociables and similar gatherings with such
games as g bean porridge hot, bean por-
ridge cold," or GO Simon says thumbs up"
etc., is too pathetic. They are social
beings probably and want to mingle with
their fellows SO they feign breathless
interest in seeing how many can carry
big potato on teaspoon across the ves-
try, or line up on one of two sides and
work themselves into perspiration trying
to have their side beat in Transporting
a pile Of beans from one end of the line to
the other, bean at time through 40
different hands They are not perhaps
gifted conversationalists and cannot talk
all the time and must have something to
do, so handkerchief is tied around some
bodys venerable head and game of blind
mans buff entered into with great creak-
ing of rheumatic joints and general
putting from the violent exercise. If there
is any enjoyment at all in these antique
gambols it must be in the nature of a fore
taste of the pleasures of second childhood
and hardly satisfactory to robust indivld-
uals in the prime of life Still they must
have entertainment, and the lucky mortal
who lnvents some game or amusement
suited to grown-up people in the full pos
session of their intellectual faculties will
be benefactor to the human race.
MIR. Alger of Michigan is reported as
about to publish book which will review
his administration of the war department
A copy will doubtless be sent to President
Mckinley with the compliments of the
author and pair of asbestos gloves with
which to turn the pages.
Postmaster General Heath has blasted
the prospects OF the unmarried women
postal clerks by ruling that such clerks
cannot marry and retain their places, on
the ground that the position should go to
some one who has no means of SUPPORT
This obliges the poor clerks to remain
single or throw up lucrative position for
what may possibly turn out to be poor
LOB.
The usual dispatch from British gener-
ais has been received by the anxious
friends at home from the supposedly invin-
chile Sir Redvers Butler: 81 regret to
report a serious reverse" If it can he
found out on what kind of meat these Rr;t-