The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-20

as fact that purchases on time are not
profitable.
Fortunately for shoppers the weather
has been comparatively clear for the last
few days, and the women one sees bal
ancing along under the confusing weight
of a varied assortment Of bundles have
not had the added care OF an umbrella
In view of the greater comfort In which
the stores can be visited under dry skies,
Il IA rather paradoxical to hear a clerk in
a large dry goods store say: "Thcre is q
rush now, but II 1t would only rain busi-
ness would be doubled" Yet this Is the
identical remark made yesterday by Just
such an employe In just such an estapiisn-
ment.
why? Wen, that Is one of the things
that cannot be explained, as the topical
song says. but observation demonstrates
that It Is almost true. The average Seattle
woman seems to love the rain. she giories
in an opportunity to traipse along muddy
street with the drippings Of her umbrella
forming sheen like satin on the back
of her tailor-made gown, and In honor OF
the weather and just to show the wonder
ing male sex what she can do. she usually
piles on an extra bunch OF assorted bum
dies and juggles with them as she goes
her rounds. A man on rainy DAY VIII
squirt into cigar store or make dash
around the end into some secluded saloon;
but a woman, precluded from such resorts
by her delicacy and sex. can only waits
from one dry goods emporium to another,
with side chaese into milliner's or
toy bazaar. And wherever she goes she
buys, for has not this year 1899 been
prosperous one for father or husband, and
has she not liberal allowance to devote
to the little gifts that shall gladden. their
generous hearts on the morning OF De-
cember %? Now. that IS hazard at an
explanation why women seem to prefer
rainy days for Christmas shopping The
wet gives them excuse for going into stores
the clerks see them coming and do the
rest.
A MOST unusual thing has happened this
n year. Several women have bought
their husbands cigars in the regular
tobacco shops instead of at their grocerA
and others have bought neckties in gentle
mems furnishing goods stores instead Of In
notions shop. In consequence the an
nual strain of looking pleased will be les
sened this year for many of the male sex.
Neckties and boxes of cigars are very ac-
ceptable presents to the average man 4
they are all that their names would lead
him to expect. But 1t is not ever thus,
as can be seen from the outbreaks of the
funny papers. They give 1t to the innocent
box of grocery cigars with rather unneces-
sary acerbity at times. For instance, in
the holiday number of one of the colored
weeklies 1t tells of two men the day after
Christmas exchanging notes. One said he
had received notice on Christmas day of
an overdue note, a warning from his land
lady to pay rent or move, and sundry bills.
Then the funny paper Indignantly makes
the other man say: "Oh, you're lucky;
got box Of cigars from my WIFE"
The days for Christmas shopping are
steadily narrowing down, and SO are the
Christmas stocks, and 40 are the purses
of the people. Today and tomorrow and
Friday and Saturday. -Four days. that
is all, and now for the mad final rush, In
which the holiday shopper lands prize after
prize in quick succession and Tugs them
home and hides them under sofas and be-
hind bureaus until the great day. Four
days more, and the clerks are beginning to
wear that "going-going-gone" expression
that makes one buy with desperate haste
and feel grateful for the chance.
Yes it's a busy holiday season, and there
Is no time to stop and count money. Get
in with the rest of them or you'll be left
at the post.