The times., 1899-12-16
signs of YuIetide.

curious hurlyburly of business and
sentiment, Of eager shoppers and active
merchants, Of iostling, goodnatured
throngs with heavy bundles and lighter
purses, of calculating mothers, obedient
fathers. and expectant youngsters, indicate
that the Yuletide draws near. And the
spirit of the Christmas season is one quite
irresistible. The busy man who can manage
10 escape all other holidays barring the
Fourth of July, perhaps-resigns himself
10 the temporary service of Santa Claus,
and with excellent grace permits himself
to be piloted through the mazes Of the
brilliantly bedecked shops.
To the average woman, skilled in the tao
Tics of storming the bargain counter and
artfully securing her share of the spoil, the
present animated rivalry OF trade is a
source OF delight; but to the average man,
with his head fun of problems, personal,
political, and professional, Il cannot be set
down as an occasion Of unadulterated JOY.
To him the mysteries and inuicscies Of
The emporium are as profound as a chap
ter of Sanskrit and, readily admitting
placed side by side, he could scarcely
distinguish between them, he follows
in the family train with mingled emo
tions. Not that there IS a paucity of
holiday cheer IN his soul, but he realizes
his unsophisticated condition and imagines
that he feels much as he would at a quilt
ing bee or an executive session OF a
womans debating society. Women are
born shoppers; It IS almost a second nature
with them. like following the fashions in
gowns and hats. but there are so few men,
bers Of the genus homo who can appreciate
the "reduced-from-t three dollars -to-twO-
ninety-eigLI' sign that they are not
worth considering unless it be as exceptions
TO prove the rule that the sex is not bar
gsin-hunJing one.
So it transpires as Christmas comes
apace. the courageous citizen determines TO
discard his misgivings, assume an appear
ance Of unconceTn and go brayely forth
as would a good soldier TO do his duty;
this being season Of self-sacrifice, he
heroically takes his share And as custodian
Of The reserve fund, he IS often an indis-
pensable parsonage, for frequently, when
the expenditure has passed beyond the es-
Inmates, he comes to the fore and prevents
a sudden cessation OF trading operations
which, had he been absent, would have
been caused by an unexpected financial en-
barrassment.
A man wandering aimlessly through q de-
partment store, and realizing that he has
no business connection with the establish
ment has a constant feeling Of being in
everybody's way, including his own, and,
/ though men are not unusual sights in the
emporiums, they cannot help realizing that
! they look as they feel. Noncbalance is an
/ impossibility, however determined the ef-
/ fort to appear unconcerned.
However Christmas comes but once a
year. and when, on the morning Of De-
cember 25, the splendid array of gifts
greets his eye and the children's tree
sparkles with tinsel and hangs heavy with
! its crop Of toys and candy paterfamilias
viii mentally compliment his excellent
/ Judgment as a buyer and feel convinced
! that his presence Oh the shopping tour had
much TO do with making the affair gilt
/ tering success.