Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-03-22
PORTALS new YORK LETTER

NEW OFk, mNrCn ~. Ill SGcIHS tne |
funniest thing in the world to go along |
in the slush and snow and see women
matching samples of organdies and
laces. But, dear me. we must do it,
fer even IL the old snow man is insist
ing upon another visit to us he can't
stay long. Old Sol is beginning to
smile too warmly, and when he gets up
as early in the morning and goes to
bed as late as he does now, you may
be sure he will soon Danish old Father
Snow. So spring bonnets must be
bought and the flowers and furbelows
Of summer gotten ready.
| Never was there such beautiful
variety of foulard and China silks.
Silk muslins promise to be much worn,
and they come in all the exquisite
shades, as we'll as in the plain dark
ones for every day wear. The most
noticeable characteristic in the way
they are made is the predominance of
pleats. They appear in all sizes, from
the tiny ACCORDION pleat to the deep
box-pleat. The knife.pleat is the
fayorite style for China silks and tie
ohallies that promise to be SO popular.
But must tell you Of shopping tour
Thad with cousin from Philadelphia.
| This particular cousin came tc make
me little visit before joining that
yoke OF matronhood'' under which she
goes Easter week. Shopping? Oh, no.
She had finished it all; and then she
was one of those superior beings who
smile in lofty way when you speak of
women shopping. We were going along
Twenty third street. The air was full
Of snow and the shops were full of
brides, all intent on the pretty things
of the summer season. They all looked
SO merry and happy.
"The flowers that bloom in the
spring, ira, la" said Laura.
Now men have from time to time
made the shopping woman Eutt for
their club talk, the comic papers have
carichtured her since Eve went shopping
for fruit. But until this experience l
have thought they founded their jokes
on my this; now l know they had met a
J woman like this Philadelphia cousin.
II don't want to do any shopping,
she said, "but I'll just stop in here
and buy me pair of gloves. 1t wont
, take but few minutes"
) 1t seemed to me dead easy thing tc
buy rair of gloves. Then Laura sal
: down ut the glove counter. She sale
, she wanted pair of No. G TIM street
gloves. Down came box of No. 6 tan
! colored gloves. Every one was thu
same number and every pair was the
: game shade, but that woman spent II
9 minutes making sure Of this and thei
I decided she didn't want that shade
s She would take gray. Down came ,
g box OF gray. Another 10 minutes wa
wasted and then she said, II think
: will try lighter shade Down cam
9 box containing 10 dozen pairs, al
Q exactly of the same shade aud SAM
i size. She spent 10 minutes looking
!, them over, missing the whole box up
and then inquired the price. The repl
was that the gloves were 81, so Fer pair
: 1.-THE idea," she said to me-. in
1t dignantly. Il know two places l cal
Il buy the same gloves for $l.49 Com
on.n
led the way, relieved, but 500
found she was not following. So,
her at the lace counter, pricing Duchess
IF she had no idea of buying. ..
''Oh, come over to the waist depart
ment," che said. 81 don't want
q waist, of course. but I'll look ther
D over and ask the price, The tire
q salesgirl exhibited all kinds-blues
u reds, browns, whites, figured ones an
Is plain ones. They ranged 10 price fror
IS s3. 90 to $40. 81. The bust measures wsr
q from 32 to "A, and Laura looked at eac
10 and every one. Each waist was bein
D. sold at tremendous sacrifice, SO muc
n SO, In fact, that began to wonder VII
!, that particular shop kept open an
VI decided it must be charitable institt
g. ton. One waist had been sold rigf
" along at SIS. 80, hut that morning ha
le been knocked down" this is count'
ID penaoular) and we could have it fl
90, 90! The size was 30 bust. Laul
i i NJ h,,t ba hall Tint ms
ne up and examined its every seam. Ju
or as I thought she was going to buy
40 least 10 of them, she calmly remarkt
ce to the salesgirl, "les, they are perfe
ne darlings, but L am just looking tn
w morning"
ne Then we made fresh start to get Of
n Of the store, when some "reduc'
ay skates" attracted Laura's attentio
se When we finally got out and breathed
ny big Whit of fresh air, she caught sig
If a sign, "Reduced table linen"
using her shoulders she opened lai
, through the crowd. Women were push
II, along, mon turned to right and lei
,st and children had to go under &
N counter or be run down. Once at t
Ias counter Laura planted herself firmly
ha the end. "No one can push in here
h. she said. Here was linen, "cheap
m | price only, llDeu bndb uhu beeu no
a., at such figures that only millionair
~ could buy, but owing to cyclone
m cloudbursts, confagrations, busine
II failures, and dear knows what not, t
he prices had been marched down I'm
now the poorest could buy.
"How about your gloves?" l milo
ventured.
,as 10, yes, let's CO." But on the W
in out, alas, her eye caught sight of Sol
lay bargains in sofa pillows. There WI
s. pillows in red, green, blue and brow
his pillows ruffled and unruffled; pillo
tiff fat and pillows lean. Owing. to
al. drought in Africa or the British BIZ
lev war those pillows had been mark
ees down about 1000 per cent. She paw
on them ali over aud selected five, q
ept then suddenly remembered she b
ri, enough pillows at home.
Going out of the store we came upo
furniture sale. We looked at tea tabl
vi chiffonniers, Morris chairs, buffe
has office desks, and finally she espied
DOR millinery exhibit. Here she tried
he'd 25 hats. 81 just want to see the sly
Of they have; you know | always buy
will hats at Madame T--'s."
Teet Just near the door, when I thou
will sure to escape, were some "genu
on bargains in ostrich tips" While
ted was trying to make up her M
nth whether to take black or white on
low and was keeping the salesgirl fl
waiting on IA women standing by,
suddenly said, 80, / think ostr
faatIyarc arc 1oipo ont. 7 ouess I Z