Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-23

'.There is an incessant demand for light
literature. Notwithstanding the spasmodlc
efforts on the part of some of our learned
brethren to turn the tide in more serious
direction" said a secondhand book dealer
10 a Star reporter. THE beautiful and ac-
complished heroine, the manly hero ana the
bold bad villain plot will always be WIN
ner OF course some people express sur
r,riss that this is So but one important fact
must not be. overIooked-the majority of
nur customers come here TO get something
10 entertain them for the moment and the
heavier subjects are not to their liking We
have an exceptional opportunity to STUDY
human nature here. For instance, two of
our customers might be placed under the
head of queer. One is an old gentleman VINO
pays us a visit twice week-Wednesday
and Saturday. He looks at the title or
Almost every book on the shelves, then
iii ally settles on the dump table. as some
people call the cheap miscellaneous pie.
After going over the whole number care
fully he selects a ten-cerr book, usually Inc
largest in the collection. We can always
{, unit on him spending twenty cents week
The other customer Is a modeStly dressed
Noung lady who comes here every day IN
the week rain or shine. asks for the latest
love story says the one she read last was
lust lovely gets the book and goes on her
way rejoicing. The funny thing about TINS
voting lady is she never makes her own
selectiou-always relies on our judgment L
am getting so now | put little marx on
the books she has read to prevent duplica-
ton Sometimes | make a mistake, but she
never murmurs ! think, though, the
nervieSt woman I ever saw came in here the
other day. After spending about hVe min
Ties I'm aking a good selection. she settled
herself comfortably In a chair and on my
no DprfpctlV ODliViOIlS
her surroundings until she had perused that
book from cover to cover. Then. looking
at her watch, she hastily put the book
DOWN. said she would call again, and walked
out
x X y X
A cnlored individual of middle age, and
evidently a stranger to city life, made his
way. in an uncertain manner. to the clerks
office at the city hall the other afternoon.
He had just crossed the threshold when
the entrance doorway was closed for the
day. After great deal of questioning on
the part of an assistant clerk it was learn
ed that the visitor was in quest of mar
rage license The attaches of the office
are always sympathetic in such cases, and,
although the application was made after
office hours. Clerk Harvey Given gladly re-
manned on duty and worked away at the
prospective bridegroom and the record
book
With wearying diligence Mr.. Given per-
sisted in his task and at length succeeded
I'm securing answers TO the necessary ques-
tons He learned the name of the man
across the counter. his age. the fact that
he resides out near the District line, ana
also obtained the necessary information
relative to the bride-to-be. When all the
requirements had been fulfilled the license
was handed over with the request-"One
dollar. please"
Il amt got no dollar" was the discour-
aging answer-discouraging for the reason
that once entered on the book the license
cannot be revoked.
charge?'' Mir. Given demanded to be in
formed.
NO. sir: hut a man told me licenses only
cost ~ cents" replied the man from the
District line
you couldn't get dog license for that"
commented the issuing clerk somewhat
perturbed. We'll what are you going 10
do about it?
After a great deal in the way of con-
versa ton II developed that the parties had
arranged to he married that evening Inc
applicant suggested: IF you'll wait till .
O'Clock I'll go out home and try 10 porro"
the other 30 cents.
Mr. Given declined to wait He solved
the problem by loaning the applicant nan
dollar after delivering lecture 10 the
effect that men who fail to pay TOT mar.
riaRa licenses are subject to being hurried
off TO the penitentiary without the formal
ity of a trial. The applicant gladly accept
ed the loan and made solemn oath that ne
would appear the following day and return
the money.
In TO date the obligation has not been
discharged. II is needless 10 say mat now.
before issuing marriage licenses, Mr. Given
invariably and bluntly demands or tach
applicant payment In advance, or the
equivalent thereof
< X X
A man buying a pair Of shoes found the
right one perfectly comfortable and easy,
the left one rather tight.
ITS usually So" said the salesman; the
left foot is commonly a little larger than
the right foot
Why don't you make the left shoe a lit
tie bigger. then?" asked the customer.
well" replied the salesman 1.-The differ
cnce Is usually not great, and it might not
be enough 50 that it would be noticed in
trying on shoes. And then 1t is not so
erea, but what the difference in feeling of
the TWO shoes disappears very soon. And
then. too. in some cases mans right foot
Is the larger, the man being right-fOoted In
this respect as men are sometimes left
handed the reverse Of the common habit in
the use Of their hands. II shoes were COM
monty made with the left little larger
than the right. to fit the majority Of cases.
they'd be worse than ever when you came
tc tit a right-footed man. So the shoes are
made alike in size, and a man gets pair
that fits him comfortably to start with and
they adapt themselves quickly to any slight
variation In the shape of his feet"
zone Of my experiences in departmental
nfe." remarked an old official to a Star re-
porter. lis that messengers. as rule. save
more money than clerks, and / am ac-
quainted with a number Of cases which
prove 1t. The salaries paid messengers are
of course, smaller than those paid clerks
but the messengers seem TO have the knack
of saving which. l am sorry TO say. clerks
Go not. In the first place. they START out IL
a different way. and many of them hold out
as they start, making it point to save
something each and every month. The vari-
Gus building associations furnish an excel
lent opportunity. A little each month makes
considerable sum in five or six years. anC
when once they get a good-sized saving tC
their credit opportunities frequent
where they can make good and safe invest
ments. / am interested financially in three
building associations, and when the monthly
meetings are held for the payment of dues
I am surprised ut the attendance on the
part OF messengers in comparison to the
number of clerks The savers among mes
seugers are not the newcomers but III,