Evening star., 1901-05-18
SHOPPING IN EUROPE.
Globe TrOtter's Experience With
Foreign Merchants.

From the Woman's Home Companion.
When | first went to Europe I had all
| the average American womans timidty
about asserting myself in the face of
| shop girl or salesman. 1 therefore suf-
| fered unnecessary annoyance during my
first shopping in London because l was
overwhelmingly polite and affable to the
man behind the counter. instead of using
the martial command of the ordinary Eng
| lishwoman. who marches up to the show
case in fiat-heeled boots and says, in tone
of an officer ordering shoulder arms"
Show me your gauze fans!'
1t Bee who gave me my first lesson
on the marital tone and insoent bearing
which alone obtains the best results from
the average British shopman. Still, with
out thoroughly having asserted myself, not
having been to that particular manner
born, 1 went next to Paris, where my po-
likeness met with the just reward which
virtue is always supposed to get, and sell
dom does
/ consider shopping in Paris one of the
greatest pleasures to be found In this vale
of tears. The shops, with the exception OF
the Louvre, the Bon Marche and one or
two of the largest department stores Of
similar scope, are all small-tiny, in fact
and exploit but one or two things. A tiny
shop for fans will be next to a milliner
who makes a speciality of nothing but
gauze theater bonnets. Perhaps next will
come a linen store, where the windows
will have nothing but the most fascinating
embroidery, handkerchiefs and neckwear.
So long as these shops are all crowded
together, and small, to shop in Paris is
really much more convenient than in our
large department stores at home, with the
additional delight of having smiling, in
terested service. The proprietor himself
enters into your wants, and uses his
quickness and intelligence to supply your
demands. He may be, and very likely he
is, doubling the price on you because you
are an American, but if your bruised spirit
is like mine you will be perfectly willing to
pay a little extra for politeness.
All This changes, however, when once you
get into the clutches of the average French
dressmaker. By his side Barabbas would
appear a gentleman of exceptional honesty.
| have often in idle moments imagined my
self a cannibal, and in preparing my daily
menu my first dish is always fricassee Of
French dressmakers. Perhaps in that I
am unjust.
Leather goods in Germany are simply
distractfng. There are shops In Dresden
where no woman who appreciates bags.
satchels, card cases, photograph frames,
book covers and purses could refrain from
buying without disastrous results to her
nervous system. l remember my first pill
grimage through the streets of Dresden.
Between the porcelains and toilet sets. the
Madonnas, the belts and card cases / near
ly lost my mind The modest prices of the
coveted articles were each time a separate
shock of joy. If these sturdy Germans had
wished to take advantage of my indiscreet
expressions of surprise and delight they
might easily have raised their prices with
out our ever having discovered it But day
after day we returned, not only to find that
the prices remained the same, but that in
many instances, If We bought several arti-
cles, they voluntarily took off mark or
two on ACCOUNT of the generosity of our
purchases.
When you get to St. Petersburg in your
shopping experience you will find a mix
ture of Teuton and Slav which is very per-
picking. We were particularly anxious to
get some good specimens of Russian en-
amel, inexpensive in the country which
creates it; but to our distress we discovered
Rue de la PaiX prices on everything we
wished. Each time that We went back
the price was different. The market seemed
to fiuctuate.
Shopping in Constantinople is not shop
ping as We Americans understand it. unless
you happen to be United States Indian
trader by profession; l am not. Therefore,
the system of bargaining, of going away
from bazaar and pretending you never
intended it, never wanted IT. anyhow; of
coming back to sit down and take a cup of
coffee was like acting in private theatricals
By nature L am not a diplomat but IL
had stayed longer in the orient / think
would have learned to be tricky as a
Cnlnese diplomat.