The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-08-22

l These Things put US ratner out oil
gear, as far as our plans for shopping
lin London were concerned, but we de-
cided to buy some things any way. One
day we thought we had at last discover
ed a big store. There was an elevator
aud book department and q barber's
shop, quite like New York, although
we didn't discover the meat depart
ment.
bought yard OF ribbon, but when
started TO pay for it the clerk said.
'.sAnd your number, madam" "Oh,
I'll carry 1t myself, thank YOU" I said,
thinking he meant the number OF my
house, and wanted to send it. But he
didn't mean that; he meant the store
was private one, and people couldn't
buy unless they belonged" and had a
number. !.
The clerk seemed very sorry, and
hastened TO explain that IL would be
lquite right il some friend who did "be-
long, would introduce us. But that
struck us as being too unutterably funny
for anything, and we both got purple In
the face from trying not to laugh.
Here was with my money, and there
was the clerk with that yard of ribbon,
and | couldn't pay for 1t and take IL
away without being introduced"
Katheryn burst into giggle as soon
as we got into the street, and she gig
gled over the occurrence all evening.
But she woke up In the middle OF the
might to say very seriously. "Here's a
: pretty state OF affairs II we have 70 be
introduced every place before we can
buy package Of needles or spool OF
thread. An np-to-date American store
Is good enough for me, where 'spo,
cash payment will buy anything and
the Hoor-walker doesn't care a grain ol
salt about your social position or about
your being introduced"
We found it was not so bad as she
feared, and there were plenty OF places
where they would take our money and
not ask first for an Introduction. But
we never knew what TO ask for, because
the American name was generally diff.
ferent from the English. We decided
in the end TO publish q dictionary on
English and American English" and
make our fortunes.
| We went TO a shoe store and asked fol
"Oxford ties" They are known the
length and breadth Of the American
Continent as the reigning English style
but they are known in London as "the
great American shoe" We saw then
labeled that way in all the stores. Then
lshoes were not shoes unless they were
slippers; when they were high they
were boots. When we needed a spoo
of thread we asked in four different
places and they said: 1--WE don't keel
II, thank you." We said THANK you, ,
and they said "Thank YOU" Tha
made Katheryn smile again, and she
was starting to say Thank you" again
but pulled her away, else / suppose
they would still be saying 1t to eacf
other.
In the fifth shop, however, we got oul
thread. There was an American wo
man at the same counter, and she told
us to ask for ''reel OF cotton" Kath
eryn said "rhank you" twice, and tn,
clerk said It three times. told her 4
was evidently the clerks business {,
| say it last, so we might as well stoI
trying to get ahead of her in 1t.
i W. Aa.r rl xv4xna- aotr ssoauo1f
one day, and the clerk brought her ,
roll of muslin for sheets, where we ex
pected to see a bolt OF figured cottor
stuff for cheap dress. We spent hal
4 day buying take needle because W,
didn't ask for "bedkin." We asket
for shirt waists, and the clerk said h,
was sorry, but they didn't keep them
and when Katheryn saw some he beg
ged our pardon and said, "You meal
blouses, | see."
: The clerks were really extremely DO
lite much more so than they are n
, lhome-when we bought things. Blu
we didn't always buy, and then the,
) were as rude as could be. Often W,
would go in just to have a look around
and there\was always q clerk at our ell
bows. asking, "And what can sbov
you today, madam" They simpl,
dogged our footsteps, and finally W,
bounced out of place where we did In
tend TO buy because they wouldn't lie
us see first what there was on the differ
ent counters.
We had some funny experiences
One day when it was raining we wen
, into a small shoe store in a neighbor
hood where we were Sightseeing, an,
tried to buy q pair Of toe rubbers 70
the summer. the kind without heels
We discovered we must ask for "golosU
Y es" instead OF rubbers, and then whel
1--we explained the kind we wanted tn
man said, I'VE have the ones for rougl
3 weather. We did have the other kim
a in the winter" That man would max
: fifty cents a year IL he kept store in tn
4 United States of America.
Katheryn Is very thin, and she wear
q very small collar She wanted to bu
one in a certain store. and the woma
e pulled down a lot OF boxes, but coul
y not find one small enough. So G
: course, we didn't buy any. But whe
we were leaving the womas said, That
) the way with you Americans, you loo
5 at everything In the shop and neve
n buy" AS II we would buy her collar
:, when they were two sizes too big,
: We told this story to some English
r women we know, aud one of them said
"I never dream OF entering shop with
y out buying something before leave
I. Now, | have gone to the same milline
, for twenty years, and II she has moth
< ing that think suits me exactly, ju:
r take what doesn't suit exactly but clos
q to it." -s
: To which Katheryn replied-and