The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-21
GREAT IS THE SHOPPING SHOW.
ALL THE TOWN on VIEW ~ ONE
SHORT CROSSTOWN BLOCK.
Jam Of Women. Furs and Diamonds-stage
Women Many Of Them and Rich Men
Buying Gifts for Tnem-The Plainly
Dressed Seem Almost Out OF Place In II.

Have you ever seen the bewildering
pageantry Of Twenty-third street on the
Saturday before Christmas? II is all in
one block from Fifth to Sixth avenue, but
such a block! What an army of hair
dressers. modistes, milliners and mani
cures has put this parade on view. jam
OF women. furs. diamonds. pleasant scents,
a show of money topped only by an opera
night. Currents from all streams OF life
flowing in and out again.
There goes splendor Of the h,aped coin
Of inheritance. Only of 81 IN ,se Of him
as he passes with the newest one from
carriage to store. Her Christmas gift
a full-length coat Of royal sable. 5000
worth Of any ones money. Girls in ready
to-wear garments, whose cheeks are as
red and eyes as big as hers turn to stare
at it.
What furred thing the girl has come
to be. Paraders in stoles Of ermine, in
coats OF squirrel, mufrs and neckpieces
OF all sorts and all values. All cheeks seem
rosy in this procession.
A few feet behind walks a stray woman,
her cheeks messed with rouge that
heightens the sallow of her face She
walks aimlessly. looking into the faces Of
the well-gowned finding reflections u her
own in past days of plenty.
The crowd parts for a messenger bearing
flowers to a q epe- marked house somewhere
Boy-like he has picked this thicket through
which TO pass with his load On one hand
he carries wreath of chill white roses.
in the other a great bunch of >iolets show
ering the air with their perfume.
Look at this grandmother-a real picture
book grandmother. Each hand clutches
a child. One of the toy men of the walk
Is showing false face of a new and hor-
rible conception and grandmother is laugh
ing at II harder than the children.
A little tin man walking on his hands,
and always in a circle, catches the eye Of
the big fellow in the top hat. They've
had him walking that way down in Wall
street for a month or more. He buys it.
Maybe he wants to study II and find how
a man can do that and keep his hands clean.
The matineas are out. A stage favorite
comes hurrying down TO choose her own
Christ mas gift. See how cleverly she steers
the buyer past shoals Of cheaper things TO
a port Of precious stones.
They stop for a moment at a window
crowded with amazing gowns built Of real
lace and soft e, . 80 de chine. Where will
these gowns he cisp ay ID neXt--at "A Sherry
dance or trailing tie floor of the Hay
market? But no gown i held accountable
for what it does-if it Fl
The nd'lnehs are Out. lOnder comes
the chorus. How d. the girls get the make
w o' :" ouicklv' tnswer-thev don't
The chorus moves by elbow See the
rumpled distress of the unfort innate and
modest girl who CHANGED to be coming out
of the 81 ore when the battalion of the chorus
stormed 1t. She tries to get across the
street. Too late, the street l. no thorough
fare; just wedge of cabs and carriages
trying to respond TO a confusion Of numbers
flashed bv elect ricity from a store front.
fulfilled little children Of the rich are
moving around in the lower ion of this
ma re stared az 10y little boys who forget TO
sell their papers. Between these sights
and the new toys that the vendors put on
the walks every day and the greed and
alertness of the old women paper sell ers
II is hard trading for the very young in
that employment. It's only block long
this stage of the Christmas shopping play,
but walk 1t twice and see the dreams Of
avarice awakening.
The women vii bout the effrontery OF dia-
monds, of daring ventures in millinery. in
striking color contrasts of costume, seem
20 get along unobserved The others are
the show that women spectators have come
to see.
II is good to see one in plain garm ents
moving through the throng with a figure
and a carriage that draw all eyes from the
snowy ones to her IN her simplicity She
Is making for the car She used to come
shopping in her carriage. they say. but she
married poor man for love. How pity
their fine furs Yet there wasn't a trace of