Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-19
MRS. J0Bs6N'S TACT


While making hes6. Christmas-shopping
rounds the other day, Mrs Jobson espied.
in farrier's window, a squirrel coat which
she Instantly eenoluAed was just about
right. II e.
That" said Mrs. J0bson to herself. amia-
bly,. but determinedlx squarinf her chin,
viii be my Christmas presen, from Mr.
Jobson." ;s I'D
Whereupon shs entered the furrier's es-
adjustment and tried ON the squirrel coat.
It fitted her perfectly
fou may consider the coat Sold" said
Mrs. Jobson to the f,irrier. But place it
back In the window. 1 shall want my hus-
band to see it theirs. BY the way. wish
you would drape II on window model
with dark hair. instead of en- that blond
mOdel-my hair is dark. you know" and
the furrfer perfectly entered into the mean
ING OF her smile and smiled back. Il shall
bargain. when my husband pays You the
fuii price OF the coat-which he will. within
rev days-why, shall have you return
the 40 to me. ArH
oh. understand thoroughly, madam"
SAID the furrier. with another skrewd smile.
Tnat evening, at the dinner table, Mrs.
Jooson py impereeptible stages. led the talk
around around 70 the subject Of Christmas. and MIR.
sooSon looked surprised, and then thought
fui, when she had impressed upon him the
nearness Of the great festival.
HAD no Idea that Christmas was right on
.op OF me again. said Mr.. Jobson. TITS
queer the way these Christmases seem to
come around in punches. all clustered to-
gether, OF late years. Anything you've seen
tn sd you particularly covet?''
On: l have positively everything that
need. replied Mrs. Jobson. i'm quite an or
nana way. really don't care for any
weather prophets all unite In saying that
tne winter is not going to be severe one,
so that-lm-with a little fixing over. why.
think can get through with my fur coat
quite handily. It's only little rubbed at
the Sides and back. but and then,
shreWoiy watching MIR. Jobson Mrs. Jobson
made the rest of the sentence inaudible and
coffee 80 NO.
Rubbed. hey?' said Mr. Jobson, scratch
ing ms chin. Well, it's about time that
coat began to rub some. isn't It? Let $ see.
you We Had that piece of fur since" and
ne leaned back in his chair and began To
calculate. ~
mat they wearing ~ fur coats now
anyhow! said Mr.. Jobson, after his cal-
cuiatfng silence 4..-.-
on. everything replied Mrs Jobson.
MINK marten, Persian lamb. seal, of
course. squlffei-it's very diversified year
able" " 10 i"''''oh-
"Um," unused Mr.. Jobsen, still looking
thoughtful.
After Mr.. Jobson had got away with his
two after-dinner smokes that evening Mrs
Jobson got him to accompany her ON q walk
uoWH Town TO take look at the shop win
dows In their Christmas hnery Needless
10 say she steered him. before he tired and
began to think of his pipe and his armchair
10 the 1urrlers window in which her
squirrel coat was fastened loosely and
1auntliy around the person of handsome
dark-haired wax lady
Inc wrap Of the dairk-haired lady of wax
g
What kind of an animal or bird furnish
ed the pelts for that coat" he asked Mrs.
Jobson, evincing distinct interest in the gar
ment, which looked distinctly swagger in
the mellow light of the furrier's window
Why. that's oneJiof the new squirrel
coats, replied Mrs. Jobson, not with any
particular show of interest. That is. they
first came in last year
Like the thingr. inquired Mr. Jobson.
viewing Mrs. JobsoF with what he thought
was fine craftinesS out of the sIants of
his ewes isa'et be
"Um-ye-es," answered Mrs. Jobson its
handsome Of coutSe.s "A illtle ultra as the
milliners say OF the striking hats they
make. but 1 suppose that is because the
squirrel coats are, sn8new and because we
are not used to them yet" 80
Wen. saids Nicholson, right at him
self when MrSs JohsOn's view seemed to
clash with his soWn T Il think that coats
lust ripping myself-think it's immense
It's .-s-i
But mildly iIssa'posed Mrs Jobson,
somehow oriianotllsf that squirrel fur al
ways looks to me as if"-and here she
laughed merrily~: well, as if a COW had
hcked 1t t6s wrong way, don't you think?''
Mr. Jobson cooked his head on one side
and then shook it negatively.
No he replied. Il don't think ANYTHING
of the sort. OF course, the hide doesn't lie
down pat and fiat, like the Saturday night
haircut of a plumbers apprentice. l sup
pose you'd want EN- to use bears grease or
pOmade SaAfna N aLa h1f f,,r y;a
down as fiat as "a pancake. EN-? Did you
ever see. a squirrel with his hair lying as
close to his hide as If he'd been swimming
liz a Standard oil tank?"
Mrs. JobSOn was constrained to repIy.that
she had never witnessed snch phenorne-
non. -s.-r
Now" went on Mr.. Jobson chatter
that sticky-up, sort o porcupiny look Of
that squirrel coat is Just the thing that
makes the hit with ME. It's artistic I
hate these cut-and-dried, too-biamed- smooth
things, anyhow There's a sort of Jolly
carelessness about the this-way-and-that
look of that squirrel fur that strikes me
looks like a good. Strong. nipping breeze
were blowing against 1t, eh?''
Well replied Mrs Jobson musingIy
with finger to her lip, "it has sort of
artistic effect when viewed from that stand
point, really"
''Of course it has" eloquently put in Mr.
Jobson, expanding with his subject by
JoVe. l didn't give you credit for being able
for fact-association, after all these
years, is at length beginning to do marvels
for you" and Mr. Jobson smiled complai-
sanity at his little joke.
There's one thing 1 notice." said Mrs
Jobson. still with finger at her lip, and
that is that that squirrel coat seems to go
remarkably well with dark hair It looks
quite we'll on that model. doesn't IT."
Great" said Mr.. Jobson. That's the
nobbiest fur garment that I've seen for a
dogs age. Um-er-it's queer how much
darker your hair has become during the
last five or six years, isn't 1t? Dye know
that It's almost jet black now?"
1T is becoming very dark" agreed Mrs
Jobson. But I really didn't think you
noticed such things any more. my dear"
and she squeezed his arm In the oId-time
way as they still stood before the furrier's
window.
HUH Don't you believe I don't notice
everything" said Mr.. Jobson. pleased to
have his powers OF observation extoIIed
and squeezing her arm in return.
do you know" said Mrs. Jobson, as they
went away from the furrier's window. that
you are right about those squirrel coats?
It's remarkable how quick you men are to
catch an effect. Positively 1t hadn't
dawned upon me at ALL until you mentioned
1t. that those squirrel coats are thoroughly
artistic, but can see 1t now as plain as
day. Really, if everything goes we'll I be-