Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-26
A SALESMAN WOES


There is young drug store clerk in this
town who is now going about declaring that
he is rapidly becoming misogynist-'what-
ever that may mean." he adds. but I'm
getting to be one Of 'ena. all the same. no
matter what 1t means
And then he proceeds to explain why.
Zone afternoon last week." he says. his
face clouding with the bitterness of the
recollection, "a stout. placid-looking. mid
dle-aged woman. whose exterior spelt
money and plenty of 1t. walked in here and
began to inspect. rather critically, thought
the array OF toilet waters in the perfumery
section.
is there anything new in toilet watersr
she asked me. in that tone Of ennui that
was clearly meant to impress me with the
notion that she was pretty sick and tired of
all the old standard brands OF toilet waters.
There were several new things In toilet
waters. got busy right away and showed
them all to her 1 thought I saw $40 order
as pharmacist into that of an acute sales
man.
II told her eloquently the merits Of all of
those new thing in toilet waters.
Now. here's something in the way Of a
Parma violet fragrance that has everything
that has preceded 1t in that line smelling
foolish said to her-maybe not using
those Identical words. but words to that
general effect-and 1 flashed 50 bottle
new thing on her and undid the kid-bound
glass cork SO that she could smell 1t.
Its not SO bad" she said. and then I
made up my mind that she was pretty ex-
pert In the matter Of toilet waters. Isn't
there something new in carnation toilet
waterI believe I heard of 1t somewhere
II got out the new article in carnation
toilet water. and undid the cork so that she
could take an Inhalation Of It.
Why, it's quite fair, isn't it?' she said
in a tone of surprise.
"'Yes'm.' said I. How many bottles would
you be requiring?-for. you know, was
getting bit anxious about opening the Kid
bound corks of those bottles, thing we
only do for the very best customers. when
we are quite certain that we are going to
sell the bottles we uncork.
oh, I don't know she said, vaguely.
with finger at her lip. 7 believe some
friend was telling me recently about new
hyacinch toilet water from Paris. Have
you that?'
I'VE had. of course. got out bottle Of
1t, but, as 1t is expensive stuff. didn't I'M
cork this bottle. for was beginning to want
to know little better just where I stood.
'Um-yes. nice-looking bottle she said,
acridly, taking the bottle from my hands.
Now, suppose you permit me to smell OF
the contents?
why, assuredly, ma am replied. her
hauteur alarming me. and I uncorked the
bottle for her and she took long inhale
and sprinkled some Of the Paris hyacinth
water on her handkerchief
Not wholly bad, was her criticism.
but bit overpowering and intense. per-
haps.' and then she went down the line and
began to take out bottles herself from the
case.
Those Of the bottles with the labels of
which she wasn't familiar she made elabo-
rate inquiries about, and she got me to open
about half a dozen more bottles for her.
T had q feeling ma 10 1xas going
to square things UP by odering at least the
bottles that she had me to uncork I beat
down the slight feeling of hesitation had.
and freely gave her wh1fYs of everything
she wanted to Whit.
We'll, I spent about forty minutes show
ing her things and talking upon them
learnedly and in telling her the fashionable
fragrances and all that sort of thing while
she listened with no great show Of interest.
took her listlessness for the Indifference
Of the extremely wealthy and I thought
how pleased the boss would be when he
came in and found all OF those bottles Of
toilet waters sold. The store was filled with
customers waiting to buy humble things.
but I paid no attention to them. and de-
voted my time exclusively to the placid.
stout woman with the cultivated taste for
toilet waters.
" You have your own toilet waters in bulk,
have you not?' she asked me, when 1 got
through with a long dissertation on the
nature of the foreign essences that go
..
Why, er-ye-es.' I replied; they are
down this way and I conducted her to the
shelves on which the large glass bottles
containing our home made standard toilet
colognes rested
Whats in that yellow Jar up there near
the top? she inquired, pointing to one Of
the big bottles that was Just out Of my
tp-toe reach.
"'Orange water, ma'am,' I replied, a lit
tie warm by this time.
" Let me smell 1t, please she said
Il reached for the bottle of orange water
by standing on small box. Just as got
hold Of the big bottle Of orange water the
box wabbled under me and 1 clutched at
the big jar: l knocked it over, and 1t fell
to the floor with crash. the jar breaking
into a thousand fragments. In half minute
the store was filled with the fumes of
orange water.
My moneyed-looking woman customer
shifted at the orangewater fragrance, and
looked pleased and satisfied.
what I want. I believe it is nice for use
in finger-bowls Is 1t not? You may let
me have ten cents worth of it-iust q little
phial Of it, you know
And to accommodate her 1 had lust
smashed jar containing at least So worth
Of the orange water!
" There's more of it left, ma'am,' I
told her. hopping my forehead. However
we can make you some more. We can have
1t ready inside of about ten days and then
you can-er-get your dimes worth, you
know
she called me an impudent thing and
sashayed out of the store with her head in
the air!
.'Oh. I'm getting to be a misog-wen,
whatever it is, I'm 1t, all right enough"
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