The Washington times., 1905-12-09
GIRL BEHIND THE
COUNTER NOT GAY
Yuletide Brings Her Much
Work and Trouble.
HARD TO PLEASE EVERYBODY
Customers Want Wishes Filled in Short
Space of Time, Though Hard
to Please.

"A lot OF them do that" the Girl Be
hind The Counter said YEARLY as Il
woman moved of after having been
shown everything from a doll to an
automobile, and not having bought a
cents worth.
The Girl Behind The Counter had
been working steadily since s in the
morning or even the rush from the
departments had made no perceptible
increase in the number of the days
customers.
The hands of the clock were getting
sn to 6. but still the rush went on.
Women scrambled around and about
each other with manifest intention of
buying up all the toys in the store and
sQeaking voices could be heard on every
side saying Cant you wait on me?''
In just a minute" the Girl Behind
The Counter would say. and wheI. the
minute dragged itself into two or three
and she didn't come the women went
away saying these girls are so dis
oblinging. Pity they don't take time
10 wait on people"
Made Her Weary
The Girl Behind The Counter looked
wearily at the reporter when she hap
isn't ii too bad we haven't a hun
dred hands and feet at this time? There
are SO many people TO be waited on and
so little for us to do it with that peo-
pie often think we don't want to do it
at all.
do 1 ever lose patience? o. dear me.
That would never do. You see 1 come
to work at S o'clock and by the time
the doors are open there are people ready
TO shop Christmas is a happy time.
isn't it?'' and the Girl Reporter said she
thought il was.
-Win you please show me some dolls
stockings?'' somebody squeaked.
Certainly" said the obliging girl. and
box after box OF tiny hosiery was dis
played.
But these are not what 1 mean"
That's all we have said the girl.
'.All you have? Well, IL seems to me
this store would get in a supply OF
dolls stockings at Christmas time any
how" She had looked over several
dozen pairs.
Il hate not 10 accommodate people.
but none OF them seemed to suit her.
Yes this goes on all day. First 1t s
this thing, then it's that, and K a doll
has shorter hair than usual or doesn' I
open and shut her eyes some Of the peo-
30 cents cheaper.
Christmas always has peculiar sig
nificance for US It's much the same as
cooking your own meals You fuss and
fume over them and by the time every
thing is ready you're not hungry and
couldn't eat 10 save your life. That s
tho way with us. For weeks before
Christmas Day we are mere from s in
the morning until in the evening and
two weeks before the holiday We are
working untily midnight every night.
By the time Christmas is here we
haven't bought anything for anybody
else, and anything rnar looks like a
Christmas gift makes us sick.
''Wha: VIE you have? Twenty-Five
cent dressed dolls? No ma am, the
dresse dolls are all more expensive.
a Counter to the Girl Reporter as a
frizzied woman walked of with her
l-C-s in the air.
Same Mad Rush.
This same mad rush keeps up all day
and at night when 1 go home / make
up my mind I'll go to bed early and
forget all about IL. l go TO bed but all
night I'm pitching and tossing and
when O'Clock comes I'm up again and
down here TO go through the same pro-
gram. / don't mind 1t much now. but
when the store begins to open nights
] shall probaly wish | were somewhere
else They pull and maui the goods
about and then fuss because everything
doesn't look brand new. Even at this
early day we haven't a dozen dolls on
this counter that look fresh One has
It's leg broken, another has lost it's
arm and some Of their faces look Ike
they might have been in a street fight"
Why don't you tend to your bust
ness?' asked the pert looking floor walk
er dressed up IN frock coat that looked
ike II might have been made for any
body else but himself Here's three
women over here wanting 20 buy hobby
horses and everybody too busy TO walt
on them"
on went the Girl Behind the Counter
with never murmur to the man whom
she probaly wouldn't receive in her
own home. As she was leaving she
turned and said:
You Girl Reporters at least get out
into the fresh air and know 1,hat a
good; sunshiny day looks like. don't