The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-02-17

l have come to the conclusion that when I'm in
department store I am invisible
Now, you know when a man goes up to the hand
kerchef department and says in fairly strong tones
"Please let me look at your slightly soiled Irish
linen real gentemens handkerchiefs at thirty cents
dozen marked down from three dollars account
of stock taking and the young woman addressed looks
right through him to the lady behind him and asks
her what she wants. it stands to that the
must be invisible 1t has happened to me- and it
really gave an uncanny feeling hate to 60 into
crowd in department store for fear that will
become invisible, and then maybe pickpocket will
go through me.
But to drop foolish persaage, there's another rea
son why feel that I'm invisible in department
store, and that it because the young wom-the young
lades-talk right along if they didn't me
if cough and stand on my tiptoes. Now, if was
looking right at certain space and suddenly
cough came out of that space, and yet saw no man,
I'd stop talking and begin to shiver, although I'm
not supersttous but these salesadies evidently
quite used to hearing coughs from invisible
for they right on only pausing to take BREATH and
sometimes blush in my invsibity-by the way I'D
dearly love to see an invisible blush-wonder what
color it isl say blush because their talk is not
only so intimate, but often so acrimonious.
Now they say you won't hear acrimonious talk
at the higher priced places, butyou know how 1t is.
Times aren't what they were year or two ago, and
If l can get good handkerchefs for the washing at
six cents apiece, what's the use of going to Fifth
Avenue store where one hears nothing but the most
hghbred talk and pays for it when he buys his hand
kerchiefs2
Besides, in of those higher priced shops there
is an air of hauteur, sort of French aristocracy
atmosphere that chills that l forget what /
came for and am glad to escape to the more demo
cratic street There's no feeling of universal-er-
siserhood at those swell places. The young ladies'
young princesses, should say-glide around noise
lessly and the broad a, and their tones are so
chilly that it almost insult to ask them for
twenty-fve-cent socks. And, besides, they always
charge fifty cents for them in those places.
No, in the present state of the market, and con-
siderng my bringing up, give me cheaper places even
If do become invisible in them.
Now, the other day, went into store to get
pair of mittens-my hands get real cold in the win
ter, and / find that mittens much warmer than
gloves They say that you can dress in almost any
thing in New York and not attract notice, but when
put on a silk hat and sack coat over cardigan
jacket-warmest thing in the world a cardigan
jacket, and only dollar and half If you look
for bargains-and then draw on my brown and orange
worsted mttens and walk up on the dollar side of
Fifth Avenue, always feel that am no longer in
visible. Lucky that 1 don't I'd rather be
comfortable than fashionable.
The other day l was reading Herbert Spencer
philosophy of Style"-when writer dies l always
read Just enough of him to be able to talk understand
ingly about him, and make people think know a
heap about limits 80 handy at teas, you know.
Well, as was saying was reading Spencers