The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-20
FROM AaIrB YouTH TO aPALsrHD
 AGE.n
Mighty Army of Gift Hunters Trea sfreeta--Cnrts of Helly Leeves and Mistletoe Wreaths Besbeak Christmas.

with butfour shopping days remain ing before Christmas, pressnt-hunters stuffed their purses and trod the streets In earnest Saturday. Everybody seern- ed to realize that time was growing short and If stwere done when lis done. 'twere well 'twers done quick iy." -
 Not only were. women and children in the buying saturnalia Saturday but business men, working men who take Saturday afternoon for a holiday al-
 ways and lelsurely gents with long faces. all formed an interminabie pro- eession. They raided every kind of !. store and every manner of market. Christmas was h the air and there
 was never q doubt about 1t. The early
 part of the week looked as if things
 were mighty slow. but the rush Eatur-
 day was ,unmistakable.
 Every shop was fiiled, the eurbs were lined with carriages, carts laden with holly trees and mistletoe bsdecked the store fronts and there was every indi- cation that the real sentiment of Kris Kfineie was rampant. There were in- nunarable store I windows decorated with green. there were bonghs of holly interIocking with vases and wreaths
 of .mistletoe piling above the luminous iewelry.
  for places and struggled for room al the counters, murmuring to themselves the number of presents to De bought and taking an inventory of "who must have them" The women did mental caiiethenics aided by their digits to determine how many presents they would likely receive in crAeE to saae e' guard against the charge of non-reci- procIty. To this end each woman was Eas.o .orfa ahA did not always display it---on which cab alistic characters set carefully down told of just who would rejoice for De- Ing recipients next Friday.
 The real enjoyment of the time lay however. with the children. They were l out in. force and the clerks may rest assured--or work" assured. rather l that these children will be on hand every day from now on until Yuletide proper. With the wherewithal tightly l clutched in their hands the tots and inc larger ones go from store to store | in s.endless imitation" of their kindly | forsbears and inspect ana inspect znc | tnepeet again They too, want only I the best. The purchase of battlesnipi | bv inc most frugal of governments oi | the selection of sites for dynamite fac ! tories are not made with. tho discrim' 1 ination of these, money-nush childlen l The real WoTk or ftHc SAtho S0t'NS " the doors of the clerks In stores, th' | express companies aSd the postomee | From the time the stores open In th' morning until they are closed at nigh | the clerks are hard at 1t. As soon al | one customer Is satisfied dozen steI up to take her place and 1t all has C ] be done over again. The articles Ar' I explained, Inspected. and shown in thu | meet attractive ways over and ovel
 again until the clerk is as sick of th' i things sne or he sells as Midas was O
 his much coveted gold.
 | The postohice has not started it
 rush which ts always present at Christ mas Postmaster Dimmick stated Sat
 urday morning that the rush would no
 begin until Monday. It has been dem
 onstrated in former years that wne'
 Christmas comes after Wednesday. Ii l the week. the rush on the postofhc' | does not begin until after Sunday
 Then all will bring their packages an
 letters to be mailed. at the same tim
 and the work of two weeks will hay | ao be done in a few days. The pest
 office Is merely . great business hous