The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-09
AQUAMAR|NE S0X
HERALD YULET|OE
They Came in Holly-Decorated
Boxes, With Pale MauVe
Neckties.
BUYING DEMON NOW ABROAD
Shop Windows Laden With
Iinsel and Toys Beckon to
Unattached Dollars.


open season for bulky Christmas edl-
lions and uplift poetry, also books IN
holly covered boxes. also alua,narihe
sox and suspenders. ranged lovingly
side by side. likewise in holly deco
rated cartons, and pale mauve neck
ties Of the futurlst school. optimisu-
callv described as appropriate CUTS Tor
gentlemen. These and other Things.
In Richmond the h0nday spirit
stalks abroad III full stature. shops
without number are bedecked III the
tinsel and evergreenery wnich nave
Goa TO betoken the advent OF the
ve,r greatest holiday. SNOW VIII
dows innumerable beckon allurlngy 20
the unattached dollar with the oauoie
Of Germany and the products Oh 40
nestle craft shops.
Church societies and dauS ntCIs VI
mercy serve 3s-cent dinners in dozen
aron,v storerooms in laudable effort
10 raise SIS for their respective Christ
mas trees. and on every street corner
tinkle the bells of the salvation army
demonstrating passing SamaritGns 10
keep the pot boiling.
Renaissance of POliteness.
AS the running days bring DsCehloei
% closer and cloSer-there are 'his
sixteen more-there comes startling
Improvement in civillty in the ranks
of those whose positions demand ser
vices of some kind 10 their daily asso-
ciates. The elevator boy seldom taxes
one a floor too far. and when nc docs
his apoIogies are porfuse- The porter
becomes a dun colored Mercury al the
slightest beheSt
There is a renaissance Of poItehess
on along the line. Little Miss Rich
mond cuts the movies and takes 10
helping around the house, and hei
brother shuns the street and spr outs
wings. For the season OF giving Is
imminent, and according TO orthodox
doctrine. only the good VIII DC re-
warded-
In the banks and business houses II
is the same. The blonde typlst IN the
Main Street skyscrapcr comes TO worK
five minutes ahead of schedule these
DAYS and makes never an errer- once
managers discover hitherto uns ounded
DEPTHS of humor IN the prosaic speech
Of their employers, and in turn receive
the homage of the humber clerks
Socialism is still far distant. and until
il comes ore must be diplomatic.
A Wilderness of Toys
DESPITE a leaning toward the spir-
ituaI which some scholars have dis
covered, the age is stlu predorninshti'
material Christmas has Travelled lar
from its primitive observance. as d Gay
of purely religious rejoicing. To-Day
IL means fireworks, colored hsnts'
spangles. dwarf spruces and toys
All of these are in abundance In
Richmond. While New York and
other big centres OF population face
high prices for holly and Christmas
trees. the Valley OF the James Will
know no such scarcity. Manhaitan
will nav from 10 cents to $500 Tor
its dwarf spruces. pines and mrs. put
Richmond will get its supply for ntIie
more than the cost OF hauling. SCRUB
pines are plentiful and hatchets are
cheap.
In the shops a wilderness of toys has
been on display for weeks. Buying
was brisk last week and VIII increase
in volume daily until the grand WING
I'm IN Christmas Eve. Again the signs
of progress are in evidence Young
America ia no longer satisfied with
the simple spade and pail which de-
lighted il in colonial days. and the
- doll has borne nodishly dressed
offspring.
Electric Yachts for the Bathtub-
polls. doll houses. stuffed dogs. Teddy
bears-they are still on the market
popguns, airguns drums, ulee' eAH %
diers. horns. bugles. toy pianos and Toy
furniture. the standbys OF former years
are here again in comprehensive dis
play. For the larger children there
are doll carriages. trunks. bicycles TIL
d cycles. electric railways, real steam en-
! zines and even pool tables
In the mechanical field the range Is
practically unlimited tour of the
TOW shops discloses elaborate mechahl
cal trains that run IN real tracks ana
cost $50: structural steel outfits with
which one can rear replica OF the
First National Bank building, and cleo
trtc yachts and motor boats that VIII
nm under their own power in tine fam
ifv hathtub There are completely
equipped circuses and menageries ana
GROCERY stores which nick daddy sew
; cntv-hve seeds. and dolls that walk
talk and sing
The shop-early doctrine preached oy
! pulpit and press and by Commissioner
! - Labor James 3. Doherty has taken
hold and = large part Of Richmond Is
doing its Christmas shopping weeks N
Z advance # the holiday Shopping
parties are putting a crinp into the
ros+i,ee crowds and are picking the
--esn, r. the offerings while stocks are