Evening journal., 1913-12-12
XMAS ONLY
2. WEEKS OFF
Rush Of Holiday Season Now
on In City In
Earnest
SHOPPING SECTIONS
SHOW HAPPY CROWDS
Two weeks

Two weeks
Less than two weeks till Christmas
Less than dozen shopping days. The
holiday season is on In earnest. 1t has
taken Wilmington with its damp sea
breezes and st. Martins summer run
ming into December. a long time to
realize that the day Of days is near at
hand; that before another fortnight
shall have passed the Christmas OF
1913 viii be history and preparations
for New Years Day will be in full
swing. But the calendar, the ther-
mometer and the fall OF crystal gems
that betoken the true arrival of win
ter all did their part to bring the
populace to the shopping centers In
large numbers yesterday morning and
afternoon.
Market, King and Madison streets
were crowded with pushing, surging,
laughing streams and waves OF hui
manity. The crowd may have been
patient, but It was the patience Of
the bargain counter; It may have
been calm and at ease, but II was the
ease that is followed by nervous
energy, This crowd was regular
Christmas crowd. IL moved in an at
mosphere OF generosity, and good
cheer. II was busy buying Christmas
gifts. but It had time to stop and
laugh. with Jolly acquaintance; it was
1 in a hurry to get home where fur
naces and radiators would form a
pleasant contrast TO falling snow and
bitter cold; but it had time to stop at
each /gaily decorated and brilliantly
| lighted shop window to gaze in upon
costly ornements, rich garments, val
liable books and articles of leather
and marble and bronze True, there
we're few In the crowd that could af-
ford these things upon which they.
gazed. but there was a certain JOY in
the looking and beholding the beau
tiful. OF course there we're windows
where goods that would come within
reach of even those whose purses
we're light. And in these windows,
as in other windows, were those sug-
gestive little signs Iettered ''for him."
for her." "for dad and the boys" and
for mother and the girls"
Milady Undecided
These signs reminded the passersby
/ Of tho shopping lists which they had
prepared, and there were drawn from
purses and handbags little notebooks OF
scraps of paper that the morning break
fast hsd been wrapped in. From the same
receptacle was taken. after more or less
time spent in moving handkerchiefs,
vanity boxes, hairpins, wells, love letters,
bills. newspaper advertisements and
those other necessaries which milady
carries. a pencil With this pencil,
which was occasionally pressed to the
lips OK moistened on the tongue, were
gone over and checked up, those persons
for whom presents had been bought auC
those for whom they were still TO b
purchased. If foot stamped in vexa
tion on an unresponsive pavement that
meant that milady had passed the shoI
where she intended buying that present
for her aunt IN South Bend, Ind If she
knitted her brow and scratched her nose
with her finger it meant that she was
stil undecided whether or not to buy
her brother down South a pair OF bed
room slippers or military brushes. Ii she
uttered a sigh of hopefulness and de-
spair il meant that she Just didn't know
what TO buy for him, and that she was
sure that it would not be JUST the right
thing a-fter she had bought IL.
Nevertheless, all of these 'miladies
went into the stores apd shops and
filed them to overilowing, TO the confus-
ing Of the shop girls and the bewilder-
ment of the customers themselves. The
stores We're rich in decorations and
displays Al of the trimming and talent
Of the buyer and salesman were repre-
sented in what the counters and shelves
,rero filtered and crowded with and with
which the wrapping girls and bundle
boys quickly made away.
And then there were the children
Their faces We're radiant with JOY, then
eyes were sparkling with delight and
| their feet were cancinp and jumping as
| il charged by the batteries OF the Christ
!. mas spirit In eager voices they shout
, ed their wants and desires that were
limited only by what little eyes beheld
4 aud little minds Imagined.