Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-21
INVADING ARMY OF
CHRISTMAS SHOPPERS

gray trousers, the typical outfit of the
special tutor.
As the procession waited UP the main
aisle. languidly led by the lady. three
Hoorwalkers sprained themselves in their
efforts to approach her.
Merely whim of mine she explain
ed to the first one to reach her. Il
thought / would do my own shopping"
Yes. Mrs. "" said the 1oorwalker,
bowling deferentially.
NJ the mention of the name every
body within earshot turned expectantly.
II was name that is symbolical of
ashington society.
The procession went into the toy de-
partment and the observer trailed at
distance, mindful of the suspicious
glances cast upon him by the doorwalk-
ers.
The youngster showed a mild interest
I'm the proceedings. His attitude was
that of a young man who has seen all
this sort of thing several thousand times
before. His tutor clutched him tightly
by the hand.
x
The vision barely looked at the won
derful gifts. Occasionally she waved a
Imp hand toward wonderful miniature
railway system, costing enough. to clothe
a poor family, or d huge and furry ami
NAL. or one of those remarkable new
mechanical contrivances out of which
you evolve bridges and derrcks and en-
gines and other things.
She didn't even give her address She
merely walked out and told them to send
It to her address. Apparently they knew
and revered the address. She had done
her Christmas shopping. And somewhere
up in the rafters of that big depart
ment store the spirit of Christmas wept
as she returned languidly to her waiting
automobile
Depressed the observer Went forth
seeking something new
That is one beautiful feature OF Christ
mas shopping. II YOU don't like what
You see YOU may always know that
something new awaits YOU just around
the corner
Inc observer dropped into a ten-cent
store. 1t Is place where you can buy
anything for 10 cents, even if you have
10 buy II III sections. And here was a
thronS or the great people. the wives
and daughters and mothers of the men
VINO work from day to day, and, by
their daily effort. keep cities alive
sturdy boy came into the notions
department of the 1o-cent store and in
CURED for something. Under his arm
We're few packages, and they We're light
and small Evidently no great outlay of
money was required in their purchase.
WHATS good thing to get Tor your
-iAotiit4 4it
The young lady who was waiting on
him. for the first time during the Christ
mas season, appeared to be unnerved
w nat DO you want to give herr" she
countered.
Il dunno It's what shed like that 7
want TO buy"
Now there are about 1000 different
Things that could have been bought for
mother in this store. She might. under
proper financial circumstances, have he'd
ANYTHING from "A lamp to a fairpin
How old is she?' asked the Young
lady clerk. touching her hair.
Bout forty. Why"
Il have the very thing said the young
lady in her best professional tones WHY
not give her hat pin? Every woman of
forty likes hat pins. and we We "a superior
article for 10 cents
There was no further argument The
young buyer succumbed to the idea with
out rejecting that every woman of TWEEN
y or sixty might have been appropriate
~ brought under the classification of the
young lady.
Gimme 10-cent hat pin. The request
ed, digging in his pocket for the money.
IL was duly wrapped up. Curiosity. an
unusual quality in young saleswomen in
lo-cent stores. got the better of the girl
who mad sold the hat pin
"Wachoo going to get for Christ
mas: she wanted TO know.
Me? asked the youngster in aston
IShment. Why, nothin'. I'm too old
10 have presents. You see my dads dead
and my mother works, 50 | buy the pres
ents 10: the kids and her. Mebbe she'll
give me little somethin'. 'Tain't likely
though I'm havin' my Christmas now
Wisht there was more that was havin'
their Christmas when they're buyin' for
other people, sighed the young lady "a
the sturdy young purchaser tran1ped
away.
Hours fly by when you go Christmas
shopping and before YOU know. il the
dusk ove1taKes you. Ii was already
growing dark when the observer went
upstairs to the toy department of a
mighty department store. There was a
real live Santa Claus here None of your
PAPER mache limitations, but a fat, be-
MhiSkered Inan. who talked 70 ANYBODY