The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-01-19
-. BILLS
By FRu EMMA CAD,

The modern department stores. In
which you may buy anything needed
In 81 household. have In many ways
changed The economic arrangements
of the home. Before these great
stores came into existence you went
into a shop. bought what you needed
in that line and either paid cash down
or on delivery. Now In most cases 1t ,
is different.
We all know what shopping I'm a
department store means, when you
have little time to spare. You strug-
gle through the crowds from depart-
nent to department, holding an to
your transfer ticket, or whatever L tn !
called. You buy perhaps broom In !
the basement and a Chinese vase On
the fifth floor, after looking at hats
or pIeureuses on your way. At last
you reach the ground floor and find
yourself standing in the line ri peo-
pie awaiting your turn to pay. when
you suddenly discover you have for
gotten to buy shoe laces 1T ts on
the third floor, the fourth aisle on
your left" the foorwalker tells you. I
Up again. the elevator In full, sou
have TO wait, and time tiles. Every
body understands that under such
conditions paying cash is nuisance
and for the sake OF convenience II
has been arranged that most steady
customers have an account which IL
settled at New Year. The danger Of
this system 10 the economic welfare of
the family IL apparent You are
tempted to buy more than you ran
afford. and the result, Is that many
people live above their means.
1t ia almost Impossible to avoid H.
II II Is not necessary to dive INTO your
poeketbook at once aud the payment
f~ 70 wa sha fN
ture, vou are less inclined to consider
the price of thing, II you like X.
Or you buy some article of dress
which you might do without 3r had
to do without II you were to pay cakh,
and gradually you get into he h'th.t
OF ordering everything you need from
the store, and think that New Year
IL far away yet. lady said 10 me
the other dav 1--WE have an account
with The Modern Store so. OF course,
we buy everything there. us We do not
have 10 nay for H." when ths whole
family, parents and children, during
whole year get everything they
think they need and have IL charged,
l IL In small wonder that the mead OF
tfrr rarrrffv r. STOCKED when he sces
the bill But even IL every body sup
poses It to be much smaller than II
really proves to be, New Year stands
like n threatening tioNu as ia" i"t
xnn In many families. Once. while
visiting friends. was present when
such n bill arrived. and. the eff"ct was
ike an eruption OF Mount Pelee.
Good humor and peace of mind fell
into ruins in moment. leaving only
heap Of debris. How can II pos
ship be otherwise when such a bill
appears Just as you are to pay rent.
tayes. electric light. doctor and den
tist7
OF course, only very few have
money In hand. and the result Is;
You let the bill run on. try TO forget II.
perhaps you pay little OF 1t. and at
the same time you continue buying
naythinx YOU need, and instead OF saw
ing up money to meet the bill when IT
!. presented. YOU spend It on amusc-
nisrss. "ayiis- r
II ~. aala that the department stores
have millions outstanding that way,
ana that they are considering the idea
If making their debtors pay interest
on their debts when more than year
ola fear, however that the result
will he that the stores will never get
the principal because their customers