Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-26
EXCHANGE RUSH IS ON
IN ALL SHOPS TODAY
It's the Spirit, Not the Gift, That
Counts, and Women Try
to Prove 1t
Ru M,I.Iss

"But madame, there was dance pro.
gram and powder pun In the evening
wrap that you say has never been worm
But madame. our expert says the per-
fume has been watcred. You can smell for
yourself the odor IL barely Dcrceptible and
tho seal has been broken"
"But madame. when we unfolded the
blanket bed sock dropped out"
In n court of law the plaintiffs would
have been bowed with grief at the accumu-
lation OF evidence indisputably pointing to
guilt In the department stores today,
known in the commercial mnrts Rs "Ex-
change Day" the plaintiffs stand brassy
ard unnbashed IL Is the prosecuting nt-
torneys, the salcswomen. who are suave
and apoogetlc. They must be firm with
out being offensive. II is difficult
Has n salmon pink cut velvet evening
wrnp bought last Wednesday and re-
turned this Tuesday been worn? Dcponent
sayeth mo" And then the saleswomnn.
with an investlgative instlnct developed abb
normally from long service on Exchange
Days runs her hand into the shrred inner
pocket. Result Christmas dance pro-
gram and frst.aId to beauty. Deponent
Indignant.
"'rhe very idea that It should even be
limited that she isn't telling the truth"
Curtain.
Has bottle of perfume. which bears on
it's label the name OF brand well known
for It's nslstence and which now gives
forth only faint vague memory Of n
smell been tampered withH
Deponent lookcth absently away. Perish
the thought that she would try to put any
thing over on a long-suffering shopkeeper!
What, the perfume wntered? I'm
possibleF'
Curtain.
Has IL blue and white blanket been snug
gled under which has tucked between It's
folds q mauve and much-worn bed sock:
oil nj nf
injured innocence. What knows she OF
bed socks?
Curtain.
It's great day. you can't fool all the
people all the time" said n great man, but
ask any saleswoman who are the greatest
kldders on earth and she'll tell you the
people who come TO the shops on December
90, bearing years accumulation of junk
to ray nothing of an nrmful OF undesirable
gifts received the day before
This day has come to be known as
Exchange Day" the nymph at the exchange
desk vouchsafed between harassed moments
"and, because OF the rush and excltement
they try TO kid you into believing that
everything they bring back has just been
recently bought and has scarcely been
taken out OF It's package"
At that instant vision In blue fox furs
waved book two inches from the nymph's
nose and would not longer be denied.
"Emerson's Essays" she said tersely 81
want cigarette case for It instead"
There was the woman who wanted little
baking dishes instead OF the French kid
gloves SANITY had left her, There was an
other who proclaimed aloud that she
needed cash and not leather handbag.
There was the timid man, who ultimately
made his feeble tenor heard above the
mezzosoprnno of hundred wild women,
and called for paIamas and shirts in place
OF the topaz seal ring with which he had
been endowed There was the woman who
announced frankly that she hadn't come
TO exchange but only TO ind out definitely
just what her Ia yRlliere had cost.
There was--but what's the user
Hasn't II beon said over and over again
gift that counts2