The Art Of Shopping

Wé are ill Batkfied that gentlemen havo no genius l'ur dropping, 'i'hey are not equul toit. Nature has left their facilittèa imperfoot in that particular. - Thoy can write books and inake apooches, and all that sort oí thing. but they ure not up to shopping. It takes the ladica i for that. Men go to the store select what j they want, and buy it. But that is not shopping; that réqmirei no genius. Meu pretend they do uot like to go shopping with the ladiea. I wonder ivho ever uk' fid the? Wliat lady would have sueh aii iooumbrance on sui-h oeeamona? Men are well euough iu their places. Young j gentlemen are convenieat to take ua to coneerts, and iee us boine from ohurch, and briugi ua bouquti aad muaw ; and husbai.ds are u:etul to pay the bilis, &e., but for a ehoppiug excursión they arj : quite out of place. Do you uuderstand I me to insinúale that I have distinguished : ability that wayV Not at all; t only speai oí my Bex. In t'aet, I acknowledj,e Diyself a poor hand at it. But my frieud, Sallie 11 is a model hopper, L urn taking lessou of hor, and hope to be perfect by the time I aui married. - A few days sinco she invited me to go with her. "I wisb to look at the new stylo of silks," said she. " Why, do you waut to get a new iress?" L asked. " ReaUy," said Sallie, " if it was uot hnpolite, 1 should say that you arca vordaut Idcn'twaut a dros3, but tbat's no reaeon why I should not see tho i terial." So Sallie and I sallied out. The first store e ontercd she aaked whether the i raercbani bad Moeived hit spring goods. Lio ;,mií hu had, and injuired wkat abo ■ wüuld liko to see? "Show me your ncw style dreas goods," said she ''sucli as b&rege robes, and lawn robes, and baudsome striped plaid siilks; brucades and chaugeable silks aro uot tuuob wurn thia spring, but l'U luuk at jour aolid cclors. The merchaat soon had Lis couutor spread with apoda. 8íie examined and tossed them apoat, makuiz various creases iu them to '-'ü wliotbor tliey would como out agaio by rubbioa 'Wliut style ia wuruV" said Sallie to tbe olork. "We!l, wo sell probably more plaid stripes tliau aiyf other. ' '■llavuyou auy with chene stripes?" iuquired Öallio "0i, j&á sumo very fine," aud a uumber oí' pioocs were produoed. 'Well, í oau't say, afrer all, that I Hke the chene stripes; the greca s very pietty." So Sallie hcld itin various lights, rub bing it and creasiug it "Well, it diui't crease aiuch," said she, 'lI wonder whether it will tur'" "N9, it is boilad silb; aud vve fiad that t'iü plaid aud .stripes wear very wc',1." ■i'uur silkfl are very pretty, aud you uiay cu: otfa sample iïyott please' contiuued Balite This the merohant was forced to do, though with rather a bad grace, as mosl of liií goods wèro b patterna aud he feared spoiling the piece. ''Will you be kind enougU to givo uie samples of i he solid ooiorsï" They were all furni "Tilia plaid, yon say, is $1.37 ? la tliat the lowust'r" "Yes, we oan't take less." "How inany yarda iu the pattern?" "li'ourteen." "I'd havo oightecn; pcrhaps I miglit eoüclude to have ñouucus Well, I'll take the simple and hhow it to my íB0ter, ana titea make op my miad. - llave you imy Coated' cuttou ! - give :;iü a gpool, No. o3." ïliis was hai.dfd hor; she paid five and v:o leí't. I looked at my ■.vatch. We Lad beea tlierc exactiy ai; hour! "What a cheat ! I can buy the spook for four ceuts," s;üd Saliie, whea we were fullv out ; "and, besides, we fyrgot their shawls." tío we went to another store. ''Have you any StelU shawls?" "Yes, siiu'.é beautiful oaoa, just oponed. Would you like to see the bruehe borders or prujtedï" "liatll." 'Any particular colora" "Xo, air; I'li louk at them all," said Saliie, Differeut colorg aud patterns were ac oordingly producid. "What is the price of gveen centre broche border?" "Wü e.m aii'oi'd you that for L0 ; same style suid for SI 5 two inonths ugo." domo prtnted borders weie put up fo 3-1. út). "No, I profcr broche; but can't you take lws?" I saw a twinkle in the roerehant'a eyo wliich made me thhik he kuevï she wa only shopping. "Now," said lie, "if you won't mentioa it, V let you have it for S(5." Saliie looked surpi-ised. -She knew the a lii'e w ia sellina at Si). "Six dollars, ia that your lowest?'1 "Welt, tooblïge you I will say Si!" said tliu meröhaüt. A paules onsucJ "Thr.n yiiu thiiik 84 is the lowest?" " AIkmii! havo a largo lot and want to dispuse of ihem I'il say $2.50!'' "Ai o you sure it is a firat rute pieco of goods?" "I'U warrant it all silk and woolj" said the meichant. My frieud was caugüt. Turuing to me sue whispored : "I do wish I h-id brouglit somo cioney!" and tlieu addressing thé merèhaut, said, ' I will cali ajgatn. 1 never was o glad to set out of a store before; f'.r the clerka had gathered aroiAd ub, Seèmit tö tTüdefstaud the joke. But Sallie wout home. jot the mobey, and msitted opon niy returning with lier to the store for the shawl. The tradér Miid he was airry, vcry, but thy shawl had just been oldJ Áud so was Sallio, too, I thought We weut ghopping no more that afternoou. ;' Engaged - it is a commnn word, quickly wv(tteii, often and e:isily Bp but thcleiigt.h and bread tb, tlio I and deptb; of i tg import is mcasurod on ly by tl;o niontbi and yers uf a liuiuan lif'e; it is a word whiob nover, like tlie sueoessiTe turns of a kaleidosoope, giras üiily brilliunt culiirs- iiu great joys have correspoüdiug sorrows. T5J" Óne slumld not dispute with a who through stupidity or ghameleBsniggs denjea pluiu aud visible ' ! truths. i