'There can really be very little doubt, the more we thy small pecuiaites en's diver make-up' misdemeanon Cleve "who els her Soka: trike" a plows horror in th of ity that id manner of we rage Chinese It was brought home to' us poignantly the other day. The time was approximately 8.30 a.m., and the reward of virtue for -an early start at shopping fell a little short of expectations. A Chinese clerk was dusting the counter when wwe arrived; and apparently nothing that we could do woald bring the foreign manager to our rescue before 9 o'clock. But the Chinese clerk was very helpful, about our silk stockings, and things general.
Prthops a little digression on this important subject of silk stockings will be overlooked. They are, one doesn't hesitate to admit, one of the major ails of the ' modern woman. How now, can anybody but @ modern woman grasp the anguish attendant upon a last minute "run"; or the fearful trepidations not unmixed with hope that a "sale stocking" can arouse in the average shopper? And does not every woman, if no one else, Know the eagerness with which a now kind of silk stocking "at a real bargain, my dear," is added to our lists of things to be looked into on shopping excursion:
The waking hours devoted to silic stockings are really propos: terous. There is almost no accounting for the importance which we attach to them, Even the amah has had reason to regret them with curt comment.
"Supposing my mak Juin, more better missic washed." And of disillusionment was to upon our own resolve the amah her uncon-
But at all the insensible pranks such frequency as to make the most of being a sword swallower, or the objects themselves' deliberately malicious. Matches may—mult away until there remains only one in the box for.every important occasion that can ever be recoliect~ ed, Combs, now that clipped hair world, distribute themselves about with wanton unconcern of their owner's property rights. Fountain pens remain the great "unwriteables." And so one might go on indefinitely, without even tapping the springs of misery which are implied in every pair of silk stockings.
The Unforgettable Incident But to get back to that fateful mining upon when they began to be linked forever in on mind with les mars of China, we proceeded, they say about ships and dignitaries, to the expedition. shop was hidden away beyond two flights, and designated to us as a wonderful "find" if we wanted silk stockings. Now, who doesn't want silk: stockings, at almost any time one might care to mention?
The Chinese clerk viewed us in a benign and friendly way.
Yes, have got" he re after us, and gave a final flourish to the dusting.
Eventually boxes of silk stock. ings met our ravished eyes. Even the clerk began to share our enthusiasm. "Evening glow" mingied with "rosy morn" in his excited metaphor, and "papyrus" yielded to "Eden's sunburn" and all the rest of it. We hardly knew which to select, there' being, really, a limit to-all things.
Finally. "All right," we said. "Size nine and a half, in all there shades," and the boy' went away and stayed for a long time. When he came back, he delivered an ultimatum, "Size eight and a half, all ite," he pointed out.
"Certainly" we said politel we must have size The patient clerk went away again, When he returned he look-fed at us pityingly. "No have got; he said mournfully. "No have got so big size." Then as an unavoldable afterthought, he sorrowfully announced, as his eyes sought the heinous offence constituting our feet, "Very sorry, eight and a half Velong proper size. Supposing you wanchee, can take, wanchee, no propel And there we were. These foreign women!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.