London, Nov. 27.
Every post brings a new catalogue of potential gifts for Christmas from Siamond necklaces to "baby sels in plastic ware," bowl, spoon and cup, "so much more practical than poreelain"; from gold-and-ivory fitted dress ing-cases to accordions ("25 piano keys with 12 sunk basses"); from frocks to frying-pans; from dressing-gowns to dartboards. We are in for a heavy Christmas. Looking at these catalogues, of the big department stores, Which are spread not only over all the West End but all the suburbs, one is amazed that the small shops selling only one type of goods can survive, Not only can they, but I am told there is great keenness among them to get near to one of the department stores. "They benefit by the overflow. 'Also there is a belief in many purchasers' minds that what they got from the shop which devotes itself to that thing alone must be better than what the department store with everything to think of supplies.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.