Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 November 1888 — Love in a Dry-Goods Store. [ARTICLE]

Love in a Dry-Goods Store.

One of the moat unwelcome customers in many of the large dry-goods stores is Cupid. This, however, is only true in the eyes of the employer when the little god tangles up the hearts of some of the young women employed with those of some of the young men. In all other cases Cupid is one of the most able allies the retail dry-goods man has in his business. An old merchant in this particular line of trade spent some time several evenings ago explaining to a party of friends why this was so. “One of the worst things we have to, contend with in our business, as far as our unmarried male and female employes are concerned,” he said, “is love. When a young lady, say in the hosiery department, falls in love with a nice young man in the dress-goods department, or any other department, for that matter, there is trouble ahead for the employers. If the young man should happen to return the young lady’s affection the trouble is doubled. How' does this make any difference to us? Well, in nine cases out of ten the tender passion unfits its victims for work in the same dry-goods store. This is especially so in the case of the young ladies. Once they get in love with a young man at another counter their minds, instead of being at their own counters, are continually at the young man’s counter. The result of this is that the love-smitten maid is absentminded and inattentive to business. I have seen many a bright young clerk who was very valuable to us become utterly worthless behind her counter simply because she got to thinking more of a good-looking young man at some other counter than she did of our business. “It’s the same way with the young men, too. When they get too far gone there is only one thing left for us to do, and that is to discharge them and fill their places. I confess I always regret to take this step, and I never do it unless in self-defense. But when the trouble reaches a certain stage there is no alternative. Of course we go about it in a roundabout way, and never give the real cause for dispensing with their services. We explain that business is dull or something of that sort, and never let on that the little passion they nurse so' tenderly has sacrified their positions in the store.” — New York Times. Prince Albert Victor is extremely, English in all his tastes, ways and talk, and objects talking in any foreign language when it is* not absolutely necessary.