Rensselaer Union, Volume 3, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 June 1871 — Perils of Paris Shopping. [ARTICLE]

Perils of Paris Shopping.

It is a fact well known to all American habitues of Paris that the heads of one of tho largest and most celebrated of the glove-houses there, are iu the habit of sending in their old and paid hills to taeir former customers whenever tho “ strangers’ list ’’ apprises them of the arrival of these uqavary foreigners. For in most cases the receipted bills have been left at home, and the hapless traveler has fio other choice than to pay, and' to anathematise French , roguery as he does so. I yeas one day an of an. amusing scene iu that shop. A gentleman entered with a countenance highly expressive of indignation, and summoning the shopwoman who spoke English, he displayed to her a long bill dated some two years back. “I paid that bill before I left Paris,” said ho, in a very positive tone. “ You must be mistaken sir,” was the equally positive reply. “We never send i Q , pui - bills after they have once been paid. ’ There was a very telling emphasis on the “ never.” “ But I know that I paid this one.” “ Perhaps voif can produce a receipt ? ” This was said in a sneering tone, calculated to exasperate a saint. Tho gentleman made answer by laying down his cane and the disputed bill upon the counter and pocketbook from the breast-pocket of his coat. From 'this he drew opt a paper, which he unfolded and held before the shopwoman. It was a receipted bill. To do the creature justice, I must confoss that sho, seemed overwhelmed with confusion, and was profuse in her apologies, upon which one of the proprietors of

the establishment, who had been watching the scene from a distance, came to the rescue. “ I think I can explaiu to the gentleman how the mistake occurred,” ho said, in those mellifluous tones which coinc as natural to a Frenchman as purring to a cat, and are just about as indicative of good nature or kindly feeling. “ Wc have another customer of precisely the same name —morely an odd coincidenco.” “ Blit an odder coincidence,” said the American, buttoning up his coat and suddenly blossoming forth into an astqnishing knowledge of French, “ is, that this gentleman with the same name as mine happened to purchase the very same articles that I did on the very same day of the year.” And having discharged this Parthian arrow, he retired. —Shopping in Paris , in Lippincott's for June.