SHOPPING DAY!

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 156, 3 July 1937, Page 3 (Supplement)

SHOPPING DAY!

Grandma Takes a Trip to Town. (By F.M.F.) I GRANDMA was. contemplating turning out the bedrooms when daughter Isobel appeared at the back door, saying, "Oh, mother, it's such a lovely morning, let's go to town and do some window shopping. Anyway, I need a new hat, and voti could hold baby for me while I tried some on. Grandma hesitated, saying that the spare room needed . . . but Isobel reminded her that the spare room and work would be always there, whereas a glorious morning one could not afford to miss. Grandma agreed, and just as they were leaving, with baby strapped safely in the push-chair, she remembered a £5 note she had tucked away in a drawer. "Now, definitely, I'm not going to spend a penny," she told Isobel, "but it doesn't do to leave money in the house," and she pushed the note well down into her puree. The five-pound note was evidently making itself felt," for she stopped half-way up the street, to make sure she had her brink book, saying, ! "Now this money is positively going i into the bank." With the push-chair at the? back of | the tram, the grandson gurgling on her ! knee, and entertained by Isobel's bright I chatter, they sped into town. As they made their way up the city street, Isobel looked earnestly at her mother. "Feeling faint at all?" she queried. Grandma was surprised at Isobel's concern. "Not at all; why should I?" "Well, I was wondering, mother, whether we shouldn't go and have a ccmfy lunch first of all." So that was it. Grandma thought it a bright idea. After lunch grandma decided to go straight to the bank and deposit the £5, but Isobel said, "No, let's look at the shops first." Now grandma prided herself on her appearance and as Isobel discarded hats, as being too mature foi her, grandma popped the latest Frencl model on her own head, liked the result and was lost. The five-pound note ex changed hands and £3 10/ went into th< little purse! Isobel looked charming in the hat sin had chosen and realised that it simplj shrieked at her old fur coat. "Oh mother, it means a new coat, so as mj son is asleep we'll park the here and go to the mantle department. Extravagance Versus Economy. Isobel tried on coat after coat. Shi looked so slim ar.d willowy, am ' <*raiidma, who loved all beautiful thing* 1 was thrilled. "Now 'this' is the coat | want, mother," said Isobel, 'bnt it s £ ■■■■■■■■■■■

more than I agreed with Harry that I'd. spend." Adding with an impish smile, "I've been a bit extravagant lately." "Then choose a cheaper one," said grandma, and her heart contracted as | Isobel reluctantly handed back the coat! to the saleswoman. Grandma looked in her puree to get j her handkerchief. There was a tear in j her eye —it had always been hard to j deny Isobel anything —and there was j the £3 10/. Grandma left the handkerchief but took the money, and resolutely faced the inevitable. "Bring the coat back, she called, and as the .saleswoman turned j she pressed two pounds into Isobel's | hand with, "Take it, child, one is only young for a very short tune." There was one pound ten left, and Grandma threw prudence to the winds. She would have a new coat herself. What was the use £>t money if one did not spend it? And, pointing to a smart coat, "I'll try that on, please." Both the saleswoman and Isobel admired the effect, not' to mention Grandma herself, who murmured modestly, "Not bad lor a grandmother." The saleswoman's eyebrow went up in practised surprise. "You? A grandmother! Well, you certainly don't look it in tliat coat." After that Grandma was reckless. She and Isobel raced over to the bank and drew out ten pounds! The Day's Shopping Done. With the purchases in their arms and chattering excitedly they sallied from the shop and were soon on the home-ward-bound tram. Both felt very happy. Grandma said "It* was positively sinful of me to spend all that money," and then, searching in her mind, "D'you know I feel somehow that we have forgotten something." They counted their parcels and Isobel remarked with youthful inconsequence, "Well, never mind, we've had a lovely day mother, and there's dad and Harry waiting for ue. They must have known we had parcels to carry." Beaming with happiness the women handed over their parcels. "Are you sure you haven't forgotten something?" said Harry. "Well now, I've bpen feeling that theve was something, but we counted the parcels and —" Then grandad, who had never looked sideways at grandma during 25 years of their married life, said seriously, "I suppose you didn't happen to remember > to bring home the 'grandson' you took with you ?" ! Isobel . immediately went into hysterics, clinging to Harry and crying and ! laughing at the same time. Then Harry ' explained that the store, having ascer- , tained that grandma and Isobel were the r two heartless women who had left the " child, had rung up and that they were ' sending out the little chap straight away in a taxi. When they all reached home and Iso r bel sat with her son in her arms eht said, "I'm surprised at you, mother, nol ' thinking of the baby. I feel that yoi are not really your age." Grandma's answer was curt, "I don': ■ think at your age anything in the worh would have made me forget my baby. 1 | "Sez you!" remarked Isobel with i j grin.