TWO SHOPPERS

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 16, 22 April 1909, Page 637

TWO SHOPPERS

Two women were standing side by side at the .counter where the special' sale of remnants of ribbons was going on. One of them, with a sharp fussy face, picked up an end of striped ribbon and asked the nearest shop girl "" imperiously:, > - { How much is this? ' The girl, who was thin and dark-eyed, with a nervous contraction of the brow answered rather shortly : ' Twenty cents, madam. They ar« all marked with the price.' . ... ' What was the original price before it was reduced ? ' * Really, I don't know.' ' Well, I'll take it? How long will I have to wait for my change?' W a lofty tone. 'You'll get it just as soon as anybody else/ said th*j girl, as she called the cash-boy and turned to wait on the

next customer, the second of the two women, who had chosen the ribbon she wanted and was liolding it in her hand. . ,- • - 1 _i • i. _ ' •

'I will have these two. remnants,' said; this buyer in a peculiarly quiet and gentle tone. ' Have you any more of this pink one?' ' No, I think not,' said the shop-girl, with her voice,, unconsciously let down tojC pleasanter key; '"but I'll look.' And she went off to see.' " .

' No, I think not/ said the snop-giri, wra nex voiw,. unconsciously let down to;a" pleasanter key; '"but I'll look.' And she went off to see.' " ' Disagreeable thing ! ' said the first woman. How cross she is ? ' ' I was thinking,' sa-id the second woman gently, poor thing, how tired' she must be.' And the shop-girl hunting for the bit of pink ribbon, felt the difference between the attitude of her two customers, without knowing what they said. ' I wouldn't mind waiting on that last lady all day,' she thought to. herself; ibut my! that first one— catch me hunting for ribbons for her 1 I couldn't stand her five minutes, I'm that nervous and tired out ! ' ' # Sympathy or criticism— jvhich shall we habitually use in our dealings with others? This little incident (which is only one out of many, many illustrations) seems to point an obvious moral as to which is the truer and more profitable method.