r of General Armstrong, the Secretary of War
in Mr. Madison's cabinet. He has two sons, who are themselves fathers of
families. They are John Jacob and William B. Astor, Jr. He has also
several daughters, all married. The sons reside on Fifth avenue. They
are in active business for themselves. John Jacob, the elder, is a
large-framed, heavy-boned man, and resembles his father. William B.
Astor, Jr., is a small, slim man, and resembles his mother. They are
much more sociable than their father, inheriting much of the genial
vivacity of their grandfather, who was very fond of the pleasures of
society. They are shrewd, energetic business men, and it is said are
very wealthy, independent of their father. Mr. John Jacob Astor entered
the United States Army during the civil war, and saw considerable active
service on the staff of General McClellan.

XXIII. FASHIONABLE SHOPPING.

The fashionable retail stores of New York lie chiefly along Broadway,
between the St. Nicholas Hotel and Thirty-fourth street. A few are to be
found in the cross streets leading from the great thoroughfare, and some
are in the Sixth avenue, but Broadway almost monopolizes the fashionable
retail trade of the city. All the large stores are conducted on the same
general plan, the main object of which is to secure the greatest
convenience and comfort for the purchaser, and the greatest dispatch and
promptness on the part of the employes. The leading stores of the city
have an established reputation with the citizens. They furnish a better
class of goods than can be found elsewhere, and are the most reasonable
in their prices. Furthermore, the purchaser may rely upon the assurances
of the salesman concerning the goods. The salesmen in such houses are
not allowed to represent anything as better than it really is. This
certainty is worth a great deal to the purchaser, who is often incapable
of judging intelligently of his purchase. The writer can assert, from
actual experience, that for the same amount of money one can buy at the
first-class stores a better article than is offered in the so-called
"cheap stores."

[Picture: A FEMALE SHOPLIFTER.]

Upon entering a first-class dry-goods store in New York, a stranger is
impressed with the order and system which prevail throughout the whole
establishment. The heavy plate glass door is opened for him by a small
boy in entering and departing. If the weather be sto