Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-22
MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Holiday Presents, and Where TO Buy
Them

1t is somewhat questionable whether the
Constitution" of Christmas would survive
in full glory if it were not for the young
folks. Hoary and mythical, it is still
tricked out and made immortal by the illu-
siona which unsuspeeting childhood is
pleased to give it. St. Nicholas, Santa
Claus-these are quaint names, but they
are household words, and millions of every
generation believe them veritable person
ages or agents. This faith is, in good
sense, contagious. For do not the good,
doting fathers and mothers, and the cum
ming shop-keepers take it, or, at least,
conspire with it? For about the fifteenth
of December, every year, or before, all the
Hhop-windOWs begin to trick out and fash
like dawning light on mountain peaks or
frs, hint surely of the glory that is soon
to come in iull and OVerfOwing tide. And
parental purse-strings begin to relax their
tension. Pocket books long used to the
gripe of steel clasp or firm elastic, grow out
of acquaintance with that binding order of
thing, and all the benevolence ofnature and
all the (msyhap curdled and chilled) milk
Of human kindness, flows out to humor the
fancy and guileless faith of the precious
boys and girls. Thus do shop-keepers and
parents oonspire with the Christmas beliefs
of youth, and by indulging them prove that
they themselves, in some sort, have large
practical shares therein.
Now we have been watching the progress
of the game some time, and in our runnings
M and down have seen somewhat of the
gifts that are to be had, and we propose
now to tell eager friends, parents and lovers
where they may find them. But we are
somewhat in the condition of the blind
folded man who, having been set down in
the midst of a vast variety of treasures,
and the bandage removed from his eyes,
and told that all was his which he
would gather up, came near missing
all through doubt where to begin. For
such a miscellany of articles and goods,
and so beautiful and appropriate, was per-
haps never presented to our citizens. The
sale has already been immense, unusually
sO,.and promises yet to out-go all past ex-
perience.
But as Christmas gift popularly implies
something corresponding in quality to
the nature of the occasion, and therefore
seeks the beautiful rather than the merely
useful, We will head the list with
PICTURES, ETC.,
believing that as ga thing of beauty is a
joy forever" all those who are bent on
making some one happy by a gift, will
rush first of all to galleries, where pictures,
views, &C., may be had.
R. B. Douglas & Co. have every thing in
the line of photographs, stereoscopic views,
&c. The photograph has become one of
the most effective Democrats in the world.
Pictures and statuary which only princes
and nsbObs could arrive to
look at, the photograph brings
over seas and continents to put in
the hand of every man who can command
enough money to buy a paper of tobacco
and two drinks with. The copies (pho-
tographs) of the famous pieces, of the
Palmer marbles, &C., which Douglas has,
make the most elegant and valuable pres
ests which could pass from hand to hand
Of cultivated persons. He has also frames
of every conceivable sort, sets of Prang's
sibum pictures Of landscapes, views, birds,
&C., &c.
E. G. Jones has alsosa very fine colleo-
ton of pictures, with elegant and JTv efsfned
frames for setting, and he has also that fn-
est of "institutions," the great baby ten
der. There are circumstances in this life
in which the purchase of that article, we
should say, would be avery "timely" and
appropriate act.
ofcourse copies of the human face (your
Own) divine (hers) are inevitable gifts, and
J. F. Ryder can, on short notice, put SO fine
an image of your face, or hers, on card
paper as to make a transcendental egotist
or worshipper of you.
JEWELRY.
Next to pictures, jewelry is perhaps the
most current gift. Cowles & Co. have a
very large stock. Their store is brilliant
with rare snd costly articles, many of them
new in design. They have everything in
the line of jewelry. N. E. Crittenden and
M. Burt have profusion Of silver ware of
all descriptions, and novelties in the way
of cutlery, SIS also has s. Hogan.
BOOKS.
Cobb & Co.'s house is one of the finest re-
sorts in the city. They have elegant vol
umes of the poets, and spendid editions OF
Scott, Prescott, Irving, Shakespeare, ad in
fnitun. Sets of standard works, juvenile
books, elegant photograph bibles, albums,
&C., make up their brilliant miscellany.
D. ". Baker has everything in the book
trade illustrated editions of the poets.
editions of standard works, &c. he has
also writing desks of exquisite design and
finish, portfolios, and everything of that
kind. We have not seen more attractive
editions of popular works than are at his
stand.
But what e rush for D. Lincoln's Metro
politan Gift Bookstore He has very many
fine works, on which has been lsvished al
the taste of the best of publishers; and
what makes the business brisk, fine gift
goes, fatally sure, with every book. He
also has magnificent silver ware, the very
looks of which puts an impulse in ones
heart to steal
Inghsm L Bragg have the finest Photo
graph Albums in this city, without exceP'
ton. We saw one there which holds We
don't know how many hundred photo
graphs. It is agnifcent-there is nc
other adequate word-and a prince, per
hsps an Prince, might buy it for hil
wife. They have, also, all the books il
the richest editions that are offered.
But if you would buy not only all thes'