The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-12-15
A Cbristrnas Tree.

Mrs GLASS; recipe for cooking hare is ia
miliar to us all. First catch the animal treat
him thus and so and serve on hot plates with
mulled wine. Christmas trees are in order
now, and how to prepare one properly for the
festivities of the season is the question that ag-
itates the breasts of patsr: ramil,as, mamma and
aunts and cousins. Nothing is more elegant
than well-proportoned, brilliantly lighted
Christmas tree, decorated with its pretty con-
ceits and hung with its wreath of gladness for
old and young. The merry wassail around its
branches, the joyous glse of youth, and the
calmer enjoyment of the elder members of the
circle are appropriate to the occasion, for we
are now to celebrate the dearest and brightest
holiday Of the whole year; in commemoration
Of the time when goodwill came from heaven
to men, and man expresses himself in carols
and songs Of praise; and shows his faith in his
brother man by works of love and charity.
In selecting tree give the preference to the
silver fir, for its twigs are tough and strong,
and the softness of its foliage harmonizes with
its golden fruit better than that of any other
evergreen. Hemlock is too brittle, and tho
branches lack fullness and beauty. Spruce is
too compact; it defes one to dress it's boughs
we'll, and has an unpleasant way of repelling
our advances. So bring as a silver fir. Let it
be comedy and well-proportioncd, tree grown
in the opening, with rotund form, for our gen
erosity is full and there is to be no shortening
of gifts on any side of our tree 1t must be
large tree, too for our whole parish is to gath
or around it. Our Society is large, for we
speak daily to an immense congregation Now
make us a cross of joists, with long arms to
talks the place of roots, for our tree must have
big base and stand firm; or if our rude de-
sign does not meet your cultured taste, stand it
in tub, pack sand around the trunk, and con-
ceal the nakedness of the tub with moss. But
that will be unnecessary trouble on this occa-
sion, for we have enough large gifts at our dis
posal--too large for place on the branches
that will completely bury out of sight any i'm
perfection about the roots. Now fetch the
red apples and golden oranges, the
muslin bags of confectionery, and dis
tribute them around on the smaller
twigs. Let the great walnuts be gilded and
hung where the light from the little candles
will shine on them Make some birds nests
of half egg-shells covered with moss, fill then
with sugar plum eggs, for we must have all the
symbols of life and music in our tree that we
can get. Bring hither the little colored tapers
with the strips of tin, sharpened at this ends
Press one end into the wood, turn up tn,
other, and impale the wax on it, and we are al
ready for the lighting-up. Now we must has
ten and select our gifts, for we have no time t.
spare for completing our tree before the door
will be opened; and all the parish will COM
trooping in the noisy children in the front, fol
lowed by the youths and maidens, parents ant
grandparents. Where shall we go first, ant
what shall we buy. There are so many mic
stores waiting for us that we are puzzled to de
eide.
PICTURES,
did you say. Well, here we are at Hale's LIE
us look around moment. Here is case flu
of those elegant Russian goods, in spa wood
which attest the wonderful ingenuity of tn
serfs-elegantly carved book racks, card-receiN
ers, wall-pockets, and hundred other forms
fine work. with artistic designs elegantly PAM
ed by hand, stamp and match boxes, waite
cases, jewel cases, glove and handkerchie
Munich Madonnas, proclaim pictures, cruc
fixes, Chinese carved frames, Swiss carve
goods, such as chalets, animals and huma
figures; groups In bronze and antique bronz
vases, transparencies, photograph cases carve
in wood to initiate leather, chromos of all kind,
photographs, choice engravings stereoscope.
Illuminated notices, paper cutters and Frenc
metal frames. But We can also find her
pictures enough from the pencils :
the greatest American artists-Brov,
Norton, De Haas, Sonntag, Williams, Ger
and Peterson-marines, landscapes, figure
groups, rugged scenes from nature, historic
sketches views of celebrated places in the O
world; and so ON to the elaborate chrom
which cheat one into the belief that he is stan
ing before an original picture and not cop
Hale has studied the tastes Of the people
thoroughly and exerted himself to meet the
mand that the corner of Cross and Free stree
il known all over New England, and his gale