Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-11-21
cir family CirtIe.
Budget Of Homemade Christmas Gifts.

| % ~
A Budget of Home. made Christmas Gifts.
| Who is it that every year invents the
thousand-and- new and pretty things
which hang on Christmas trees, and stuff
the toes of Christmas stockings? Who is
it that has so wise and watchful an eye for
the capacities of little people, and the
tastes of bigger ones, providing for each,
planning for tiny purses with almost moth
ing in them, us well as for fat wallets
stuffed with bank bills, and suggesting
something which can be made, accepted
and enjoyed by everybody, large and
small, all the wide world over? Who
can it be that possesses this inexhaustlble
fertility of invention and kindness of
hearth No ordinary human being, you
may be sure. Not Father Santa Clause!
He has enough to do with distributing
the presents after they are made: besides,
fancy work is not iii IL mans line-nol
even II saint But what 50 likely us that
he should have Il mate, and that it is to her
we are indebted for all this? What an
immense work basket Mother Santa
Claus's must be! What IA CHANGING thimble
and swift needle and thread! Can't YOU
imagine her throwing aside her scissors
and spool-bag to help the dear saint
"tackle up" and load the sleigh? And
who knows but she sits behind us he drives
over the roofs of the universe on the bles-
sed eve, and holds the reins while Santa
Claus dispenses to favored chimneys the
innumerable pretty things which he and
she have chuckled over together months
and months before the rest of us knew any
thing about them?
This is not Il fact. 1t can't be proved
in any way, for none of us knows any
thing about the Santa Clauses or their
abode. There is no telegraphing, or
writing 10 the selectI@en of their town to
inquire about them; they havnt even IL
posL-otlice address. But admitting it to
be fiction, it is surely pleasant one; SO,
as the children say, Let's play that it is
true,' and proceed to see what Mother
Santa Claus has in her basket for us this
year. We will first pull out some easy
things for the benefit of little beginners
who are not yet up TO all the tricks of the
needle; then some little harder for the
more advanced class land, at the bottom of
all, big girls not afraid to dive will find
plenty of elaborate designs suited 10 their
taste and powers.
A WALL LETTER-HoLDER.
This is something which anita -, liule
bow could make Ont ont three nieces If
thin wood. Il foot lonc bv six inches wide.
smooth and sand-paper Two of them bore
a hole in each corner and in the miJ'ln of
ona side and f,eten tbnn, tono,Ior Win
fine wire, cord, ribbon, or the small brass
p a,;,,.n "n'T III "io useu ior no'tnS manu-
INK .,,.rt 2mt 1,na '" n,I 81 80 H. "' ,hi.%
,'iano s'P"lS " ouv o''o eii,' VI 'no tnl'u
Srn,i Nv , IU Io, "'' w. stia g. SIuo
and ond ' Il ' Enr' ,T Tn0 o. ' h o'Tel i
hnr r ~ ii ,ho , ~ o 7. Ii1 "si, oa1
t% G,n ~ ' hlG ar "i'l NC iouiI ~ uoo'u'
LAVA. bo,, ' oa,,lI .',.o -. P"ii'Pn'I'I' "a
'n,o,. Ivy tG~ 'n''H" .n'' ','"Ii t.'nu
eo"u' ~ YUM -" p,U'oIn over 'lo front
w. "a i ,'' " tTh ino l",h u many IN
e W." l,'u,i0' 1'0 "oo' Siio'1'' oo o''o' Vi
''''''''00N'
Successes.
These cases are meant to take the place
of paper when shoes are to be wrapped
up TO 90 in trunk, They are made of
brown crash, bound with red worstcd
braid. One end is pointed so as to turn
over and button down, or the top has
strings over the braid to tie the mouth up
There should be three or four made at IL
time, as each ease holds hut one pair of
shoes; and you will find that mamma or
your unmarried aunts will like them very
much