Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-11-29
Chriatmns fsifta.

who have begun to count the weeks that must
go by before the dawning of that happy day,
and the little toddling things that can hardly
"'member" last Christmas, something must
be provided, remembering each. For those
who have no wel-flled purse with which, in
the holiday season, to visit book and
toy -shop, it is quite time to begin prepare
tions, as most of the work has to be done af-
ter the little ones are in bed and asleep, and
l would like to help little in this work of
love, by giving few of the fruits of expe-
renee"
First, | would examine into the state of the
doll family. See how many there are which,
in childish phrase, are "brokened oil to
pieces, and must be replaced by new, and
how many which only need new china or
waxen head to render them fit for a Christ
mas dress. Then dress them ms daintily and
prettily as you can. Bright colors look the
best but if your rolls of pieces do not con-
tain these, brighten up the sombre tints with
knots of ribbon or silk, and, if possible, add
a sash of the same. If your own childish
days are not too far behind you, fashion pref
ty bonnets, or soft-crowned velvet hats for
the empty heads, and exquisite shawls and
mantles can be made of old white flannel dip
ped into scarlet dye. BE sure that the cloth
es are made that they can be removed at
will. There is no more wretched fraud than
a doll that cannot be undressed and safely
tucked in bed by its small mother.
If the little ones have no beds for the dolls,
one evenings work, by pair of willing
hands, will make pretty one, of plain pine
or other wood, with rounded head and foot
boards. These can be decorated with little
picture of bunch of flowers fastened on
with some glue, and the whole afterwards
vanished Mattress, sheets and pillows can
be provided at odd times, and pretty coun-
terpane of pale blue or pink cambria, knotted
with gray wool Pure white would be pretti-
err, but mothers will understand why colors
are preferable.
If any of the little ones show taste for
drawing, prepare drawing books for them.
A dozen sheets of unruled note paper, sewed
together and fastened with n cover made of
pasteboard or oilcloth, pinked around the
edges, and pencil with rubber on the top,
will give some children more pleasure than a
costly toy.
Little baskets lined with bright silk or me
rino, and containing a needle-book, pincush-
ion and thimble, will smooth the path to sew
ing for some of the little girls. The needle
book can be made of two pieces of cardboard,
cut in the shape of diamond, and worked
around the edge in some simple pattern.
Work the child's initials in the centre of one
piece; line both, and fasten tgether with a
knot of ribbon. Then fasten in a few bits of
soft white flannel, either pinked or button
hole stitched around the edges, and add few
needles, SO as to have it all ready for use
You can make pretty slippers for the little
boys of cloth braided in some simple design,
or you can crochet them of coarse wool in
common double crochet stitch, and work q
little pattern with bright wool into the toe.
The expense of having them soled is as moth.
ing compared with the orderly habits which
the wearing of slippers in the house helps tc
teach. A pair of warm wristlets and a thicl
comforter for the neck are always acceptable
to boys, and for the little chaps who delight
in playing horse, use all the odds and ends Of
wool in knitting pair of long reins. Kni
them about an inch and half in width, in
common garter stitch, and as long you
like. After the ends are joined together, fas
ten as many tiny bells as you like ON som'
part of them, and if the amount of pleasur,
can be judged by the amount of horse, littl,
boys are very much pleased with such reins
Last Christmas 1 made muf for my littl,
girl, of white, tleecy wool. 1t was orocheteC
back and forth in simple open stitch, and af
ter being wadded was lined with scarlet fan
mel, and a thick cord of twisted wool to pas
over the neck was fastened to it. 1t was yer.
pretty, and the wool for it and little neck
tic TO match only cost twenty-eight cents.
A lot of homemade blocks of different size
are always appreciated by children, only the,
must be put in a neat box, and if the box ha
IL cover, so much the better.
Pretty scrap books can be made of oil
print starched stiff, and cut into sheets tn
size you wish, and the pictures pasted Oh
with boiled starch. The remains of torn pic
ture books, which will accumulate in the bes
regulated families of children are capital 70
this purpose, and the scrap books will bear
good deal Of rough usage. If you have mic
pictures, really beautiful books can be mad
by using linen or cambria for the leaves, On
before me now which was made for a wear
little invalid, has large leaves of gray cam
brio doubled, and the edges turned in an
stitched together. The pictures are of a
sorts and sizes; some steel engrayings fror
old volumes of the Lady's Book some beau
tifully colored ones from the London New
almanacs some floral chromos from the cat
alogues and few scrap pictures proper
bought for the occasion. The covers are @
stiff cardboard, covered ON both sides wit
the same cambria. Pictures are pasted o
the insides of the covers, and on the outsid
of the upper one is "A wreath of small flower
and leaves, surrounding the letters of tn
child's name and the date. The covers AT
bound with blue ribbon, and sheets and coy
ers are fastened together with bits of blu
ribbon put through eyelet holes worked i
each, and tied in a bow and ends. These ca
be united, and extra sheets added at any time
II you have not pictures enough for a scraI
book, you can take a strip of cambria or sti
print, about eight inches wide and as long
you like, and paste pictures all over one sid,
Fasten one end by tiny tacks TO a round stiol
and the sheet can then be rolled into sma
compass and put into cover. The cover
the last one l made was of pasteboard joine
together to form roll and covered with 81
paper A circular bit of pasteboard was sew
ed into one end and the other was left ope
to drop the picture roll into it. A loop (
ribbon to hang it mp by completed the lit
article that made one child happy.
Visiting at a farm house, few days aft
Christmas last year, saw dear little nv
year-old girl sitting in a comfortable am