Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-23

Alden IN n. I. Times
The approach Of Christmas brings every hus-
band and every wife face to face with the prob
lem, what presents shall give7" OF course
there are certain presents which, 50 to speak,
select Themselves Slippers should always be
given to the clergyman, for II there IL anything
for which his soul hungers 1t lie for forty pairs of
slippers. none Of which he can either wear on
ms own feet or apply to the givers. The young
est child OF the family must also have q napkin
rlng 1t being the chief desire of every infant to
keep his napkin neat and IN order. The selec-
t1on OF all other presents is. however WEAKNESS
to the flesh and evaporation to the spirit, and a
lew words OF advice to givers ought to be pro-
ductive Of much good.
husbands acceptable gifts, but to practice a
wise economy in buying such gifts. They will
| thus earn respect and admiration as we'll as the
gratitude Of their husbands. II q husband
smokes cgars-as the chances are that he does
his wife cannot do better than to give him a
box of cigars. There are many nice little shops
in the Third avenue where she can buy box of
cigars for two dollars which will look lust as
nice as those for which her husband fOoiishly
pays fifteen dollars. In fact, the box itself will
be even prettier than the boxes which her inju-
dicious husband brings home. for it will be
strongly made and nicely vanished The
husband who would not feel grateful for such
| present as this would be cold hearted wretch
There was man in this city who was presented
last Christmas with a box of two-dOliar cigars
by his devoted wife. and he was so delighted
| that he made solemn VOW never tOsmoke them
but to keep them on his study-table to remind
MIN OF the priceless treasure of affection and
economy that he possessed in his WIFE To this
day those cigars remain unsmoked with the eX-
| ceptiOn of one. which was stolen and smoked by
District Telegraph boy who died i'm great
agony two hours later. not. however, before he
| had repented of his sacrlegious act and admit
! ted that his punishment was inst
husbands who smoke pipes should be pre-
sented with meerschaum pipes. These can be
pought In the Bowery for twenty-five cents, and
wives ought to know this fact, so that they can
properly estimate the foolish extravaganza of
men who pay ten dollars for pipes that are i'm
no respect prettier than the TWENTY-FIVE cent
meerschaums of the Bowery. Amber mouth
! pieces and cigar-hOlders can also be bought for
about the same price and even If they are made OF
| Imitation amber, they look just as well as the
| rificui0usly expensive articles sold in Broad
way. 1t is especially proper to give these pipes
! and cigar-hoders to husbands whose lives are
| Insured. The reason is legal one. and would
not be understood by women were it to be eX-
| planned to them. They may rest assured how
| ever. that the larger the amount for which any
husbands life is insured the wiser it will be to
| give him twenty-five cent meerschaum pipe
| with an amber rnoutt-piece
| For brothers there is 10 more acceptable pre-
sent than arctic overshoes. If any Lady has
young and handsome brother who is rather
proud OF his personal appearance let her hasten
| TO Grand street and buy him a pair of ..arctjcs
She should remember that ''arctics' cannot be
too large, and. to avoid the possibility of mis-
take. she had better get the largest pair she can
md. Ii she personally appeals to her brother to
| wear the Overshoes for her sake. and begs him
10 let her know if they pinch his feet, she will
do more than she imag;nes in the way of pro-
noting harmony and strengthening fraternl
affection.
It is the opinion of book publishers that books
make the best presents. There is some degree
OF truth in this but the books should be select Ell
with great care. Ladies are for the most part
unaware that a series Of works of immense in-
terest to thoughtful men has been published by
the United States government with view of
supplying the people with wholesome literature
This series is entitled Patent Office Reports. -
and each volume is sold separately. There are
few presents that a thoughtful and cultured man
would appreciate more thoroughly than one or
two Volumes OF the Patent Office series. There
is nothing in these books that could do the
slightest harm. They are free from infi,lel.ty.
MOrlnonistn. horses. or anything that could lead
the weakest husband astray When it is added
that they are sold at a very low price their pre-
eminent fitness for Christmas presents needs no
further emphasis.
OF course, the most acceptable present that a
man can make 10 his wife is new bonnet
Many men. however. are afraid to buy bonnets
on account OF the cost. In point of fact. bon
net can be hOnght ridculouSly Cheap at certain
shops on 9Th avenue, and it is mere nonsense to
pay $50 to a fashionable bonnet-na.ker If the
astute husband goes to the 9Th avenue he can
BUY beautiful bonnet trimmed with blue red
green, and yellow ribbons. and Ornalnented with
large and beautiful chickens wing. for 81 90
Let him have a ticket marked SAT attached to
TINS bonnet and then present it to his wife
with neat little speech. She will be over
Whelned with delight. and will never for a
moment doubt that the present was bought at a
fashionable shop and cost SAT. Indeed her
gratitude to her husband will probably greatly
astonish him. Gloves can also be bought very
cheapiy in the Eighth avenue. and no one can
tell them from the best kid gloves unless they
examine them very closely. AS for shoes. which
are especially dear to the female heart they can
be had in the Sixth avenue at quarter of their
cost elsewhere. The wife to whom half dozen
pairs Of these beautiful shoes are given will. in
most cases. be too deeply moved to be able to
express her feelings in words
These few hints WILL if they are generally
adopted greatly simplify the work of selecting
presents, and will bring. joy and satisfaction to
thousands OF homes. There is surely no higher
work IN which newspaper can engage than
that Of thus helping its readers to make the
Coming Christmas a really happy one.
The Youth Of Castelar,.
From the st. James Gazet te.
Emilio CASTELAR, Rissoll is hardly fifty, having
been born at Cadiz on the Sth of September.
1882. His father, small tradesman of that
town, was in his day radical of some mark
having been secretary to the Cortes suppressed by
the Duke of Angouleme on behalf of the Holy
Alliance in 1920. and friend of that Torriios
whose name and tragic story are familiar to all
readers of Carlyle's Life OF Sterling" From
his maternal name, Rissoll. it would appear that
his mother was Catalan; and it is perhaps