The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-12-18
CHRISTMAS BUYING.

"
We are within a week of the gIaddest,
moddest merriest day of the whole
three hundred and sixty-fye. One does
not need 20 be told nor does he have to
look at the calendar to learn that Christ
mas time is again here, for the expectant'
eager countenances OF the little
folks. the hurrying hither and thither
of mammas carrying suspicious
looking bundles and boxes, the
crowding of the toy shops, the book
stores and the jewelry establishments
the careful examination OF articles that
come less under the head Of utility than
of luxury or beauty, the general gala
appearance OF the shops, markets and
stores. all tell of the near approach OF
the JOYOUS holiday. THE HERALD hopes
that the authorizations Of all its readers
will be fully realized. and 1t does
this with knowledge of the breadth and
scope OF wish. From the time that the
prattling child first hears of st. Nick
until the end of his DAYS, Christmas IS
looked forward to with an indefinite ex-
pectation OF enjoyment, which though 1t
NAV never be realized returns as regu-
larly as the day. itself. The universal
holiday, the family reunions, the little
ones made happy by what the fur-coated
saint from the north brings them, the
gifts, the good cheer, the disposition
to derive as much pleasure as possible
from the day. make Christmas the day
of all others the most longed for and the
most regretted when it has gone. The
heart that is insusceptible to the pleas
urable anticipations and the enjoyable |
realizations of Christmas is not to be
envied.
But Christmas and its joys are made /
brighter and better if the traditional
spirit of the holiday be allowed to gov
-ern in all things bearing on the coca
sion During the week the Christmas
buying will be done, the feasts provided
for and the presents selected. In this
latter field is the best enjoyment of
the season, but half the pleasure is
frequently lost by buying in the
utility idea, which has no more to do
with Christmas than a stuffed turkey
has to do with a Fourth of July ban
Quet. If presents were selected with
the view to the pleasure they will con
vey to the recipients, and not with the
idea that they viii be of so |
much service, the donor and 1
his friend will both be happier.
The husband who refrains from the |
purchase of parlor carpet until Christ
mas time, and then surprises his wife by !
making her a present of the carpet
doesn't understand human nature, and
is in incapable of drinking in the best
spirit of Christmas. However rich and
bright and pretty the carpet may be, it
doesn't fill the measure of Christmas
present, and unless the husband is cold
and calculating, he will feel more or less
guilty when trying to make his purchase
play the part of present. The wife
would prize higher and be eminently
better pleased by some trinket or gew
gaw that she could call her own, and
which she knew was selected for her ex-
clusiVely The same may be said Of the
boys and girls presents. If the father
Imagines that new coat or a pair of
boots for the boy who needs them sadly
is going to fill the boys heart as
Christmas present should do, he
simply deceives himself; as does the
mother. who gives the little girl dress
instead of doll. If the friend i'm
magines that your present was selected
not because it would please. but on &C
eount Of its worth, or with the idea that
the recipiant needed it for its intrinsic |
value, he will feel almost as much hurt
rs though he had been given a sum of
money in charity.
If Christmas purchases this week are
made in the spirit of the time, and not
with the idea of making them
do double duty. covering the
field of holiday generosity as
well as filling the plain of justice, our
Christmas will be nearer the traditional
celebration than if we subordinate the
pleasuTable 70 the utilitarian