The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-19


something which viii last Let it have use or
! that 1t claims to be-
| Now we come to the most difficult of all prob
| lens, what can young man offer TO his young
| girl friends in the way of Christmas gift?
flowers. We think they might extend it TO
books to engravings to some pretty china for
| the boudoir
We have heard of distinguished young tenor
who made handsome present to a fellow stu
| dent Both were taking lessons of Madame
Marchesi in Paris The teacher liked the tenor
but not the soprano, and she refused to give her
lessons longer but offered the tenor any Christ
mast present he should choose. "a quarters
lessons to Miss b" was his choice, and Mad
anne Marchesi valiantly submitted and gave the
lessons.
Gifts are sometimes so inappropriate as to be
ludcrous. To give riding horse to some inva-
lid who never goes out, or pair OF sugar tongs
to young man who does not keep house and
who has, presumably, no sugar bowl, to send a
very choice picture to a person who has no
taste, or an article of dress too fine or too gaudy
for certain person to wear, to give some ez-
pensive useless nonentity to q poor student
struggling for bread-all these are insults. The
giver has not given himself in these gifts.
Many people also give something which they
could not use themselves, with air of ostenta-
ton, as one lady sent very small chair to a
very large person, and on being told that it
"Oh think it is quite large enough for a
present"
Remember that present is no present unless
it meets persons needs, tastes or require
ments.
1t is no present il IL is given because you do
not need it yourself
1t is no present If you do not in giving it,
give yourself time, trouble and thought to pro-
cure it.
Those presents are the greatest where the
ko of ia hr0 ano
to buy them, and who, in giving them, deprives
himself of some needed comforts
What do we not owe to Dickens for his Christ
mas suggestions. VINO does not Der poor
Traddles going to housekeeping with his Sophy,
on Britannia metal foundation" To them
the table with q marble top, the plate warmer
the teaspoons, are all welcome Christmas pres
ents To the poor, brave fellow, who had been
engaged "to the daughter of curate one of
ten, down In Devonshire." and who had the
temerity TO marry her. what could come amiss2
We all have Traddies among our friends; let
1t go hard with US if we Go not send them
plate warmer at least.
Ii would not be thing of good taste to send
dozen of old Madeira to young lady or a pipe
or box OF cigars. Nor again, could young
man relish bouquet or lace handkerchief and
yet many christmas presents are as inappro
pirate.
There are many indefinite articles like port
folios and inkstands, and decahters, aud salt
cellars, which seem appropriate to everybody.
dozen handkerehiefs, with ones monogram in
the corner, a fire screen with ones armoral
bearings; all these things please and carry out
the favorte motto of Christmas.
In England the poorest cottager tries to give
yule cake to some body, and from castle to cot
tage the gifts flow freely.
Perhaps those gifts of poem, or dedication,
winch such man as Victor Hugo could give
are the best and most valuable.
1t was the best part of himself that he gave.
Those Christmas gifts alone are to be dsspised
which are given to curry favor to propitiate
patron. Fortunately we have but little Of that
In our American life, but wherever we see it
cropping out we should put it down, stamp it out
and erase the word patronage" from our Amer.
lean vocabulary.
The most touching gift in the history of the
world is that of the sick child in the hospital.
who. as be was dying. pushed the wooden horse,
that had enlivened his bedside, over to his next
neighbor. In the immortal words of Dickens
again, cit was all he had to give, and he gave
1t.
1t would thus seem that the etiquette of Christ
mas-giving calls for some of tbs best traits in
human nature. After those emotions are called
forth and duly exercised. manners and graceful
words follow easily. There is no such sub-strat-
UNI for polish as pure gold, and what purer gold
is there than the love which. flowing freely from
the heart toward all mankind, takes on the grea.
name, humanity? Few of us can go astray as
to the etiquette TO be observed if Justly we giv6
ourselves with our Christmas gifts not our van
lty not our ostentation. not our selfish ''lively
sense of favors to come, but our patience our
affection. orr gratitude, our love. our thought
fnfEess for those with whom we live. If we can
send this with our Christmas gifts il is of little
matter what they We have given of our
best, and poor as it may be- 'it is all we have
to give"