St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-02
THE CHRISTMAS CONUNDRUM.

evil you please tell me something
nice and inexpensive to make for a
Christmas present to a young gentle
man of twenty years." This earnest
appeal. received the other day from a
seventeen-year-old miss, suggests the
difficulties that everywhere attend the
solution of the problem, ''What shall l
make or buy for Christmas" Woman's
journals and fashion magazines are full
of aids to success IN the task, and one
has need only to attempt to put them in
practice to learn that the age of miracles
and of sentiment is past. In
ventive geniuSes, unknown to
fame, who sign themselves MAR
THAI Fanny" "Annt Nancy"
give directions for making something
out of nothing that cause the miracle
of the loaveS and fishes to be utterly
lost in the shade. They all assume the
ability to paint and do fine needleWorK,
and the possession of forgotten treas
ures in the way of silk, satins and
pushes. and they all operate on the
generally accepted theory that Woman's
time and labor have no value. A dollar
or two, then, invested in trifies, pro-
duces handsome tokens Of esteem for
each of ones dear 500 friends and for
ones last country cousin, too, if one
with an eye to next summers vacation,
throb so far with generosity. But alas!
for the unskilled giftmaker who could
not paint cat tail, stork a snow
rooted barn to save her soul,
whose fingers are awkward with
a needle, whose eye for colors was born
blind, whose small store of silks and
satins are worn threadbare and then
cut over for the baby, and whose time
and strength refuse to be doubled even
for Christmas! For her and for every
body with a limited purse and no magic
wand, the common expectation OF
Christmas gifts breeds something like
frenzy. Poets may sing that 'back OF
the gift is the heart of the giver." but
as q matter of fact practical loving ones
are a great deal more likely to look
back of the gift for the price mark
and gauge their satisfaction in it ac-
cording to the figure found there. me
giving of necessary articles OF what
ever value, brings certain degree of
disappointments, since these would
come in the natural course OF
events and the receiver of such feels
that Christmas has made him really
nothing ahead. Never is a poor man
half so poor as during the holiday sea-
son, because never are his wants so
many and so obstinate. The blessing
of giving is mostdelightful, but in these
days of great expectations, it comes
high. When Mrs. Smith hints that the
only thing she has the least taste for is
seal skin; when Amanda confesses on
all possible occasions to a positive
yearning for diamonds; when little
Mary doesn't care for one doll with
''weal hair and eyes what open and
legs what bend" but tor large family
of such wonderful beings; when john
ME intimates that only with live pony
in addition to the bicycle we had in
tended giving him will his modest
young soul attain happiness, our hearts
turn hopelessly from this greed for
gain and the Responsiveness OF being
an angel appeals to us as never before.
What relief to be flying around with
no thought to the stockings that Will
yawn before the fireplace four weeks
hence, and what grand improvement
on mortal methods to tune our harps
and sing our Christmas gifts to every
body-'Peace on earth, good will to
men," that has not cost us cent! YER
lily life among the heavenly hosts has
its advantages-who shall gainsay it?