Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-16
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES MEN
What Fathers, Brothers and Dear Ones
Like TO Receive.
Hints to Young Ladies Who Puzzle Their
Wits for Presents-PrOper Gifts
for Lover.

like, but how are You ever going to tell
what will please a gentleman?'
had some sympathy for the distress of
the laSsie, for my own wits had gone
back on me often under the same circum-
stances, but after all it ism so difficult
as it seems. You have only to do 4 little
practical thinking, and it all becomes
clear. The first thing TO be considered
is the relation i'll which you stand
to the recipient of your
gift. We VIII suppose, in this
instance, that you wish to make your
father Christmas gift. Everything de-
ponds upon what his business may be. If
he is n professional man, q good plan
would Deto go through his library some
time when he is out, and see if he has all
the newest helps in the way of books; if
he has, then look over the writing table.
See if he has an easy chair, or there may
be some little things, tritlins i'll them
selves, but which would prove wonder
full help, if you could only find out what
they are and supply them.
After your tour of the office is finishedH
if you find everything there that mortal
man could possibly make use of, then
keep your eyes open at home. Seek con-
Dental chat with the old gentleman, and
if you have one-half the tact that orr sex
is credited with, you can make him tell
you just exactly what he wants and not
let the cat ont of the bag either. If your
father is a mechanic then your task is
easy, for 100 new things are made every
day that he will find useful. Men
are fond of useful things; as a rule
ornaments are bother; Il dainty fabric
of ribbon and lace is pleasing to look at,
but q man always has Il feeling that he I'll
spoil it il he touches it.
Above all thugs, make your gift to
your father n useful one. You know him
well enough TO know what lie likes; you
won t make any mistakes. | remember
how I was touched last winter when Il
prominent merchant took from his pocket
a little heart-shaped cushion for Plus,
and said to a group of his gentleman
friends, with suspicious culver in hist
voice: "My baby made that for me sAer
self. She S only seven years old ,,-sat she
took lots of pains with It. [ haven t had
a present this year l think as much of as
l do of this.
Another man who was not so well-to-do
had Il long walk to his business every morn
ing. His daughter noticed that he Suf-
fered from cold hands and set herself
about knitting pair of warm wooden
mittens. He was delighted with them
and got vast amount of comfort out of
them. So you see it is not so much the
value of your gift as its aptitude.
But supposing it isn't your father?
You may have big brother, if yOn have,
and he is very young man, your task Is
almost as easy as if he were girl. You II
find in him very decided tendency
toward canes with fancy heads, silk
umbrellas, kid gloves, gorgeous neck
ties, the latest fad in handkerchiefs, silk
hosiery, embroidered nightshirts and fine
underwear. You can give all these
things to your brother, you know. You
will even find that a bottle of dainty per-
fume will not offend him, and the guam
tity in your own bottle will hold out
much longer than before. If the young
man has n tendency TO be ''horsey' you
might give him an English riding whip
with spur in the end or pair of
oversaiterS.
If, however, your brother has gotten
safely through that incipient stage known
as the chair oil PERIOD you will need to
make different selections. If you get
your elder brother anything in the line of
wearing apparel let it be selected for
comfort and use, without regard to style
or ornamentation. If he is fond of being
indoors give him house jacket, a bath
robe, some easy slippers or a comfortable
louuging chair. If he is smoker see if
he has everything in the line of smoking
appliances. If he has need for all these
comfortable things he must be a reader.
Get him new book. You know what he
likes, and books are always acceptable.
But it may be that your perpleXity is
not over what you shall buy for father or
brOther-there may be ga nearer 'one
still, and dearer one yet than all
other.' Well, even in that case, L
think l can help you out. If he be a
very dear friend picture OF yourself in
frame which you have decorated will
please him. If he is your lover give him
miniature of yourself in pretty case
One of these dainty things painted on
porcelain or ivory will be Joy to him
forever if he loves you. Presents Of jew
elry are admissible to your gentlemen
friends, with the exception Of rings;
only lovers exchange these.
If you are an artist picture done by
yourself will certainly be pleasing, or you
might buy handsome picture if your
means allow. Books are always adnis-
sable, and are perfectly safe gifts if well
chosen. Very few gentlemen are fond
of poetry or will read it Study the taste
of your friend always if vOu mean to give
him a book Gifts of wearing apparel
are not considered the things to give gen
tlemen outside of your own family, but
that all depends upon circumstances. If
your sweetheart has money TO buy all he
needs, then by all means let him do his
own selecting. Otherwise a useful gift
of that kind should not be considered out
of place.
IN the last case / wo;.ld make sugges-
tons to wives regarding gifts TO their
husbands. l think woman's selfish
ness crops out here mere than anywhere
else. Do try and remember ladies, that
Christmas is not fitting time for paying
of your little petty spiteS. Den 90 aud
buy your husband something he has re-
fused to purchase and make him pay for
it. Don't get something for the use of
the family that you intended TO buy any
way and call it ''papa's Christmas gift
l think any wife who loves her husband
as she should viii try in some way TO have
money of her own with which to purchase
his gift and then she will buy something
for his own personal use.
l heard q story to-day about an affair
of wife's Christmas giving that is only
too sadly real. A lady made ont a list of
the things she thought her husband might
like, and submitted it TO him for his ap-
prevail. He looked it carefully over, and