Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-12-14

Christmas spirit is that which 50 pervades
the giver that mo- thought of Indebtedness
in past or gain in future Christmases, pre-
SCENTS itsef--but simply this feeling 81
love my friend. this little gift may'serve 20
convey my regard, and to be a memento Of
our friendship Such present, given un-
grudgingly entirely Invested Of the Thought
that the same amount expended boy the do
nor would purchase something much de
sired and unlikely TO be received, savors
Of a Christmas delight But not more SO
than the anonymous gifts 20 the poor, es-
pecially % children TO whom the blessed
day would otherwise be a meaningless
blank for all the sentiments and tradi-
tions of Christmas may be crowded in one
bright, happy little face 1t was perhaps,
a fearful face the night before its little
owner had been told that Santa Claus was
too poor TO bring gifts these hard times,
aud both mother and child had stited IA
sigh and a sob Then came the anonymous
/ offering and what radiant countenances
and shining ewes greeted the morning sun
| There, if Won please, was wassail thistle
toe, and plum pudding there was holly
and turkey, aud cranberry sauce and miuce
pies There, above all. was the image of
the Child who came to, bless the world, and
/ who. through the medium of those happy
eyes, smiled a blessing upon the deed done
| in His name
1t takes so little to please "A child and
costly TOYS are so often discarded IN favor
of home made ones that many children
may bh made happy at little expense. If
| you have Christmas in your heart and cot
ton flannel in your work basket, 1t Is SO
easy TO please a dozen poor little ones and
even in the nurseries of more favored chill
dren the miniature circus which may he
constructed Is the successful rival of costly
toys a furry white cotton flannel rabbit
and her little family with their bead eyes
and pink lined ears one reigned supreme
over the store toys with their Ingenious
mechanism, and was only supplanted 10y IA
gray elephant of the same material, aud 10y
"A red flannel hen and rooster Patterns Of
these may be purchased almost anywhere
Rag babies are so easily made to look like
other dolls by judicious use of oil paints
and boy vanishing when thoroughly dry,
that even If one hasn't the purse of Fortu-
natus for ones little charities a number Of
poor little girls, who are wasting their ma
terual instincts on an old cloth rolled up
into a semblance of nothing human, may
be made happy 10y only the expenditure of
a little time
Perhaps there Is no purchased toy which
is such a never-failing source OF delight as
Noah s ark of good size let it he large
with substantial animals IN 1t. and 1t is not
only an endless amusement but i, instruc
tive Let me make mention of something
else to please the children just before the
holidays last winter / CHANGED To- make an
informal call at friend house and found
it turned into an upholsterer shop Three
ladies were busy making miniature turni-
ture for the little girls doll houses which
was So pretty and ingenious that l must de
describe it. Corks formed the foundation.
For instance. "a piece of cork one and one
half inches in diameter and one half inch
wide formed the seat of a chair this was
covered with plush waddm- was first
placed ON the top and the plush drawn
tightly over and fastened neatly across the
bottom then large pins We're stuck firmly
in for the legs and wound with German
town wool TO match or contrast IN color
with the plush the back was formed in
the same manner by pins stuck closely to
rether and the wool passed IN and out un
til they were covered the ends were then
firmly fastened Bits of satin and of liz
ured velvet were used To give variety, and
there was a diversity of shapes couches
arm chairs easy chairs. little straight
backed ones, and even a complete bedroom
set was made all by using different sizes
Of pins The most important thing il TO
stick the pins in firmly and to fasten all
ends securely OF course cork can Toe pur
chased IN quantity and cut into shape
Perhaps the majority OF people purchase
their gifts aud it seems almost an imperu-
nence to suggest To other, now they shall
spend their money But so many do con
suit their own taste and liking rather than
that of the person for whom the present is
designed It Is much better to give the
pretty Young girl some httlr article of per
sonal adornment which YOU know she GOV
cts instead of copy Of ,iusephus which you
would like to have her read II Is not the
amount of money either. hut the ludIciuus
ness with which 1t Is expended Aud do
not above all. M family gifts, invariably
make them To the house once hrnrd a
housewife complain that She never had "a
personal gift that when one Of the mem.
hers of the family gave her anything it
was always something they could use as
well she something for the table or
some article of furniture which would the
used IN common. Neither Is 1t best TO car
~ Goals To Newcastle-to give the artist
friend who paints far better than You do
something painted-or the exquisite needle
woman a bungling piece of fancy work
But whatever is given, or however, let il
be cheerfully bestowed or not at all And
instead of indiscriminate giving TO chance
acquaintance, limit yourself to the chill
dren, 10 near and dear friends and most
of all 10 the poor or sick that you may
never say with the Christmas Ghost. why
did walk through crowds of fellow beings
with my eyes turned down. and never
raise them to that blessed star which led
the wise men 10 poor abode We're there
no poor homes 70 which its light would
have conducted me -
just one thing more Do not disiluson-
ize the children at Christmas time let
them believe in their burly, rosy, fur clad
idol santa Claus Let him come down the
chimneys of good boys and girls houses
with his precious freight The pretty fan
cy will vanish, as most illusions do in the
sterI. realities of the coming years And
let them write letters To their Scandinavian
deity with his fleet reindeers. ] know a
mother who treasures little scrap of pa
per tied with a bit of twine-a missive
written in all good faith to this same deity
far more than the autograph letter of the
most distinguished man, for 1t represent,
the perfect, simple trust of a child. Dear
santaclaws il SAYS, Il wish that You would
bring me too hooks a new FUR hat too KEEP
my he'd warm A pound of candle a fue pea
nuts good santaclaws
Finally, in our efforts TO keep Christina.
well, as Tiny Tim said, may God bless Il,
every one ,"-GOod housekeeping.
Ne PHmPkyuHe Pye.
OF an We toothsomr Vttels and Drinbr
In ye goodr Newr England Statts,
We Reste of YIN all Is yr Husewfrs ryr
80 Shee of yr Pumpsyunr makes;
An yellow as Godr
VI has grown Olde,
And .f Flavor -u Richie and Rayrf