Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-12-19
CHRISTMAS IN BOSTON
The seasons Gift-C3ivinR---Usofui sag
gcutions OF UscfuI Things Tor Chri-i-
mas Presents.
BosroN Dec l5 1880

and bright with all sorts of tempting things
and the streets are filled with busy shoppers
so far one or two things nave been noted
hy the merchants that seem 90 indicate
what the tendency of the season will bee
Ont is. the fact that less expensive presents
are being purchased. and another is that
more money is being put into really useful
articles than into merely faucifuI and deco
rative objects
The truth Is. Christmas rtt making mas
come Co ue a force in many respect Do
mas assumed the form OF a mercantile e2
change and -ifts are presented not so much
because one person loves another. and de
sres to- express affection but because %
present is expected from tine one and SO the
other must return 1t m kind Not that this
spirit really controls all Christina, giving.
but it mas become too prominent
This wear It falls out. uy one of those
turns of tortuue- wheel that economist
can never explain. that the class that usual
Is has the most money Go spend at this sea-
son Is feeling the need OF economizIuc aud
cannot buy so largely as usual. Tins Is felt
everywhere in every phase of life Take
the blg fairs that have been held iu Boston
TINS autumn the Dickens carnival 10 aid of
the Woman Industrial and Educational
union and the one that closed last week ir
ail of the New England hospita. for women
and children -Four thousand dollars was
the gam of each Now the hospital fair
which 3, neii once DO three years. usually
nets from l2 uUu e. $40 uuN Dne 0t th.
ladIe. connected with the fair. having one
of tine most prominent tables. told me that
iu wears past there were people who Thought
nothing ut uasu- -ll for something that
pleased tugm uut that t.i- wear ~r. had
been OBJ. most that ~uu- women would paw
t.r anything And upropa. .' this tur
tuer, Ha- 90 most noticeable collection ..
autograph letters ou one of the tables. SOM.
oft which still remain uus.. They are
he.i ng Miss Eva Cnauumrat Jamaica Plain
who sd. sell them for the u0,uta. fund
There are letters from nr Dnauuu-. u-.
u1re PARKER Ralph Waldo Emerson LONG
fellow. John bright Gladstone Dua- sum
uer and other men prominent 90 tine world
history mention this because some c1I
lert0r NAV like o. obtain one or more of
them. and Miss Charming will be delighted
% sell them for tine benefit of her beloved
hospital
But To- come back o. Christmas and tn4
other phase of tine gift question that of
giving useful presents Due may DO that
and still give delightfully."- beautiful gifts.
was iu John p Pray the other dav. vs. here
/ had gone 90 see some of the neautfu
tapestry painting that ], 90 be one of the
new features iu household decoration. and
was surprised at the number of persons
who were buvlu- rugs 10 seemed a.
though more than half tine people there
were looklu- over the ANTIQUE rugs aud
their modern ueiehuors. the saxuug wa.
told that a lsrr. d luber of per-,p. ,yer.
buying them Tor Christmas gifts Certain.
is most sensible choice aud one that can.
NOT fail 90 carry delight 20 the heart ut the
recipient 1t is astonishing what drop
lu price antique rugs have taken since they
first became fashion. a dozen wear. ago ~
Stu. Then % was almost impossible o. look
at them. tu-v cost So much Now tuevsr.
much less expensive indeed they have
reached about the lowest p1lut they will
ever touch. and after TINS season the ten.
deucE WiI. be- upward. although they viii
never again reach the high price that one.
obtained for them At tine present tim.
S-i will nuv a nice good-sI2ed genuine orI
entail rug. and one hatmeasur-- q hy Scan h.
bought fOr>fT Iharelsou, thing To b,. said
about the genuine oriental rug they almost
never wear out
Another handsome stNie of ruiz I- tH.
saxour This. like the oriental lis alike or,
both sides and may be- ireuueutIv turned
sp 70. tn wear evenly and keep the color
Well These rugs are made Iu this -luutr,
aud some Vt them are remarkably hand
some tniuk ] like best those with the
centres Iu solid color ami a wide border On @
handsome design These do uc, follow tine
ANTIQUE. nut uartake rather of tn, H1rIated
effect OF the French style
Among the novelties ~ decoration that
will come Iu nicely for the Christmas sr,.
son are the new silk emuroidpries from 81
call Switzerland which the Pray- intro
duced 90 America this wear They are
done iu China silk in the co.ors known "a.
tine art shades. soft blue. rose pink. yellow.
lilac. aud the embroidery D. I'M white or m
another shade of the same color the de.
sign j. usually "a bunch of flowers. careie..
iy arranged and so treated as T.. give tb,
same idea ct lgntur,, and airiness thar
the fabric itself suggests 10 lis used for
screens. sofa pillows. chairs and chair backs
ard is simply arranged without any finish
even SID much a. turning the edges. for an
ease. 1r % picture draper, Th-s. en-
hroiieile, are really the novelt. of the sea
son. and they are comparatvely iuexu.u
.iyr la maxim, a sofa piII.v. hotb side.
may pe embroidered. or the front may be