The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-07
CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.
How Some People Manage to Get
Money for Them.

BRooFLYN, n. Y, Dec. 6.-The subjec;
Of Christmas presents has been forcIbly pre-
sentsd % my mind. TIE force consists IN
the pathos and the foolishness Of some Of
the &C communications received, and many Of
the questions asked. As near as I can
Judge. the phrase cant afford il" holds
good as q reason for not getting into debt or
trouble IN almost every case ex-
ceptiug in the buying of Christmas and
wedding presents. In such instances, there
seems to be a general c0nvic ion that gifts
must be made, money or no money. When
| my friends tell me that they have always
been able to purchase expensive Christmas
presents until this year, but nov they can
not do 1t, yet they must, or be misunder-
stood or, perhaps, thought very mean, there
Is an obvious Inconsistency IN the state
Inent, which is as provoking as 1t is puzzGng.
| They literally cannot, aud yet they must,
aad what shall they buys
| Truly, am not wise enough for such an
emergency. l can OILY say that If they
| cannot really afford to make Christmas
/ presents, they have no basiness to do so.
/ There IS considerable selfshness in the
| world. and most of US like nice things, and
/ are not everse to being handsomely rsmem-
| bered at Christmas time, but can say with
truth that while | can point TO here and
there marcenary soul, | do not know Of
one man or woman who would really enjoy
a gift from q friend who could not
afford TO make II. Such a present would
throw me into perps ual nightmare, or
night and day mare. | should have a spa5m
every time / looked at il, and | am sure
that all my readers would feel the same.
Last year lady who had suffered 50 much
from various calamltleS, among them the
loss of q handsome fortune, that only by the
most wonderful exercise Of will had she kept
from confirmed invalidism, found herself
with IS instead of $500, or more, that she
could spare for Christmas presents. She
had been such Judicous and inspirational
glver that it was hard trial inde3d to be
so completely shut Off from this work of
love. After thinking. and praying too, l
imagine, she spent her little substance in
note paper, envelopes, postage stamps and
dainty, appropriate cards. To some of her
intimates she wrote letters. and es-
in grief or trouble Of any kind.
To some she sent poems copied
by her own hand, and in this way, by her
own admission, accomplished better work
than she had previously been able to per-
form with al her money. II was never so
surprised and gratitied," she told me, las
when the acknowledgment of these re-
membranes, which had seemed to me 50
cheap and SO worthless, began to pour in
upon me- All the Cnristmases of my life
put together could bear no comparison in
results to this poverty stricken, and to my
mind, almost despicable holiday. 1t taught
me lesson which l shall never forget"
All the Christ is taken out of our Christ
mas by our struggle to do the things we
have no right to try to do.
Ny husband gave me this money for a
barrel of flour and q couple of tons Of COAL"
an acquaintance told me as a good
joke the other day, "but l shall
buy a bag OF -four instead, and
one ton Of coal, and add the remainder
to my Christmas fund. He will never know
the difference"
l could not help the ill-natured retort that
did not envy the recipients of her gifts.
"Oh, they will never know she re-
sponded, brightly. "Why, if you didn't
manage these men you couldn't get any
thing out of them 20 save your life. The
way I've scraped this fall is a wonder, and
the way that poor old scape goat. Nc
Kinley, has helped me is a caution. Every
thing that you wear now is so much
higher than 1t ussd to be, you know
What Christmas spirit is this! | wish
it were an isolated case.
The publications of Prang & Co. are more
beautiful than ever this year and many Of
them are very Inexpensive. Their cards
and small books make charming presents,
because they are artistic and always appro-
last year, and the picture of the babies just
trying to walk hangs over my study desk
and has been, and will continue to be, a
constant inspiration. The SO babies have
grown little Older and this year are play
ing school. The pose and expression Of the
boy at the extreme right is truly perfect.
and OF course it is the photograph of some
body's wide awake aud handsome darling.
Books are usually safe and welcome pres
ents. Many of my friends are now getting
together all the paper-covered novels of the
year for distribution in our jails and hos
pitfalls. This good work does not require
the expenditure of much money, and those
who have seen the delight which these gifts
afford can form very little idea of their
usefulness. Think Of a burglar up for ten
years, weeping genuine tears over Holmes
Guardian Angel" All, my dear lords and
| gentlemen, even burglars are amenable to
| the processes of evolution
There is no more profitable Christmas
present especially for young folks than
| good dictionary.
| Ny readers may not all be aware that the
title of Webster'S American Dictionary has
| been lately changed to the international
Dictionary of the English language. For
forty years the publication of this book has
been carried on aud has been kept abreast
of the many and mighty changes which have
marked the rapid growth Of the English
| tongue. In view OF the fact that English is
| becoming the speech of the civiliz I'd world,
the propriety of the word International be-
comes apparent An immense amount of
financial and intellectual wealth is repre-
sented in the present noble volume. The
best scholars of the country have con-
tributed to it. The subject of pronun-
citation has been successfully and thoroughly
treated by experts in the matter Two
thirds of the illustrations are wholly new.
aud of course there has been a large in
crease in the reading matter, but the pages
are larger and the bulk of the volume not
greatly extended The work embodies
special efforts. which have been carried on
with reference to its publication for the
past ten years. and it certainly is the best in
every sense of the word, as it is universally
acknowledged to be by our most eminent
critics. ELEANOR KIRK.
HER MUSCLES BROKE HER LEG.