The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-12-10

bundle, these days. The stores are
full Of busy shoppers, and the business
men and salesgirlS are tired down
when evening comes. 1t would be
interesting to see the contents OF all
the bundles that are carried home
and struggled into the house, and
hidden away in trunks and drawers
until the time shall have come for
their unfolding. The surprises that
are being planned, the loving though mt
of the tastes and preferences and
needs that will make the gift accept
able-what a book all this would
make, ii it could be written out!-bet-
ter than all the Christmas books that
adOrn the bookshelves all over the
world.
Nv
And speaking Of Christmas giving,
this is the time of the year when the
thoughtless head of the family joking
ly refers to the fact that his wife Dor
rows money from him with which to
purchase his Christmas present. 1t
is an old, old joke, but it answers its
purpose just as well now as when it
was first fashioned. If any reader OF
| the Home Corner had this little witt
cism in contemplation for the present
season, the following extract from the
New York World is recommended to
his respectful considerations: "There
is not any wit i'll that joke, ii is
rs stale as loaf OF bread from
Pompeian oven, and its utterance is
illmannered, incousiderate, brutal.
Moreover, it isn't true. Ifyou have
Il good wife she earns every dollar
she spel DIS, whether upon herself or
for you. The mere fact that she re-
ceives the money from you and not
from an outsider, and that it goes to
her at irregular times and in uncer-
tain sums, makes no manner OF differ
ence. The money is hers and the
money is the very smallest part Of
what she invests in your Christmas
present. She puts her precious atfec-
tion into its procurement, and if you
have any true appreciation in your
soul you will value your gift for what
it signifies, not merely for what it is"
Nv
Ifthere is one class of women more
than another that deserves the warm
est sympathy of all womankind, it is
the travelling agents, the hardest
working and the most maligned of
their sex. The Home Corner listened
to one of them Once-a bright and at
tractiVe woman who had home and
family, too, and who was simply
working as any other woman would
do to help guard the home nest. The
Home Corner listened while she re-
lated some of her experiences. II was
representing an excellent book ;" she
said, "but it wasn't always possible
to get people even to look at 1T. One
gentleman, 1 remember, courteously
refused to hear anything about the
book, but was perfectly willing to
talk ON other subjects, and he talked
well, too. L should think you would
find this extremely unpleasant work
he said, with an expression of real
sympathy. Women who have to
work for "a living are not apt to find
any kind Of employment altogether
pleasant | said; but l like my
work very well,' But don't you
get a great many rebuiiS" he
asked, and | replied cheer
fully: well, DO, sir. And l always
solace myself with the reflection that
u man who would be rude to me
would be rude just the same in a
drawingroom or at reception, be-
cause he couldn't be really gentle
man, you know. And whenever
l do meet a man of that
kind fortune always makes it up
to me, for in the very next house
and sure to meet a real gentleman
as in this instance added quietly.
His face flushed, and he reached over
for my order book and put his name
down. | have been back there a good
many times since, and he is always
one of my warmest friends"
~
IL want to tell YOU" said a dear,