The Sunday morning news., 1891-12-13
SOCIH4Y'S CHRISTMAS
Custom Has Made it the
Chief Festival of
the Year.
IN THE NATTER OF GIFTS.
Hints That May Help People in
Making Selections Of Suit
able Things-Social
Events Of the
Week.
IN THE NATTER OF GIFTS.
"Christmas comes but once a yearp'

christmas comes but once yeari'
So does each OF the other three hundred
and sixty-four days in the calendar. but
that fact II not mentioned. Other holf-
days are mere local festivals, very we'll
for particular place or few people. but
the day Of days. celebrated by all
Christendom. old and young, is the feast
day of Christmas. hen
Time was, and not so long ago. W as
the idea OF celebration of Christmot
would have caused a cold shudder
pious Indignation to run down the spine
of the faithful Puritan. IA pagan rile ~
quoth he, and eschewing all temptations
10 make holiday at Christmas, tarned to
Thanksgiving as his day of rejoicing
Thanksgiving was the festival OF home,
the day OF gathering of clans, when after
the last of the bountiful harvest had been
housed for the winter, there gathered
around the loaded table children and
children's children, bound by the sacred
tie of kinship. so potent in New England.
No widow or orphan in the Puritan viii
lage missed Thanksgiving cheer from
the store of some more prosperous neigh
boi: no beggar left the door hungry on
that day of feasJs, no stray dog or out
cast eat but feasted royalty on The bounti-
ful remnants.
But the worship OF Hercules has super
seded that OF Vesta. In these later days
children and children's children get them
into Manhattan Field, aud watch the an
Tics of twenty-five youths each thirsting
fer the others gore. while the remnant
of the population who cannot find room
on the stands throng The theatres at the
Thanksgiving matinee. Thanksgiving,
thy glory is departedl
CHRISTMAS CHEER
tt Is not our purpose to wall over de-
parted greatness, but rather to acknow-
ho nf 10 ar
mas. For the juvenile portion of the
community, Christmas begins on October
l. From that dav on, each day, mater
familias Is besieged with show many
more days before ChristmasH Santa
Claus is furnished with appalling lists of
prayer. mingled with petitions to "bless
papa and mamma" comes the reminder,
and send me oisque doll with open
and-shut eyes," FROM December until
the great day. a delightful atmosphere of
mystery hangs over the house. Pater-
familias attempts to smuggle piano
lamps muffi ID in his overcoat, and the
head of the mouse may be seen scuttling
upstairs, her apron loaded with knobby
bundles. No doubt the tired mother and
the dear father, from whose pocket
money disappears wonderfully quickly,
agree in being thankful that the great
feast day does only come once year.
The verbs to give and to get are most
intimately associated with Christmas.
Before the day 1t Is. What are you
going to giveW after, .What did you
gel?" Nowadays one's friends number
many, and one likes to give each a re-
membrance, be it ever so trifiing Cards
are lovely, but they have been used to
death. Besides. there is generally GER
tain amount of artifciality about the SEN
timents they bear. They are the thoughts
and work of some third person, thus saw
ing your time aud thought, which, after
ali, would he the most precious TO the
recipient. This is the time when Il girl
OF taste. one who can paint, mas the ad-
vantage. She turns out scores or pretty
keepsakes, which, as far as money is con-
cerned, cost almost nothing. She has
her individual taste; let her originate,
not copy. To the girl who wants few
hints we give them below.
FOR GRANDMA.
Here is a simple present for grandma,
which a child would feel pleasure in
making. 1t Is a spectacle wiper. This
is made of two leaves of soft thin
chamois, about three inches in diameter,
the edges buttonhoIed with bright en-
broidery silk. A small brass ring fast
ened at the top is also worked over with
button-holing. On the cover. worked in
silk, this little quotations Will tell It's
object
The world will never look quite right
Unless you keep your glasses brignt.
BY the ring it can be hung in sight,
and be always on hand to brighten the
world for grandma. And while we are
on the subject of spectacles might sug--
gest another gift in regard to them.
have a friend who has recently been
obliged to wear glasses. She hates to,
and seems unable to keep one pair
month. When she leaves them on her
desk, of course she never puts them back
into their case, some one. generally the
M }C
book on them just lightly
enough to break them. The other
night she was awakened from her
sleep by the explosion Of lamp. 1t fell
against her glasses. They broke. She
was broke. Every time she plans to get
pair OF gloves or a matinee ticket, her
glasses break. L have been thinking the
matter over, and have concluded that u
good Christmas gift for her would be
some little ornament with hook on It,
slightly cushioned, to nang on the wall,
near her desk; something on the style of
the slippers they nsed to hang their
watches on, before jewelrv boxes were
used She will then always know where
to put them and where to avoid them.
shall have TO look up a real telling little
motto to work on 1t.
To those to whom you desire to send
your photograph nothing could be more
appreciated as q Christmas gift. And
have it further enhanced by a pretty set
ting. Something new in the line of pho
tograph frames is made as follows:-Take
three-Quarters OF "A ward of heavy, hand
some five inch ribbon and fringe out
about four inches on each end. Take
thirty ordinary brass curtain rings and
cover by crocheting around them in silk,
matching the ribbon in color, at the same
time Joining the rings so rs to form a
frame the size OF u cabinet photograph.
The frame will be six rings wide and
seven In length, with an extrarow OF four
rings lust above the bottom row. Tack
this frame to one end OF the ribbon, slip
ping in the photograph before tacking
down the top of the frame. Cover one
large ring with crochetting, slip the rib
bon through this and suspend against the
wall by means of this ring and hook or
tack, taking care to make the picture end
hang fiat against the wall.
A SIMPLE GIFT.
A simple gift is Il board covered with
plush or velvet for wall decoration, on
which are displayed miniatures, metals,
old watches and other curios; the shape
of the board is matter of taste-round,
oval. horseshoe diamond, &C.. according
70 fancy. Little brass hooks are neatly
tcrewed in at intervals to hold the vari-
ans articles, Keyboards Tor Keys are
made in the same way aud VIII be ap-
preciated.
Rafore Christmas there should be
general turning out of old stores TO nnd