The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-12-25

6ay. Gift-malzing has become stereo-
typed-and is oftener than not matter
of cold and close calculation. The other
day heard lady lamenting her own
generosity this wise: "Why," said she,
''just think of it. Last Christmas gave
all the Robinsons-there are eight of
them-presents that did not cost less,
than twenty doliars-and would you be-
ieve it, all the return they made was a
trumpery book to my youngest boy and
few rubbishy roses to me. Depend on
it, this year am not buying anything
for them-albhough somebody told me
that the old gentleman and all of them;
agree to put their money in coal for
poor people who had none. That was
right enough, suppose, but / believe
in being just before you are generous.
Certainly / couldn't bring myself to rest
under a sense of obligation to any
body"
The good woman is the type of very
large class, which casts its bread upon
the holiday waters to find it again after
few or many days. And out of it came
Philistines that have taken away the
strength, sweetness and light from the
giant of our holidays.
There is something though to be said
on the other side. For the most part
your Philistine's pocket is very warmly
lined. He spends lavishly if not always
freely, and his shekels prove reason
for being to so many beautiful things.
Thus nobody can deny his usefulness,
or that without him the epoch fin de
steele would lose much of it color and
glitter and lively notions.
This year of grace and plenty he has
been especially open-handed. It is
long odds that he has spent double as
much money this Christmas as for any
of the three years past. The shop
keepers knew what was coming. Far
seeing as they are shrewd, as soon as a
generous harvest was even in sight
they began to plan how they could alb
sorb if not abolish the surplus. Not
since the flush times of 1884 have there
been such quantities and varieties of |
things good to the use of Christmas edi-
flying.
For example, I strolled yesterday
into swell confectioner's with intent
then to I'LL the stocking of an out of
town namesake-and found that really
choice sweets were worth just one dol
lar a pound-that the box or bag to put
them would be from ten to twenty dol
Iarsmore, and thatif was lowly minded
and economical might buy something
jim plain paper box as low as sixty
cents the pound
l could give you columns on candy
still the hnif would not be told. Indeed,
in writing just now one suffers the en-
ibarrassment of riches, albeit there is
very little that is new or startling to be
chronicled of woman's gear proper.
Modiste milliner tailors tell the same
old story of the princess gown, the
three-quarter cape or coat-free bands,
low hats, high bows, very small bon
nets rosettes, beads and feathers. The
highest authorities unite in saying that
the nearest approach to novelty is the
coming in of the 'beautiful Irish poplins,
and the wearing of cloth gowns as full
dress evening toilets. Stranger yet,
some Of them are trimmed with fur and
4ace-two or three narrow bands above
a founce. mighty swagger girl APP
peared at a reception the other night in
a master cloth gown, cut princess and
Tapped to the left and buttening all the
way from the left hip down. The lap
was edged with narrow roll Of natural
beaver, and two bands of the same fur
beaded the ten-inch hounce of rich cof-
fee-colored lace that ran all around the
demi-trained skirt. The glove-ftted
waist was exquisitely plain, except for
a high collar for the fur with torrent
of lace inside, foaming up about the
wearer's long white throat. She is one
of those fortunate women, 'divinely
tall" On this occasion she was espe-
.cially fortunate. Fate set her at the
elbow of Mrs. Paran Stevens in a raw
fishing red toilet that threw out and en-
phasized the others pale, soft hues.
Not far away from the two stat