Telegram-herald., 1891-12-27

sonally or through institutions. y taono
really and ayowedly In need Of il
A great many persons make charitar
bic gifts who never take the trouble ~
be hsnsvolsnt, Tar less 70 ODER thoe gifn
OF kindneus whose value depends upon
the tact xnd personal feeling with which
they are offered.
Bat nos ons-haif the presents made
and received. taking the year through.
are prompted by love. affection. kind
ness. beneyolencs or charity. What
them Why are they msdes
Well, q good many are made In obs6i-
crcs 10 the cid ad2ge. ''inco dAnsos
ct dons fsrsntezL' We wtsh 70 propi-
tate thoss who may do u a injury Il
ofesded and may do us favor II
pleased. and we osfcy presents much in
tho spirit those cid Greeks bsrnsd in
censa befsre the shrine Of Diana And
these we may call the pressats Of ex-
pediercy. or joss stick presents
Next come the mercantile or trading
presents A. gives B. peawiper az
Christmas. and At New Years b. gives
A. u pincushioa. The gift may b dis-
monds, and the response ruties, bat tho
principle remains the same; both parties
feel that A. S gifs demands resarn. and
B. would have very uncomfortable
consciousness OF Indebtedness il the PIN
cushion or the rueiss were not forth
coming. How many times have seen
some u. receive her gift, and heard her.
signing. say;
Now. here's portfolio from A.. and
must go down town aud find SOME
thing fer her before New Years day"
know one lady who keeps presents OF
this scrt put away in their original wrap
psrs to be sent next year 10 other CON-
.nerc!xl present makers There is some
thing to say for the custom and also for
this class of presents. They express re-
membrance and friendly feeling, and
efter all perhaps IL might be well for us
all to accept such gifts and pass them
along until they were shabby and OLD
fashioned, when they could be given to
fair for the grab bag. They would
answer for the pretty pearl counters o.
"fsh' people used in old times fer games
OF chance. They were pretty, and Were
supposed to represent real value. but
they were always passing from hand TO
hand and were not really worth much OF
anything.
Next TO these come Mrs. 0rundy's
presents-gifts made because it is tho
fashion to make them, and one would
seem ignorant and out of the world ii
he did not make them. Under this head
come the flowers men send to their host
ess after an entertainment, or to the
young lady with whom they hope TO
dance at one; the carriages, tie gloves
due from pisilopena or valentine sur
prise, the thea.er parties and suppers the
poor victim cannot afford to give and
yet must, because il Is expected" and
''all the other fellows do"
Not once. but often, ! have heard Of
some young man ''gone to the bad" as
we say, because being in society he could
not, upon moderate salary, offer Mrs.
Grundy the presents she demanded, and
80 fell into debt or made free with the
moneys intrusted to him; in fact, ruined
himself by fulfilling this absurd social
obligation"
Suppose We all agree to henceforth
skip Mrs. Grundy in making ont our lisr
Of presents, or at any rate put her off
with a much smaller and less expensive
schedule than she at present demands.
But Of all the various folliss and ex-
travaganccs with which the pleasant
idea Of making gifts to those we love
has run in these latter days. the widest
departure has been in Wedding presents.
The origin Of the custom was in the
"good old times" before this country
WAS discovered, and even today in north
ern Europe and among certain Of the
primitive people Of Pennsylvania, the
kindly feeling is that when couple Of
the neighborhood young fox marry
their friends and acquaintance should
combine to start them in life. The
wealthy give maguihcently, cow or
even two or three, horse, z little Geek
OF sheep, some beds and coverings Of
elder down or choice live goose feathers
Of the donors own pluclirg and curing
Those less aNueut content themselves
with churn, table, some chairs, per-
hsps mirror of very modest dimensions.
n piece Of linen or homespun wooden. and
90 on, down to . cheese or some bushels
Of apples or potatoes, so that when the
wedding Is over and the guests gone the
newly married couple hnd themselves in
q house stocked to overfowing with valu-
able property; valuable in the sense of
being Just what they need and what they
must have bought for themselves IL it
bad not been given
Now brides Of today, ut least In the
city, do not need cows or sheep or
churns. or even cheeses ia any quantity.
but they do want, IL they are going TO
keep house. all sorts Of pretty furniture.
little tables, fancy chairs, drzperies,
ornaments, pictures and bric-a-brsc
adapted TO the position they bold in 90
| ci.ty and intend to maintain. ofcoursc
! plate Ii slws.fs rssfal and acceptable,
bat why cann,,t 1t DC gwen with q view
20 the recipients probable need rather
than to the zlcry OF the donor:
| Few yonng coupss. for instance, are
| in daily need of solid silver epergns or
aoup tureen or set Of dish Govern. or Of
VI - more suited to church altsY than
dinner table. nor do two people. even
T, counting in the possible contingent. no
qu.rs twelve dozen foria, ~ many
spoons multiplied by four varieties ard
. dozen or 90 OF soup ladies'
How much more rational IL the friends
able AMI willing 10 expend F1ch sums
had combined tbsm in . solid isvest-
nsnt. sud presented the certificates 70
the brids ~ her private property. Every
body Knows that since this fashion o.
os:sntasices display Of equally ostenta-
F ticss gifts has come in vogue the brides
( family find IL necessary TO employ po-