New-York tribune., 1892-12-20
cONcrpvTNG CHRISTMAS GIFTS.

v
This Will ic the great shopping week OF the year
Every dny. until Saturday night lAte the temples OF
trade vii b, thronecl with people, old aud younI,
Aft eagerly bent upun securing Christmas presents.
Thi. common kindly puIp,sc makes the whole world
lin II is. indr..d, said that some prr'onS-wh"
have n passion for taking rim" by ia" foreio'K-
do their Christmas shopping III January To inc
end that they may avoid crowd and be aDle -
spend the rest Of the year unnistnrbcd ny III"
query" What shall | give them But ihls
rutuor probably i. uuioundcI AZ all events
ih.s, pr,.yious souls cannot b. numerous enough
70 be- worth counting. Practically speaking,
everybody buys his or her Christmas presents
during th" holiday s,nson
Now il il we'll understood that great many
mortas find the labor OF selecting their annual
gfts not quite II labor Of love. They are prompted
to opply 10 IT as thcy start out to 70 shopping
the word, which Addison uses IN dscourrlng OF
.t,ruity-"thou pleasing dreadful thought. y
They are happy at the prospect OF contributing
10 the happiness OF those of whom they are fond
lut H. cmbarra>>eT, them 10 apply To the cholce
of Gift, the rule of th" survival of the httest
The Qcncrous-hcartcd yet pcrplcNcd son OF Cork
snok. of th,.,, when lic snid I've only got fifty
cents TO spend ON a Christmas prc7int for me
mother but I'd give tin dollars II | knew what
IA oct her For the benefit of all such troubled
souls Mr. EmcitOn propoundcd piece OF advice
~ hc only ein,' hc sail, is part OF thysct
The artist, he explained. was 10 give his picture,
the poet his vcIs,s, the miner gem. But Is thiD
the true rule 20 follow? Tho friend whose Christ
mas the painter desired to make merry might not
care for paintings, might be- blind mau. Would
IT, b. in order for "a poet send poetry for Christ
mas 10 Il severely practical. highly unmag aginativc
person who never read anything but prose? Per
hans so Tie blind man Of course would take
kindly 10 the picture and the prosalc man to the
verses because Of their attachment 10 the giNer.
Hut mioht not the giver do better if lie amended
MIR Emcrson's piece of advice that it should
read. The only Gift il part of the receiver IL
your friend likes autographs give him a rare name ;
or if hc takes 20 dogs give him pup warranted
game: or if his weakness IS dress give him some
necl, scaris that will take his breath away; or
if hc loves pictures or hooks give him picture
book.
However Emerson had Il way of knowing what
bc WAS talking about and probably is right in this
instance Still "a good deal is to BE- said in favor
Of the other rule Certainly with both available
no Christmas shopper ought TO grow faint hearted
The pcssimist who exclaimed, q" Life would be quite
tolcrabc were il not for its pleasures was pre-
sumaby II laiiIcd Christmas shopper But when
one stops to reflect moment 1t is absurd that
any one should be thus ballcd II your friend is
worth having ho will receive your gift, whatever
IL may be, In the afectionne spirit III which II Is
sent. and 80 il will help to brighten his Christmas
And If yon are worth having him you will not
doubt this This is the main thing about the mat
fer The rest il mere detail.