Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-16
A woMANs HOMEMADE GIFTS.
Struggling Mother Tells What She
Did to Make Her Children Happy.


can sympathize fully with ''strug-
Cling mothers" for l., too, am widow
for the past year. My children number
seven, the Oldest now thirteen, the
youngest a baby of fourteen months.
Unable to find shelter for them in the
city, have been compelled to come to a
country place, where the ways of earn
ing living for them are very limited,
but where they can find liberty and
health.
We had been thinking of Christmas
all the year, and even while the summer
was with us we began to make and
gather the things together to make our
selves and others happy.
For baby took a lot Of rags, and by
pounding and firm sewing made these
into ball, which covered with orange
and blue worsted in melon shaped stripes.
My eldest girl made him rag baby
with painted face, while the second pre-
pared leaves of cambria, and on these
pasted all sorts of pictures-the brighter
the better.
For Charlie, our man, had a carpen-
ter prepare me four solid wheels with
merely hole in the center. These
mounted on cross pieces and attached to
small box, with long stick as handle,
the whole painted red, with the words
"Good Boy" in gilt, pleased him well
Rebbie paid one cent for card of SOL
diers; these she cut out, pasted on pieces
of cardboard cut to the same shapes and
glued to small pieces of wood to make
or nd iohf
regiment for the same little fellow. A
horn for two cents he got from Emma.
Nellie, my little one of five years, got
q doll made of rags dressed as q real
baby and with cap on, from Rebbie,
while l screwed some molding to
high and low piece of board to make
bed. Instead of Stats bored holes down
the sides and wove strong twine back
and forth Mattress, pillow, sheets and
spread complete the gift.
Sadie, seven years old, got a rag
body with real head and dressed with
clothes that have real buttons and
buttonholes She also received doll
house, made of box, with windows and
doors cut out This is painted on the
outside and papered within. The kitchen
has paper on the floor vanished over, a
stove for ten cents, a table made of a
spool with square of wood glued on
and little shelves to hold the tinware
that costs five cents. The parlor has a
small piece of carpet, furniture made of
spools upholstered, the foot rests being
spool sawed into two.
For Clara, nine years old, a deep box
nicely covered made into q workbox,
with scissors that cost ten cents, a
buttonhook your shoe dealer gives you,
two crochet hooks for five cents, a small
pincushion and needlebook. A small
box Of pasteboard neatly covered with
crinkled tissue paper, with three hand
kerchiefs made of lawn, nicely scalloped,
feather stitched, with initial in the cor"
ner, she got from sister Rebbie.
Emma also received a mate to this box.
Two books-"Life of Josephine" and
"Mr. Rutherford's Children-that one
day bought at secondhand stand for
five cents apiece form the presents she
got. .-'
For Rebbie, my thirteen-year girl,
gave fifteen cents to carpenter for
some pieces of board, in each corner of
which he bored hole. These, strung
together by the aid of brass vestibule
rod, cent a foot, and empty spools,
formed the hanging shelves or cabinet
she long wished
To lessen this expense / might have
used rope if l wished. Nicely painted
white, with every spool gilded, it looks
very pretty.
Two peach baskets fastened together,
with deep ruffle of turkey red and nice
ly lined, formed a workbasket for my
Christmas present.
We thought of others, too, for that
happy day. Old Mrs. Sprague, help
less cripple, got a worsted cape, while a
silkolene head rest and foot rest made
of box mounted on four doorstops,
covered nicely and with frill about it,
pleased the old gentleman.
These complete the list of the things
we prepared for Christmas. But can
think of many more for young and old
which would demand much work, but
little cash.
The woods gave us tree and strings
of green. The dried grasses, wheat and
oat sprays gathered in the summer and
tied with strips of turkey red made the
house look gay.
A cross rudely constructed, covered
with rock moss and bright ichens, with
wreath Of holly thrown over it, formed
the mantel ornament for that day.
Cor. New York World. LIS