St. Paul daily globe., 1892-12-26


the year to most of us, yet it is relief to
have it over with. Once more we will be able
to open doors unexpectedly without being
inhospitably greeted with shrill scream and
You horrid thing why didn't you walk so
we could hear your while sundry mysterious
bundles are hustled under the table, not to be
brought to light again until we have de-
parted
And once more the house will be emptied
of those everlasting bits of ribbon, silk and
Worsted Every loom will not smell of Oil,
paints and turpentine, and we will be allowed
to establish ourselves comfortably in an arm
chair without first having to ascertain how
many dolls i'll all stages Of undress and dis
tress we are liable to sit upon and cause their
dear little lives to come to an untimely END.
And then, the dreadful shopping is over at
last. have carried SO many bundles that L
am sure the neishbors think l have hired
out as "10-cent package delivery" or keep
private laundry and bring the clothes home
myself.
If we can Judge by the crowd around the
counter where stuffed cas-" are sold. every
small child i'll town will receive one. L have
bought so many, one at time, that L nave
become ashamed to usk for any more for
fear | should become known as the feline
fend." If 1 passed that counter OH my way
to another a cat was Immediately thrust
at me, as though they thought OF course that
was what wanted. l had them sitting in
row on the spare bed awaiting shipment,
ana Unthinkingly sent a timid friend in
there with candle The candle fickered.
That made the cats look alive and jumping.
She droppeo the candle and fled to me for
protection, insisting "a window must have
been left open. for she had just seen hun
dred live cats in the spare room"
How hard we look at dollat at this sea-
son, trying to gild it with our eyes until 1t
becomes an eagle, but try as we will 1t re-
mains simple silver dollar and must be
stretched to do the work of ten. Our friends
must make the love that accompanies our
simple gifts cover the evident lack Of means.
The grippe will be welcomed now; it gives
us such splendid opportunity TO display
our new hankerchiefs. If there is man,
woman or child who has not received a
handkerchief for Christmas would like their
address. 1 think 1 can get them job
nothing about dime museums inSinuated.
Handkerchiefs come in every style and think
every one ought 10 be suited. l have seen
them for big noses. little noses, pug noses
and no noses, which means for show only.
1t is very nice thing to have one that eX-
actly suits your complexion to shed few
crocodile tears upon, to convince your 'be-
loved that if he doesn't Immediately agree
with YOU that ''black is white" you will have
Mysteries
know several people, who are amiability
personilied, except during the month of De-
cemler. Then they intrench themselves be-
hind a barricade of embroidery hoops, oil
paints and fancy work and get their brains
and temDers IN such a whirl that nobody
dares approach them without fear and trem-
bling: from which chaos they smilingly
emerge on Christmas morning with lust
what we needed" for all their friends. These
arc only few of the female crowd that were
horn with q mania for making fancy work
and never seem TO recover from it.
Mrs. Smith has a husband who never reads
| anything but the newspapers, ana was never
| known to look at any picture, except some
advertisement for a new cigar: but Mrs.
Smith is ambitious to have well furnished
house, so poor Smith has been deuged with
Grec1an histories, Dickens complete works.
1.-THE Angelus," silver manicure set and
ANYTHING else she happened to want for five
Christmases He says he expects she will
present him with a silk dress this year. 1t
she does, be has box of cigars ready to give
her: but that is a secret and maybe l ought
not to have told.
Rich and poor jostle each other in the toy
department. and beside the lady buying a
Partisan doll stands the poor Wnsherwoman
laying out her hard-earned pennies on
woolly sheep, over which her six little ones
will spend some happy moments, each
choosing part of the dear little animal for
their own. Maybe the unselfsh one will only
get one ear for herself but she will doubtless
enjoy that more than the owner of the doll
will her 'Desiree,'' which will probably be
complained of for having ''black eyes when
they knew she wanted blue eyes"
All the children will be happy, and we will
bless {? y the kind friends who send our boys
! tin trumpets and drums. L. II. r.