The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-03
FOR CHRISTMAS GIFTS.
CORRECT JHING IN PRESENTS THIS
YEAR ASSUME QUEER SHAPES.
Betting Books and stiiettos for Women
and How Christmas is Finishing
Hard Times.
(copyright for The Times. 1860

What may be termed the Christmas
phenomenon is at present observable in
connection with nearly every article OF
merchandise offered for sale That is,
things which in themselves have peren-
NAL, rather than a contemporaneous util-
ity. such as shoes and stoves. are adj
! yertIsed conspicuously as appropriate
Christmas presents SO familiar has this
form Of enterprise become. with the an
nual recurrence Of the feast Of feasts'
that wonder is felt whenever it does not
assert itself, and the ice man. seems
thriftless creature just now Cor not cry
| ing the utility Of his wares as hohuay
gift
There are. also, the other extreme OBJ
! iect which seem almost to proclaim Their
| uselessness from either the ornamental
or the utilitarian standpoint and Which,
! IL ordinarily purchased. might figure az
| exhibits in evidence before commission
de lunatico inquirendo. and become good
| investments about the time Santa ClauS
is due.
Hence the three grand divisions ot
| Christmas presents into first, those which
! are useful without icing appropriate sec
out being useful, and. thirdly, those
which are neither useful nor appropriate.
| A theory has been advanced in recent
! years having a combination OF utility with
| appropriateness in Christmas presents Tor
| it's foundation. The opponents OF TINS
theory, however. are deemed superficial
thinkers by the Influential majority OF
the gift-giying classes, as the pauc4ty OF
| their adherents shows.
| Lfor bapfnnfufr with the presents most
numerously bestowed at Christmas, name
| ~ toys, il seems that the good old hob
by-horse and velocipede have gone out
of fashion.
Toy breweries are the most popular
things this season declared leading
merchant in the plaything line. reviewing
the holiday sales. Seems surprising
doesn't il? Make good imitation Of beer,
too. Can't make genuine on account Of the
license law. Every toy brewery we FELL
is fitted up with pump. watts and cooling
apparatus. and is operated by steam. 9TH
er popular things this year are toy iaun-
dries. toy prisons, toy Brazils and toy
! dynamite guns"
What's a toy Brazn?'
ITS played by boys on a small pond
or tub Of water. There is an elevation
Of the South American continent which is
made fast. The miniature men-of-war
!
There was a model Of the affair I'm the
shop with Mello and Brazilians galore
Near it was the toy dynamite gun. The
latter is operated with a high explosive
The dealer said he had already sold a
number of presents as Christmas gifts for
boys entering their teens.
Curosities in presents for grown peo-
pie are most abundant. perhaps. at the
jewelers.. A young lady was buying n
pipe cleaner. She paid twenty-five dol
lars for il.
THAT was unusually expensive" nd
mitted the clerk, when she had gone. "An
ordinary one would cost a tenth Of the
price But some women have curious
ideas about smoking articles. \ wife re-
Gently ordered a ten dollar pocket cigar
cutter of us. We sell many cigarette
holders that cost as much. IL s. nearly
always women who buy them. A good
cigarette holder should cost no more
than four dollars"
The presents made by young women
10 young men do not this year, include
scarfs 1t is admitted now 10 be bad
form for girls TO present articles Of wear
ing apparel or even umbrellas and canes
to those Of the opposite sex, other than
near relatives This is believed TO be one
reason for the rush 10 jewelry. The miss
/
an elderly brother-in-law or aged uncle
may not with propriety present even nm
umbrella. For a brother or a father. the
| case is different.
The young men do not find themselves
particularly restricted except that it IS
deemed bad taste to present a young wo-
man with watch, unless she be either n
relative, fiancee, or in mourning are
riousy enough, women in mourning are
| MOI Il g. -
ents from men, the plea being that their
sorrow precludes all thoughts Of senu-
mental character I'm connection with the
gift. The innovation is due 10 the Ouch
ess OF Fife.
Riding whips are the newest things as
| presents 10 young women They are seen
with English holly sticks. silver and gold
| mounted Needless TO say, there is no
limit as to price. A curious fancy, too,
is the prevailing one of giving stilettos TO
unmarried girls. They are, in many cases.
superb objects. jeweled and golden, sharp
and deadly They are allowed to repose
upon the boudoir table. This fad started in
France and was at first objected to. as
leading the indulgence OF the suicidal
mania among over sensitive maidens.
Thereupon statistics were consulted and II
transpired that girls ~ from sixteen 20
| twenty-siX rarely stab themselves They
end their lives. when so inclined by
means OF poison. SO the stlletto as a
present at Christmas time 10 young wo-
men has grown in favor
Betting books as gifts 10 women from
men are also popular. extraordinary as II
may SEEM" said a New York merchant,
In this connection. "A few years ago such
a present would have been almost an in
suit. The articles come i'm assorted ieath-
ers. with silver and gold mountings. They
cost from three 20 sixty dollars, and sell
rapidly"
II may be stated that good taste is out
ragged al the presentation 10 a woman, re-
lativc or not. by a man OF such things
as manicure sets. tooth picks or toilet
articles with but few exceptions. Such
gifts imply impression on the part Of
the donor that the recipient Is I'm need Of
the things. One present OF this kind
as is an open secret now, nearly led 70 a
duel in France not long ago.
What young women may give to young
men has always been difficult matter 10
decide. In the case OF brother or cousin
the subject is not very complicated. when
the friends OF brothers and cousins arc
considered, the troubles arise AS has
been the rule heretofore, such presents
seem 10 be given this year only under
| exceptional circumstances. An engage
ment Is one OF them. There are, OF course,
or old friends. the stud, the watch. the
gold pencil. There seems a singular tack
CT anything new this year In this particu-
lar line.
In what may be called the generality
OF Christmas gifts Is the mechanical bird.
The thing has grown phenomenally pOpu-