The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-06-15
EllITOR,S CHAT.
A Few Words on the Question Of Gifts, anC
How TO Receive Them.


A Few Words on tn. Question of Gifts, and
How TO Receive Them.
A c. c. has suggested question in giftgiving
and the receiving of glib upon which editorial
expression is requested Ii is this:
Suppose wife is woman of quiet tastes and
her husband whoa ae IL of a trip, buys q high
coored print Of the Dolly Warden stripe. and pre-
sents it TO her. What would be the wife's duty in
such q case?
Our c. c. friend thinks that should the wife ex-
press pleasure over the gift, whether she felt it or
not. her husband might be gratified into repeti-
ton of the offense, and bring her another high
co!ored print the next time he went away from
home
Should she express dissatisfaction, his feelings
might be hurt. and then he might never again
select her gift which would be the worst of all.
What then. is the Editors opinion of the case?
In the first place. the Editor cannot suppose a
case where man snd woman have lived together
as husband and wife, and yet the husband is SO
wholly ignorant OF his wife's tastes.
Surely in their counting days the young girl
would have had her choice of grave or gay, and
SO have expressed it. There WIS never yet a girl
who had not ser favorite color; and one will say,
Blue is my color" and another, 81 Red is my
color.'' ard another, Pink is my coIor,' and so
on through all The shades.
Often girl changes her style and tastes to suit
husband; but and always there is a COM
parison of tastes in simple things, which are in
fallible guides to ahd the other in deciding all
these things
We know of pretty black-eyed girl of Quaker
tastes in dress, who married man very fond of
red; and red he wanted her TO wear any and
all occasions What the result?
Why, simply compromise. The wife wore lit
tie bits and dashes of red on bonnets and hats and
rooms, and always gave her husband red silk
handkerchief necktie whenever these gifts came
in place; but she did not confine herself 10 these.
Bot gradually, and little by little she set about
modifying this barbsrous taste for solid red in her
husband She studied colors and talked colors and
brought TO his attention in hundred little ways
the beauties of all the colors of the prism and then
of the initiate variations OF shades and tnts such
nature displays in leaf, and bud, and rock, and
tree, and flower.
Then BY and by the husband began 10 modify his
tastes. and by and by the tastes of husband and
wife had become blended that they one.
They The tastes Of the refined and cultivated,
result which is certain to follow study of things
from wide impersonal standpoint.
This little woman had both taste and tact and
accomplished wonders in her little household and
out of it in the way suggested. The last time the
Editor saw her husband he had = most beeom-
rene face gave no indication OF suffering through
change from his favoriie red
Quite unlike this little woman another per-
souaIly known TO the Editor. She was a young
wife and mother. and wanted new shawl, and
certain kind Of a shawl too. and no other.
Wei. the husband bought the other; his purse
was too light TO buy his wife's favorite What
then did she do? What. indeed. but throw the
shawl over The sleeping baby in the crib
To- E,.f,. sl,z rsff
never wear g."
No one viii be surprised to learn that there was
changing and blending of tastes in this house
hold that in a few brief years he divorce laws
Of the land were resorted to by both TO free them
selves of & union both humia'ng and unbeatable.
gentleman who loved his wife dearly and was
proud Of hsF slsapely hands. brought her home for
her birthday elegant ring. His wife EXPRESSED
pleasure he time, but later concluded that che
did not like he way the diamond set.
One day size said, Would you object if have
the ring reset" and Of course he answered Mo-
a little hesiiaiingy Of course. Soon the ring WIS
returned from the jewelers. quite another ring in
shape and setting.
II was the same ring. TO be sure, in material but
the sentiment gone. Il was not the ring the
husband had chosen, and he knew H. And the
wife knows il now, not by what he says, bat by
what he does not say, and she is o. so sorry
No. dear friends, do BOT quesfio the taste of a
giver. Do not look gift horse in the mouth"
Suppose you do have TO wear an unbecoming
garment now and then suppose your own taste
is ignored by the giver OF gifts; is there not more
in The sentiment Of gift than in the color or shape
or form IL takes ou?
"All good gifts are from God" and sometimes
the boeliesi gift s endowed with the essentials
Of love. and truth and faith thst II takes on value
more precious than gold, a radiance lasting as
eternity.