The morning call., 1894-12-26
A GOOD PRACTICE.

The retailers concur in stating that the
holiday business this season 1as been
larger than for two or three years past.
Shoppers who have had occasion to visit
the princip stores will confirm the state
ment. 1t has been matter of difficulty
to get waited upon. That has been the
case in all lines of business, dry goods,
notions, jawelry and books. More articles
have been bought TO be given away than
perhaps were ever sold in San Francisco
in the same space of time before.
But the aggregate sum of money iu-
vested in Christmas presents this year
was less than in 1892, 1891 and some pre-
vious years. The objects purchased were
generally of the cheaper class. With a
wise purpose of adapting their products to
the times, manufacturing jewellers sup
piled the market, this year, with an Inf
mite variety of small silver trinkets which,
though neat and tasty, could be sold for a
dollar or less. Of these, the consumption
has been enormous. In like manner, dry
goods manufacturers produced for this
season a vast assortment of cheap silk,
wooden and cotton goods. and small
articles in the millinery line; these have
sold like hot cakes. So the book pub
fishers brought out cheap editions of good
books, and good pictures, which have
gone into consumption as fast as the
booksellers could supply them. A sum Of
money which three or four years ago
would hardly have betrayed the cost of a
single Christmas present has this year
enabled the owner to remember dozen of
his friends.
This is a move which Is to be COM
mended. A Christmas present is not val
ued for its intrinsic value, but as a SOU
venir of friend. When a single such
gift costs all hat a prudent donor could
afford, some friends were necessarily neg
lected; this year it has been possible 10
remember them all. When man felt
that he owed it to himself to present one
friend with nothing short of a gold watch
or diamond. he was compelled to satisfy
the others with Christmas cards, which
often went the rounds from recipient to
recipient. Now he can give each some
thing which may be preserved. A few
years ago the leading publishers declared
that they could not bring out books ex-
pensive or snowy enough for the public
taste. A single edition of a popular poet
sometimes cost. with illustrations on
tinted paper, $50 or $40. Now the book
sellers shelves are loaded with volumes
which are fine enough for any ones ac-
ceptanee, and which rarely exceed 80 in
cost. This is a step in the direction Of
economy and common-sense. and fits the
times.
AS matters were shaping in the old ex-
travagant days, it was matter of time
when the fashion of Christmas presents
would go out No one who was less than
millionaire could afford to send gold
watches or diamon to all his friends !;
he had to omit some from his list, and the
parties who were neglected felt sighted
It was evident that the custom was drift
ing into dsuse, as 1t has done In Paris,
where cornet of bon bnns is the regula-
ton New Years gift. 1t is well that a
more wholesome spirit has arisen. The
practice of COMMUNICATING the holiday
season by making children happy with
small tokens of rene In brance and love is
good practice and ought 10 be kept up,
like the practice, now almost obsolete, of
paving New Years calls. Both promo To
kindly feeling and good will. and they
should be maintained and cherished. as
modern repetition of the ancient rite of
the Truce OF God.