Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-20


tions?'
Eyes. new in detail; perhaps not new
In the general idea. The main thing i'll
Chrjstmas-tree decorations is 10 get any
thing that will shine. For that reason
tinsel in different forms IS the popular
thing"
But that's old.'
IF old friends happen to be best, people
will stick 10 them. Tinsel comes IN ne"
shapes this year, but it's tinsel just the
same. Here is something new ana goou'
these lanterns. The safe lighting oil the
tree is always a problem so these IAN
terms ought to take. They have red and
green mica sides; there is sponge In TINS
lin cup at the bottom ana a wick. You
saturate the sponge with kerosene ana
liebt the wick. They make pretty liiu-
mination and burn some time
But have you no original IDEAS Ior
trimming
There are some, but not many. You
can load the boughs win a.ticial snow
hang them with these glass icicles, put
these Tsquimau dolls here and there. ana
make q vintry tree of it. That has beeh
done. and is wonderfully beautiful. UT
YOU can fiji il with this cobwebby thsei
and hang wiil-o' -the-Wisp hghts OH ''o
branches. and put these fairies among
tbon, That makes a fairyland tree when
sets the children wild. or you can mans
II with several dozen Of these diminutVe
Janonese lanterns and have the little
JAMS walking around under these tiny
parasols. That's another type. Or you
can have a Brownie tree. In that case
Won must have the old-fashioned pop
corn and cranberry strings. because the
Brownies must have something TO eat.
- splendid idea for tree. and one
which | have never seen carried out. Is
TO make a Swiss Family Robinson tree.
Cut out some Of the branches hali way
up the trunk but not too hign Tor the
little ones to see in. Be- sure. 100 10
set your tree on the floor. and not on .
table Make a platform there ana ouiid
Il staircase around the trunk reaching up
10 it. Put I'm partitions of pieces OF WOOD
or pasteboard. which you can paper your
self. Then add the furniture ard Inc
dolls These can be of the cheapest.
Hang the tree with lanterns; make look
outs here and there; arrange a rope ana
pulley for raising and lowering things
from the ground THERE That Is he
idea in the rough. I'll wager II wouii
turn the little folks crazy with densht'
and especially would please older children
who are past the tinsel and gewgaw age.
almost everybody tries now and then
to devise something dinerent from tHe
traditional tree. They DO not desert the
tree. but they want a change for one
year. at least. | know Of one woman
who got up an ingenious substitute, which
was so satisfactory that she threatened
10 make IL a regular thing Instead OF
putting VI tree. she had carpenter
construct the skeleton Of a wlgwam. ana
this she set up IN the corner of the room.
IL was five feet from the floor 10 the
peak. and vas almost as much in dame
ter. She covered II outside with white
muslin. and this. in turn. she covered
with white cotton. which she tackled TO
the muslin. In the first place, though. she
covered the floor in that corner OF the
room with white canvas. over her cotton
wigwam she sprinkled spanglcs until II
shone like Snow cleaning In the sunlight
or the moonlight.
"The three poles crossed at the top
and from these she hung icicles and col
cred lanterns. On the centre she
perched snow-rnaiden, and she had
small Esquimaux tobogganirg down the
sides Inside OF the tent she put all OF
the presents for her two children, both
OF whom were girls. Christmas morn
ing she led them into tho room and
showed them the tent. whose flap was
then down. She said that 1t was q
mysterious wigwam. which she thought