Evening star., 1896-12-19

with large family af children, living up
In the northwest sectAnn.. 1t Is to be an in
genious sort of substitute for a Christmas
tree. 70 fill the order I'll first have to have
built the skeleton of an Indian wigwa am.
This is to be five feet from the floor to the
peak, and almost as much in diameter. 1t
is to be covered with white muslin, and set
up in the corner of d room covered with
white canvas. The top of the wigwam of
muslin Is to be sprinkfeu with spangles un-
til it shines like snow cleaning in the sun
light or the moonlight The three poles
protruding from the wigwam are to cross
at the top, and icicles and tiny lanterns are
to hang from them. Down one of the sides
of the tent little Indian will be seen to-
bogganing. All of the Christmas presents
for the Chicago mans children are to be
put inside the tent. There Will be plenty of
room within the tent for several children
to play inside. People not so wealthy could
get one of these wigwams up at compare
lively small cost.
Another odd substitute for tree will
be set up in a western Congressman's 5
Washington home. 1t is to be an exact du-
plicate in miniature of his suburban home
in the west. The estate will be shown on
platform about three feet high and six feet
by six on the surface. The Queen Anne
house, the barn, the stables, the smoke
house and implement house are to be ex-
actly represented, are the clothes lines,
the vegetable and flower gardens, the
walks, shrubbary, trees, and little iron
III
ing doll baby carriage on the front
carriage walk: the coachman will be seen
driving span of horses hitched to little
carriage out of the barn; the do,l maid
will be exhibited hanging OUT the clothes.
II this Is not something that will surprise
the Congressmans children, they must be
very self-coatained indeed.
Some Odd Ideas.
"a somewhat expensive but exceedingly
beautiful tree that the head of a Washing
ton electrical institution is to have for his
children will be lighted by tiny incandes-
cent electric lights of many colors. They
are to be strung through the tree and a
simple twist of the screw will turn them
on and off.
"A unique tree that one of the taxder-
mists of the National Museum is to fix up
for his children will be tenanted by ami
mails alone This gentleman has put in his
odd moments for nt ar y an entire :car in
dressing up little furry animals in ;ninia-
ture for the decoration Of his Christmas
many as twenty different specimens of
animals, and several of each variety Lit
tie huntsmen are to be represented aim
ing toy guns from their vantage points on
little knobs underneath the tree at the
animals. The tree is 10 be elaborately sill
yer spansled, to give the proper wintry
effect.
"a German custom which is to be intro
duced in at least ore Washington home
that l know of this year Is rather beauti-
full. This is realistic representation Of
the staole in which Christ was born. The
infant Christ is shown lying IN the man.
reclines at short distance. Kaealing be-
lore the manger are the wise men of the
east, bearing in their hands small censors
of frankincense which is fraErantly burn
Ing, and from which, real smoke arises
The presents for the children of the house
IN which this Is TO be pictured are to be
put in the stable" ~
- LII
Poor Hawkins.
From the New York Herali.,,
Nothing is more agreeable to the man
who likes to tell a story, and who knows
that he can tell it well. than to have for a
wife lady who is great on absolute cor
rectness of detail, and who is willing to
see that this accuracy OF detail marks your
story telling. - r.
Hawkins Is thus blest in the partner of
his choice. He and his wife were at a din
ner the other evening, and Hawkins had a
eaRitai a. tt,e .,s story t9 tel and this is the
i.lt was last Wednesdaya.' he began. when
Mrs. Hawkins said. gently: :.
day
'Oh. well. the day don't matter"
ut is just as well to be accurate" said
Mrs. Hawkins, calmly.
We'll. it was on Wednesday. and Jones
and
MY dear. you said that it was Mooney q
cafe when you told the story to me-"
oh. so 1t was Moneys. l forgot 1t
was the day before that We lunched to-
gether at Hoovers."
why. Mr.. Hawkins, how forgetfuI you
are. l lunched with you the day before.
and we went to the Albion restaurant
Cn yIya Il U~rl
Well, Jones and had just taken our seats
and given our orders when an old man and
his wife came in and"
You're not sure that she was his wife.
my dear"
''Oh, she must have been He called her
Maria. and she called him Aaron and"
That is no proof that they were husband
and wife. She might have been mis- sister,
you know"
Well. 1 know that they were husband
and wife. and he
You can't be sure Of it."
1t don't make the slightest difference
whether they were man and wife or not
Anyhow, they were the queerest- looking
pair l ever saw. She was fully seventy,
and
Why. Mr.. Hawkins, you told me that
she was about sixty"
We'll. maybe she wasn't more than sixty
1t don't matter. She had on the widest.
giddiest hat and "a -"
You told me that she wore a bonnet, Mr.
We'll, l don't know but 1t was a bonnet.
1t was the wildest-looking bit of headgear
ever saw, and the blue dress she wore"
Blue dress? Why you told me that 1t
was red Dress
mo, didn't"
"Pm quite sure that you did, Mr. Haw-
kins."
This goes on until Hawkins becomes so
muddled that the point of the story, when
1t Is finally reached, falls perfectly fiat.
and the scene that occurs when Mr. and
Mrs. Hawkins are alone together would not
look nor sound well if printed
Knew Whereof She Spake.
From the New York Herald
She was tall and graceful.
Her carriage, which was inlpcrods had
u coat OF arms on it. 1t stood at the door,
She entered the china store and looked in
ouiringly about her
Il desire some eggshell ware" she said
Very sorry, madam. rejoined the accom-
mGdating salesman, hut we are Just out
Might venture to suggest Limoges, Sevres
or Dresden?
Impossible" she said with frown
which corrugated hes,s delcately chiseled
forehead, Il desire 10 give an incubator
And she swept out befstne store with a
noticeable frou frou Of her brocaded skirts.