The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-10

his Christmas Day. And if the little
girl does insist upon putting her sticky
candy fingers on your dress what OF it?
Let her romp and tear all over the house.
Give her the joy of feeling that for one
day the house is hers in every nook and
corner of it. Let her put her smutchy
little hands on the white paint OF door
or wall. l know a home, my dear wom-
an, where the marks of four little
snutehy fingers may be seen n day ON
the white paint of a door, and they are
treasured above the costiiest ornaments
in that house. Nothing could induce the
mother of that home to wipe off those
-inger-marks, and gayly would her heart
sing it the little fingers That put them
there could make others all over the
doors and windows Of that house. = :
Let each one Of us who can. give free
dom and zest to the dearest treasures
of the Christmastide; the young barbara
ans of our homes. God bless them, I
say. May each child in this lam Of ours
have a Christmas Day this year fashion
ed after its W heart"
There is a vast variety in engagement
rings. In Italy the favorite form is a
slender circle of gold wire, with two
hearts or two hands joining.
The Siberian betrothal ring is a broad
double twist, one oxidized silver, the
other gold. Among ourselves the fash
ion varies constantly. Now the solitaire
is all the rage; then the gypsy comes
into favor; and again it is the marqlise
setting that we all prefer.
Certain stones are looked upon as ILL
omened for engagement rings. The emer-
aid, the opal and the pearl are all con-
sidered unIucky. This is the popular SUI
perstition, but many and many a happy
wife has looked at the emerald or the
opal in her engagement ring and laughed
at the tradition that warned her against
it.
Some people prefer not to have engage
ment rings ike every one else, but strike
out new fancies to please themselves.
One lover recently gave his fiancee a
thousand years on the finger of a Hindoo
idol.
A pretty fancy is to ave the initials of
the giver or some affectionate word spelt
out with jewels on the engaged ring
that is to say, tne first letter Of the name
of each gem is taken to spell 1t. The
Princess of Wales engagement ring was
a case in point, and spelt the pet name
by which the Prince is always known
in his own family. TIE stones were
beryl, emerald, ruby, topaz, jacinth, en-
erald-Bertie.
A less expensive device is to have the
date of the year in gold numbers on the
ring. This is always pretty and serves
as a charming reminder.
"a*
Among the mast curious of the many
fixings referred TO in a recent lecture or
the care of infants, was the baby bed
which is used in Germany. 1t really
consists Of a pillow and pillow case, in
which baby is tied up fer the first eight
weeks of his existence. The pillow is
changed night and morning. The neces-
sary outfit consists of five pillow slips,
forty-seven inches long and sixteen
inches wide, two pillows half an inch
smaller in size and a containing one
and a quarter pounds of feathers, six
flannel SHIFTS lined with soft null, and
twelve cotton slips. Baby is dressed only in
a shirt and slip, neither of which reach
below the waist, and is then laid on the
pillow, slipped into his pillow ease, which
fastens about him with a shirr string up
under his arms, and is snugly tied up in
his little nest. This method, it is said, al
lows the baby plenty of room inside to
kick and squirm, and at the same time
the pillow affords q support for the soft
body and wobbly little head. When baby
is taken out for an airing all the extra
clothing that is put on is a flannel jacket
and a cap.
The sfWoman's Home Companion" says
tia the universal adoption of the blouse
is proclaimed by women at every turn,
and this baggy fancy is varied to suit the
material and wearer, with each enc pref
tier than the other. For house and street
wear they are alike popular, and one
scarcely knows where to draw the line of
difference between one and the other, SO
alike are they in construction. Even the
little bolero has Il bloused vest; and, by
the way. this dainty little jacket is quite
as much favored this season as last, and
appears on some of the latest cloth gowns
and is so designed as to show the under
bodice, keeping the bloused front in plain
view.
A lovely muf is one of glossy sealskin,
trimmed with a bunch of violets and a
half q dozen sable tails. 1t is moderately
large and the ruffles over the hands are
lined with ermine. A nice trimming on a
seal jacket is white ca%racule embroidered
with jets. We see little lace on furs, but
place of lace, finely plated mousseline de
sole. This latter is generally Of the same
color as the fur; thus we have gray
mousseffAe de sole on astrakhan and
brown on sable.
A fifteenth century writing desk would
be charming fitted out with Dresden ar
ticles, with the photograph of ones best
girl. in a painted porcelain frame on top.
For convenience the china is an improve
ment over last years silver utensils for
desks; they are more easily cleaned and
more ornamental. AS there is little ex-
pense incurred in the acquisition of a
Dresden outfit they will assuredly be pop
ular gifts of the Christ-tide.
Velvet, ~velveteen and corduroy form
costumes that are spoken of together. but
those of the latter fabric are palmer in
design. Serviceable blouse and Jacket
suits of tan, brown or gray corduroy are
without trimming or with fur accessories.
nv ----h Ar l.;-1.+ 1Jox -11..-4