Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-15
Christmas is coming.

OF spirits, and their elders echo the
cry within their hearts, if not with
their lips, for elders may have troubles
which they must at least seemingly
put aside at this season of the year,
and Win an outward appearance of
from feeling in reality, devote them
selves for the next succeeding few days
to the serious matter of gifts for loved
ones, for it is the season of giving
husband to wife, wife to husband, and
both to the children; brother to sister,
sister to brother, and sweetheart to
lover-and so it goes round and
round, the CHEEKY remembrances from
near and dear ones, relatives and
friends, all the happier for a few days
at least for this hallowed custom, the
giving of gifts. Happy he or she who
can bestOw even a trifie upon some
loved one, and poor indeed be they who
must withhold that which heart and
mind would bestow.
This day Of days will soon be here,
and its near approach is we'll marked
by the ever-brightening places of bus
mess, and the swelling crowds of shop
pers who throng the streets despite
what the weather may be. The stores
are now at their best, and were never
more attractive here in Wheeling, and
on the part of buyers there appears this
year to be a general disposition to OBJ
serve the old adage: Take time by
the forelock." That is a very old say
ing, but as true to-day as when first
uttered and especially is it true about
Christmas shopping. Now, although
the stores and shops are thrOnged, one
has still time to stop and think about
purchases, and make some sort Of selec-
ton; but the coming week all this will
be changed, and to obtain anything
like what you wish will mean more
or less of scramble, and perhaps the
remark: ''Ch! | guess this will do al
though you very we'll know it will not
do at all, and is very far from being
just the thing upon which you had set
your heart The book of books tells
us that it is more blessed to give than
to receive, but if the gift don't please
the donor, even, what then? Surely,
a portion of the pleasure is gone, at
least, and both the giver and receiver
should be able to rejoice together, to
make the gift just what it should be.
The moral of this is, do your shopping
early-this week, if possible, and the
result will be the greater satisfaction
ali around.
AS to what to give-that opens up a
train of thought as vast as time itself,
and a field upon which the venture
some newspaper man even shrinks
from trespassihg. The range is as
wide as thought, and not even sugges
tons can be made, for every heart best
knoweth its own desires. 1t must
suffice to say that never before has
Wheeling presented so inviting or so
fair field for the excursions of the
holiday shopper, nor have prices ever
before been so reasonable. In the vast
domains Of books. toys, articles OF
adornment, of utility or of mere beauty,
the collection from which to pick and
choose is simply endless in it's extent,
and provision has been made for every
purse, for every taste, nnd for every
purpose. A tour CT the leading stores
simply left the reportorial rAld in
chaotic state as to mere details, but
he returned from his assignment yes
terday convinced that il anybody
wanted anything under the sun TO give
to anyone breathing the breath of life.
that particular thing could be found
right here in town, and at almost any
price one cared to pay. Ever remem-
bering that it is not the value of the
gift which carries happiness to the
recipient, a very modest purse will
suffice TO provide quite an array of
presents, EOT ElOSI articles WHICH appear
to the Ciyer of gifts never were 50
cheap nor so handsome. This is no
tably true of books, but is more or less
true Of everything within the category
Of presents.
For week past the number of out
of-town shoppers in the city has been
daily growing, and the presence of
strangers viii become more and more
noticeable within the ensuing few days.
So far most of these visitors have come
from considerable distances, but COM
mencing with the coming Saturday
the suburban resident will be very
much in evidence. and next week the
street cars will be crowded with l)as-
sengers and filed with mysterious
packages until life will be burden to
the unfortunate and miserable wretch
who has no one near enough TO war
rant his indulging in giving and no
expectation of receiying-and that
there are a few such is one of the
saddest thoughts which can come to