Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-11
GIFTS WORTH GIVING.
HINTS THAT MAY SOLVE THE
CHRISTMAS PRESENT PROBLEM.
THINGS that WILL Be ACCEPTABLE.
The Taste Of Young and OId-The De-
thete and the BoOI<worn-Inspira
ton Gathered from Retail stores.

Christmas is close at hand IN all his
bluff and hearty honesty.
1t is the season of hospitality, merri-
ment, and open-heartedness.
The old year is preparing, like an an
cient philosopher, to call his friends
around him, and amidst the sound OF
feastng and reyelry to pass gently and
calmly away.
II Christmas is a season Of openheart-
edness, however. it is no less a season of
open-handedness, and the Joy Of giving Is
not the least of its pleasures. This GUS
tom began with tho visit OF the Magi TO
the crib of the Christ child, and is des-
tined to continue for all time.
Year after year the vast enterprise OF
merchants and manufacturers makes the
choice of suitable gifts more and more
Of a perplexity The difficulty Of selec-
ton grows more intense each season, and
he or she who starts upon an expedition
through the retail stores Of this city
without any definite purpose embarks
upon a sea of troubles.
Christmas gifts are not 70 be lightly
given. There are so many considerations
back Of them-questions Of temperament
to be thought of; fads-for we are all fad
dists-to be reckoned with, and various
, tastes TO be encountered.
THE MODERN REFINEMENT.
This is an age OF diletanteism. Things
which would have been considered fan
tasuc years ago are now even as the
breath Of life to us. The luXuries OF the
good old days are the commonplace OF
to-day. At heart we are all aesthetics,
81. rfEn frTFr gTIr
beds to make our way TO the bath clad
in eiderdown bath-robes; scented pellets
4 land wondrous soaps make the waters OF
the James river rival the waters OF Co
ogne; our razors and combs are silver
mounted and our brushes ivory backed.
Dame Fashion, who has Of late gone mad.
has decreed that our ties-vulgarly called
neckwear-shall be electrifying, dazzling
In an intensity of brilliance, and hideous
in startling contrasts. Men are now al
fecting so-called smoking Jackets"
things of beauty, brave in color, and silk
braided and lined to perfection. Formerly
these garments were intended only Tor
the mans sanctum sanctorum, but the
makers have changed all that, and the
article now upon the market is too gor-
geous to be put to such simple uses.
There is an abundance OF such articles
as those mentioned above in tho Rich
mond stores, and merchants say that the
demand for them at this time is very
great.
FOR THE BOOKISH MAN.
For the 'bookish" man there are many
thousands Of volumes to choose from.
He who IS fond OF books is most often tins
one who has the least ability 10 crafty
his passion. The number OF new books
multplies 50 fast that a mulu-millionalre
could scarcely keep pace with the grist-
mill. Books are a safe present, anyway,
for most of us like 10 pose as Savants,
though in too many cases our book
shelves are but the outward and visible
sign Of our desire to be mistaken for
literary men and book worms.
"Ohi that mine enemy would write a
book" and Fl he persistently refuses. or
if your friend or brother or father has a
latent ambition in the direction Of au-
thorshp, what better present could be
found than a leather-bound writing set,
a silver-topped ink-stand. a pearl-handlcd
pen, gold-mounted. or a stylographic pen,
which some day-who knoWs-may be val
liable for their association with the genius
you have helped to cultivate?
TO PLEASE THE BACHELORS.
Is your friend a bachelor? Then. he IS
welded to his pipe, or worse still, his
bOtAlts anu lLtlO hlb nduusOllt pipes
enough. and cut-glass and other spirit
decanters. which look well, and can be
purchased in cheap or expensive varieties. /
There are tObaccO-boxes which are be-
coming the vogue now more than ever ]
befOre-fashioned after the football for
the yotary of the gridiron; after monks
head for the skeptic, or after a skull for
the philosopher But these do not by |
any means, exhaust the list, for the /
varieties are almost endless
Then, too, there are match-boxes for the /
pocket and the mantelpiece. and smok- |
ing tables. which must delight any dis !
ciple of the fragrant weed.
a man connected with a china store !
told the writer yesterday, as he pointed 10 /
an immense stock OF chatting dishes, |
that these articles were being bought |
very rapidly o. year, and that they !
were intended as presents for bachelors. /
Men prefer" he said. ito buy a pint OF /
oysters and take them home TO eating
them In the night restaurants. They turn
them into the dish. light the lamp be-
meath IT, and prestol In five minutes they
have a dainty meal.
THAT GAY SOUBRETTE.
The theatrical season. and, above all,
the coming vaudevilles, suggest that
opera-glasses would not be an unwel-
come present for many men, who like TO
be as near the stage as possible or bring
1t as near to them as they can get 1t.
Id thy friend is a sportsman give him a
powder horn, or cartridge case, or a
game bag. a fishing rod, or shooting
coat. They will not cost overmuch, and
they will be most acceptable Is he a
musician? Then the difficulty is easily
solved, for he will revel in choice SCI
lection OF new music as no Will delight in
nothing else.
The old-fashioned fob Is now being very
generally affected. and those quaint seals
attached TO silk ribbon, like most old
fashioned things, are always in good taste.
On tire silverware counters OF the
jewelry and dry-goods stores are count
less articles suitable for presents to men,
and not the least recommendation IL theirs
cheapness. Leather card-cases and bill
books seem TO be tribe hackneyed. but
then the old ones have been worn out,
and some OF them. perohancs, are scarcely
presentable. They are like ties, bandker-
chiefs. umbrellas, gloves, and canes-al-
ways acceptable. because they are bound
to be useful.
Reading lamps, clocks. punch and wineI
sets are included In the category Of use
full and ornamental Christmas gifts. and
II the donor is not supsrstitious there are
dainty pocket knives, which every man