The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-09
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: HER POINT OF VIEW :
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We are at it again. For five years
I've raised this doleful cry. We do
make Christmas burden. Even Mr..
Bok, of the Ladies' Home journal, says
so. He divided his latest editorial
comments, or scolds, equally between
the iniqultios of the modern day OBJ
servation of the blessed holiday and
the evils of the baby go-cart, which
is not the correct term for the little
perambulator in which the baby has
to sit upright and dangle its poor lit
tie legs over the edge into space. No
doubt he is right in both cases. aside
from considering the vehicle a go-Cait.
There is no diminution in the strug-
gle to outdo what we did last year in
the way of celebrating Chris:m
Somebody gave us something hand
somer than we had any right to eXpec:
and we must go one better. Some
body we didn't know last Christmas
has come into our life and we want to
show our appreciation by an eXtrava-
giant gift. Somebody we don't care
much for may bestow a present AMI
we desire to forestall any possible pre-
ponderencc in its value. We want to
give something very beautiful to some
body we care very much for ana, there
fore, must male the expense total
heavier than last year. Oh, there IS
no end of excesses for making Christ
mas very hard.
1t is a delightful thing to be able to
go forth and buy for everybody the
nnfig ,1Ns nf I,,%
sometimes there are conversations for
those who cannot. Last winter a GER
tain young couple had suffered re-
verses, making it in prospective a
gloomy season, indeed The two sat
down and considered the question with
sorrowful care. Ihey decided that it
was impossible to attempt even the
moderate gift-giving of other years
and at first thought it best to serve
notice on all friends and relatives thac
celebration of Christmas in the oil
way was out of the question and that
no gifts could he bestowed and a sense
of pride would be satisfied If none were
received. This seemed such n worl ".
! loaVes-and-fshos arrangement that It
was finally abandoned and instea was
substituted the plan of dividing up the
! limited Christmas fund into portions
, which would allow just twenty-five
| cents for each gift. The husband
! looked upon the scheme with disfavor
! He had been in the habit of spending
money rather literally at this season
and as he had refined and elegant
taste, had put an individuality of So
| lection in the gifts sent out which
! had made impress on the minds of his
! friends and caused an unusual futter
! when these remembrances We're re-
! ceived
For instance, one year a man of
aesthetic fancies found a wonderful
| piece of hammered bronze in his stock
! ing. 1t was an odd shaped thing and
| he was at a loss to know it's use De-
yon1 being beautiful and unique as IA
! work of art. Inquiry developed the
| fact that il had hoen employed by the
! Greeks as a sort of a brazler, it was
| now to be a lamp standard and wild
! grew all curio hunters over the treas
! ure which the giver had found en-
Crusted with mold in a scrap iron
! heap. What had been it's jouTneying
| and its weird history could be but 4
| matter of conjecture. 1t was only the
| unerrng taste of the finder which pre-
served it for the magnificent home 1t
| now adorns. A rare bit of wood cary
| ing, fine old piece of porcelain. these
| were among the memories of the past
| as distinctive types of the
| young mans taste. To drop
down to a twenty-five cent sub
stitute was a bitter experience. He
| simply couldn't do it. He preferred
| to stand aside from tho path of the
| Christmas angel and let him pass un-
recognized than to feel the humilil-
| ton of such q descent from his old po-
| sit!on
Here was where the advantages If
having a canny wife came to some
purpose. She was a brisk little body
with a strain of New England p: ,ct-
caii;y which made a noiseless balance
wheel to his southern impetuosity and
uXury-loving self.
Il see one gift for your mother"
! she said, enthusiastically. He looked
| toward the linen closet as intimate l
by her gaze, but saw nothing but 4
| glimpse of shining white folds, reach
| ing we'll to the ceiling. Don't you re-
member the deer skim" she inquired
| with breathless haste; "you were al
ways going to have it for table cover,
tut l wouldn't 1'low it. 1t is tanned
a pale lovely olive and it is softer
than the softest kid" Eyes, but what
can be done with it?" he answered
| assuming a little Of her eagerness
why don't YOU see, you old stupid?"
| she went on.
| "You remember I learned something