The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-10


~ papa about thirty minutes longer
TO arise from his legitimate bed
y knd make up his troubled mind
that the breakfast bell has ruAg
and his matutinal meal - rapidly becom-
Ing meet for anathema maranatha. Papa
Il weighed down with the yearly question.
what shall buy her for a Christmas
gittT' He scofrs at the newspaper joke
OF box Of cigars as suitable gift for
an ideal wife. He smiles at the trades
mans advertisement calculated to lead
the unsuspecting husband into fnthom-
less pit Of modification. what shall
buy my wife to please herr" and the
breakfast wakes chill as the unanswered
query goes on between the sheets. It's
al plain sailing as far as the children are
concerned. Papa knows what they want.
Letters written to good old Santa Claus
weeks ago have met the paternal eye
and touched the fatherly heart. Toys,
books. bonbons and pretties win gladden.
tho little hearts OF the small fry, and
for the larger sons and daughters papa
has the very gifts which he has discov.
cred that they most desire. Papa turns
and toFses. and in his mind paraphrases
the casket scene in ..The Merchant OF
venfcev to make his question read.
s'what Is Il that women most desiref"
He goes over in his masculine mind the
contents OF mammn's wardrobe; ha makes
m inventory Of her jewel case: he tries
to recall some expressed wish. He gets
up, and shaves and cuts chunk from
his right chin and goes down stairs and
eats cold breakfast without kicking.
Men. as rule, have more intelligence
about certain things than the feehler sex
possess. but about this time o. year the
lords OF creation have my unqualified
sympathy. Like Dick Deadeye, they
s'mean well. but they dent know"
. -
wonder that. among all the wise and
otherwise suggestions to unwealthy wo-
men. az to show to I'LL iong-felt want"
some useful member of the male persua-
sion. some one good and pure. like Mr..
BOX, 81 the Ladies' Home Journal does
not come to the rescue? do wonder
why he, or some other good man, has
overlooked this assistance to the Christ
mas trade by starting some poor but
wise woman into the business of helping
husbands choose Christmas gifts. A neat
ONCE with q worsted sampler hung over
the desk on which, in attractive script,
the seeker after knowledge might read,
God Loves Cheerful Giver." would
begin the business. I think / myself
know a few men who would gladly give
two dollars and a half for a consultation,
and net think the s2.bO wasted. Don't
your
- -
MI. Silas Wegg, in his ever to be remem-
bered receipt for making punch. tells us
that there should be feeling Tor the
foundation for a successful brew Of that
which causes to rejoice the heart. One
Of the best beginnings of a Christmas gift
to q wife should be that essential oil which
10 warranted to quicken the machinery of
ltfe-feeling. Make her feel that you love.
love, love her. The older, the uglier she Is
the more you'd better tell her you love her.
Don't think Of all the bad hours you've
spent with her, but remember all the hap
~ days, Tell her you love her. Don't wat
for her to drag out the words with q
corkscrew. Go and buy her something
that you know she desires, even II you
have to deny yourself. something you want
very much like tobacco, or "tin roofs"
or q game or two. She will appreciate
your sacrifice and will discover 1t, even
e you do not tell her Of it, She deserves
It, my dear boy She has wintered and
eummered with you, Don't think because
she II your wife. and not the other fell
lows. that she would not appreciate pair
OF pink garters with real silver buckles.
She may be saint, but II I know any
thing about femininity, the wife OF your
bosom would dearly love to show her best
woman friend her hubby's gift. EVIDENT
~ the husband who bestows such gift
must have thought the wife shapely -or
he would not have given her an article
de luxe wherewith to decorate.
In reading books which tell of the men
who do not drink water out of their own
wells, but seek elsewhere for bihuious en-
tertainment, the woman who can only gain
her knowledge of the au desslis des cartes
nm saints 10 o1xxru -ctrt uptt
the fact that men offer the women who
possess their worse affections intimate
gifts, such as jeweled garters, handsome
underwear or superb furs. / have often
wondered In reading some story devoted
to the Illicit, why men in books always
gave intimate presents to those charmers.
and gave to their wives a check. To the
men who give the charmer the jewel and
the wife the check would like to whisper
one little suggestion. Reverse the gift,
and next Christmas you will be so pleased
with your legitimate friend that neither
your inclination nor your pocketbook will
be led astray.
Pink garters are not the only intimate
gift with which man can please pretty
lady. Many women do not wear that kind.
There are lots and lots of charming things
q man can offer his wife and be assured
that she will not burn them in the kitchen
range. Let man put himself in the wo-
mans place and think what he'would like
to have. Don't balk. Just summon up your
courage and imagine yourself a good wo-
man. 1t viii not hurt you bit. Don't be
afraid to confide In the shop girl. Nine
times out of ten she will have as muci,
sense as yom have about few things and
more about feminine delights. Why
shouldn't she? Because she stands behind
the counter awaiting the humors and moods
OF her customers, do you think that makes
her mentally dumb? On the contrary,
standing behind the ceunter gives man or
q woman insight into the characters and
dispositions Of people that the so-called
leisure class never comprehend.
! might try to hoodw!nk lady OF fash
ion, but the girl behind the counter, who
makes the fashion plate lady--never, She
knows fraud as quickly as she sees one,
She knows a liar too. She also knows a
man who wants training or helping. Tell
her what you want and she will help you
with discretion and wisdom.