The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-07
WOMAN'S WORLD
THE CHRISTMAS BOX.

One Way of Cheering the HOmesick.
The Twentieth Century Christmas
Box" says the Washington Evening
Star, includes one whole month Of
sentiment and surprises, so the Christ
mas fairy who wishes to prepare one
for the approaching season must be
up and doing. The distinguishing feat
ure of this idea is that the box must
contain present for each day in the
month, beginning with Dec. l, and end
ing with New Year day, and 1t goes to
the absent member of the family, one
lnexpedient Ito go home for Christ
mas" 1t is a capital holiday. calcu-
lated to go far toward curing Christ
mas inconsistencies.
Eat our boarding house." said the
woman with the, idea, last winter
there was a little school teacher who
lived so far away from her home that
she couldn't make the trip, and her
family gladdened her heart with one
of these boxes. She was to open just
one gift each day, and only the one
marked with the date, and to say
that she was in rare state of expect
ancy all the month is putting II mild
ly. Every morning she appeared at
breakfast in a glow of happiness from
the subsequent revelation in the shape
of some unexpected mysterious ar
ticle folded about with tissue paper
and violet ribbon. One morning 1t
was a book of verses, and another it
was sprig of something brought from
the grave of the Brownings, or 1t was
passe-partout picture of some favor
lite author, or Ii was a bit of pottery
or a tiny bit of bronze, all trifles
which the little school teacher loved
and appreciated, sent by her dear ones,
who knew her tastes 1t was the SEN
timent in the box that fascinated ev-
cry one, and a small mouse-colored
woman was transformed into posi-
tive luminary. The box proved so
wholesome and widely influential a
factor in that boarding house that at
Christmas time a tree materialized,
and even the grouty old bachelor who
abominated noisy children bought a
beautiful doll for the little girl who
had never done anything but what
disturbed him."
There is a multitude of ideas ready
to clamor for attention directly a box
of this kind Is in course of prepara-
ton. Suppose it is for a dear boy or
girl who is away at college. Let the
box itself be lined inside with bright
cretonne with pockets around it's four
sides. In the bottom of the box is
l.
be calendar of the year. On this
is built layer upon layer of gifts, the
nature of which must depend upon the
means at hand and the character and
tastes of the recipient. If there are
seven members of the family at home
then there is a charm in each one pre-
senting four gifts, each selecting a
certain day in each of the four weeks.
Even though the gift is not expensive
there Is the delight in opening a mys-
FERROUS package, and the more unex-
pected 1t is the greater the charm. The
best present of all Is of course for
Christmas day, and indeed there may
be one from each member of the fam
lily on that occasion. Even a very
useful and practical article which
seems to have little sentiment attached
may take on a holiday air by associa-
ton with tissue paper and tied with
ribbon and some clever sentiment In
verse added. In the pockets for the
shoes is place for pair of comfort
able knitted bed shoes or for a sub
stantial pair of slippers, and there is a
place to tuck away a laundry bag
and a silk handkerchief and a scrf
pin, in fact. everything that suggests
itself, If it is no more important than
a box of bonbons. A canned plum
pudding will serve appropriately at
Christmas time, but 1t is not wise to
place food that may prove perishable
in the box unless 1t Is placed near the
top. so that an early date may entitle
it to attention. A Christmas box of
this description is warranted to keep
its recipient in a glow of expectancy
during the holidays and to be the best
thing to a family reunion.