The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-27
SANTA CLAUS SHOWS
MUCH POOR JUDGMENT
THE LAMENT MIsFIT BEING RAISED LOUDLY BY
DISAPPOINTED PEOPLE AND THE SHOPS BUSY COR
RECTING THE INC0NsIDERATE SAINTS =
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book and the man showed his apprecia-
ton Of it by Immediately taking the bills
from his pocket and placing them In the
book. Half dozen times on Christmas
Day the family were called on to hunt
for the bills when the express man came
or kilograms were brought and they were
ALWAYS found In the bill book, much to the
absent-minded owners surprise. Yester-
day, when he was In friends office, he
showed him the book, which then con-
tanned about $50. Instead of placing It
in his pocket, he dropped it somewhere
and as yet has not found it.
you can't teach an old dog new
tricks" he said when he made the discov-
cry Of his loss, but he has not told his
wife yet. 4r
but the "mawkish sentiment" in Dickens
received a most magnificent edition Of
that author and she spent yesterday try
ing to arrange with the shop men to let
her exchange it for one of Thackeray, who
Is on her list Of great men. And the shop
man was able to oblige her because a sec
ond woman had brought back the set Of
Thacheray which had been given to her
with a plea for him to let her have
Dickens in its place. .s
After a man and q woman have passed
| their sixtieth birthday Santa Claus seems
| to think that their only reading should be
! Bibles or hymn books and one dear old
| lady received seven Of the former and
three of the latter with several pairs of
! black gloves as many handkerchiefs,
box of peppermints, bon-bon PAL ticular-
| ly suited to the aged, and a picture OF her
| youngest grandchld. There was one
| package yet to open. She united the cord
| carefully for she came of a period when
| strings were carefully saved and wound
in hard little balls for future use and her
early training refused to permit her to
"a ahiNY1
of her reckless granddaughter. The pa
per fell away and showed a generous box
! Of CONNECTIONS. such as would delight the
heart of school girl. and a copy of
1.-THE Prisoner of Zenda" which had been
sent by a college freshman who had
scrawled on his card the words: do read
the book, granny. rs bully" Granny fol-
lowed his advice and sat up until after
midnight with her book and her bonbons
and when she went to bed she drew a
happy sigh and said she hadn't felt so
young in years. Appropriate presents are
all very we'll to certain point but an &C.
casional inappropriate one sometimes
takes the curse from them.
| There was one wee damsel who still
listens with wondering eyes to the rhymes
| of Mother Goose, who received beautl-
full set Of George Eliot's novels, from a
bachelor uncle who forgot how young she
was. The rest of the family made all
ly insisted that he had been wise.
"She may not appreciate Eliot now
, he said, but wager she will read her
, longer than she does your fairy tales.
I'm going to give her standard writer
every year and help her to start a
: library"
The merchants were almost as busy
yesterday In exchanging gifts as they
= were on Wednesday in selling them. The
, people who brought back books and brio
, a-brac were to large extent women, al
though an occasional man wandered 1r
with parcel under his arm which was
not satisfactory. A fgurine, which g
: woman brought back had a finger miss
ing, a silver mirror was badly scratched
and book was smeared by little fingers
but they were all offered to the clerks
/ with an assurance which brought it's re-
, ward.
\ But whether the gifts we receive are
t what we want or whether they are what
9 we find place for the giving and
l receiving brings hustle and excitement
!, which adds much to the Christmas joys
: If it also doubles the cares of the New
i Year.