Evening star., 1903-12-19
THE SEASON OF GIFTS.
A Distinguishing Feature of Christmas
Making the Children Happy.

From Country Life in America.
The main thing that distinguishes Christ
mas as we observe 1t, from other holidays
is gift-giving, and chiefly gift-givlng 10
children. The day is put TO many other
good and pretty uses, but in most American
homes il would be dreary time but for
this universal habit of making presents. 1t
is a habit that has steadily grown, and it
is encouraged to the utmost by the makers
and vendors of all kinds of wares
Now. there is no prettier custom than
this. But we have greatly abused it. We
have used it lazily, making the easy pur-
chase of present take the place of indi-
vidual thoughtfulness of something not
ready-made and picked up In a shop for so
much cash. Anybody with dollar or with
ten dollars may buy child grown per-
son "a present" If you are in doubt you
may ask the saleswoman-yes she who
does not even know you the child for
whom the present is intended will decide
for you.
There is no grace in gift so got and
given. There is seldom fitness. 1t is
bought as a duty, paid for Il burden.
and many a time received without partic-
ular individual pleasure. 1t comes as "A
matter of course, and a matter of course
in due time it is destroyed or broken.
What worry weary women suffer to find
presents for the children Of their household,
And early in life the children themselves
begin a distract apprenticeship in buy
ing inappropriate gifts for their parents
and for one another. There is no torture
worse than the shame and failure that fol-
low an lll-chosen present thus picked up
Let us face these tyrannous facts and
emancipate ourselves, save our souls and
restore the beauty of grace to our pretty
custom. You know your child. II you do
not You cannot make Ii n graceful present
by any plan. But if you really know your
child and it's inner life you will! have a
happy thought that you can express by a
present-a token of individual affection: a
thing that does not hint of the bargain
counter a stimulating suggestion-some-
thing individual, a thing that would fit that
particular child best of all children in the
world and that would come only from vou.
something that is the natural expression OF
your relation to it and that expresses this
intimacy as nothing else could
Nor does such present take the savings
OF your year 1t Is not likely to cost muclr:
but. whether ii cost much or little IL car
RES no suggestion of its cost. More than
likely 1t Will be present that viii give iov
perhaps the JOY OF occupation for a long
time. 1t will not be fiimsy toy or an or
nament that will soon find its way TO the
ash barrel
There is fine art in expressing oneself
py presents, especially to children for
winch no ready made method is a substi-
tute When we learn this art well and
practice IT with grace Christmas will cease
to be burden. We shall teach our chill
dren TO make the things they give Thus
iHas ouI HoiileS ana our lives with
things and thoughts of beauty and of nse
ana or individual, intimate value The
gaudS shop windows before Christmas win
seem what they are-uierely the first act i'm
dfeary. tragedy, the second act of which
IS a perfunctory exchange of gifts tha@ do
not GLADDEN., and the last act is the filing p
of the garret or the ash barrel win die
cafded Things which have lost their mo-
mentary significance and are of no use
Recall your Christmas presents of last go.
anu anu see now many of them give you pleas
ure now-either those that you received or
ihose that you gave. This is the first Ies
son IN the cultivation of a beautiful and
delicate joy-giving art anu