The San Francisco call., 1903-12-20
with holly dress the festive hail.
Prepare the song. the feast, the ball,
TO welcome Merry Christmas"
ttX Y E simply can't afford it'
AA has no place at Christmas
V time. It's like the news

n
Y time It's like the news
paper cant" There sim
ply isn't any such word There isn't
any single day OF the whole year that
is as exhlarating or as fascinating as
Christmas day even II It does tax the
merry hostess TO the utmost. FOR unless
she IS in half a dozen places at one
and the same time trouble is more than
likely 10 brew at a fast and furious
rate.
But whatever else you 90, don't prate
on the afford" proposition. Unless YOU
feel that hospitality is a privilege and a
pleasure instead Of tiresorne burden
II would be heap better for YOU to
dispense entirely with any form Of en-
tertainment and sit sereneIy and quiet
" in the seclusion of your own home
and in the privacy Of your own family.
They at least viii understand your
cry that is so out OF place at this time
o. the year and they may on a pinch
synpathize with you but they are lust
about the only people on the face OF
the great green globe that viii.
true hospitality does not necessarily
mean that one must have the finest or
the best in the land, but # most GER
tainly does mean that the spirit Of the
tlme must be freely given, and with
tnat al things are possible, for a little
care and little thought will see the
whole thing through and in a truly
Charming manner at that
The hostess who Is giving a dinner
feels that she has undertaken no small
TASK, and, OF a truth, these DAYS OF
elaborate decorations means display
OF ingenuity that must be eternally and
forever on the qui vive.
II doesn't seem TO make much differ
ence how old the tree idea or how child
ish Il may seem, the fact still remains
that staid business men and gentle
faced women delight IN II and II is one
OF the very prettiest ways to decorate
the Christmas IA bic.
The miniature tree may be Of ever
green or an imitation for that matter.
but the fragrant pine adds so much
that II is a shame not to use il when
Il is possible.
Make IL as high as you like. but take
good care 10 see that It is not too
round, for Il viii prevent your guests
from seeing those opposite them and
nothing Is quite so dlsagreeable as
lodging q meal through.
In the center Of the table place a
reindeer and hitch numerous little SOU
venirs, such as animals filed with
candy, musical instruments with glace
fruits and automobiles with nuts in
such position that the guests may
help themselves when they feel so in
clined, and IN this way the toys serve
three purposes, for they make appro-
pirate favorS 10 be taken home as a
reminder OF jolly evening. There are
as many wee stockings on the tree as
there are guests and each one is tied
with a gay ribbon that is fastened di-
rectly in front OF the place plate Of the
person Il is intended for. When all are
seated, first one and then another
should follow up the ribbon and find
out what Santa Claus has left for them
and in this way no end Of merriment
is created. II time is no object the
same idea may be carried out in an
other way. Instead Of running the rib
bons 10 the plates they may be inter-
laced tine and time again and tied
just where the ribbon gives out In
this way II is impossible to seat the
guests, as first one and then another
is winding and unwinding and the
stocking belongs. not to the person that
II chances to be in front Of but the
one whose ribbon is attached to it.
oysters are a good starter Tor the
dinner and as they are always on the
shell on ice they afford a splendid op-
portunity for fancy frills Of holly Take
the berries stripped from the branches
and dot them thickly in an icy bed
and after they have been frozen the
sudden heat OF the dining-room will
cover them with sparkling beads and
they will glimmer like so many crystal
nzed drops.
Soup is quite the hardest Of all TO
dress uD and II is scarcely necessary
II II is served in the quaint old pottery
plates that are so queerly decorated
with gayly colOred peasants. Generally
the color scheme is carried out in a red
or vivid pink and that in itself coIors
bullion sufficiently.
For fish, salmon patties are alvavs
nice, and as they carry out the color
scheme are about the best to choose.
While the name sounds complicated
they are IN reality cold salmon faxed
into small pieces. A cupful OF milk. q
teaspoonful OF butter. salt spoonful Of
salt. dash Of cayenne pepper and one
weu beaten egg are put in a double
boiler and stirred until it thickens but