Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-10

and magazines without number at this sea-
son one reads numerous suggestions for
Christmas decorations in which a free use
OF cotton batting Is recommended, eimulat-
ing snowballs for the tree or as an appro-
pirate costume for a little frost king or
Santa Claus. The fact that this highly in
fiammable material effectively represents
snow and winter should not be allowed 10
stand for a moment against the danger 1t
invites. The fatalities attendant upon the
ordinary course of travel and business are
quite enough without adding to them the
horrors precipitated by our thoughtless eff
forts at providing amusement.
To Frost a Christmas Tree.-while frost
powder may be obtained at any of the
shops where holiday toys are sold very
good substitute Is found in coarse common
salt or strong alum water sprfnkled over IT,
wing a whitewash brush or hand spray
Plum Puddings for Holiday Gifts-A mol
iday gift that is growing as popular mere
as in England is that OF plum p1o1 1rn.s,
1t may be made at home or ordered from
a caterer, and goes to its destination oain
tily wrapped though still in It's molo anu
tied with ribbons and holly. In Engianu
about two hundred and fifty tons OF plum
pudding averaging seven pounds EACH are
sent out each year. The old custom Oh
putting a three-penny bit in the fanny
plum pudding has developed INTO an ex
pensive fashion. Costly jewelry and charms
are now sent concealed in the heart OF the
pudding. AS the duty of 80 per cent on
plum buildings imported into the Unteo
States has now been abolished, many puo-
dings are coming to America Aside from
sentiment, this is after the fashlon OF
sending Goals to Newcastle, for the
American housewife can now make plum
pudding quite as good as her tinglsh SIS
ters According to tradition, plum pud-
ding should be at least mine days old De-
fore it's eating. good recipe for its making
is as follows: Put into a big bowl one cup
full each of finely chopped suet, seeded raj
cipS oil and RraOlllated SUI
gar, three cupfuls soft bread crumbs nand
one each of shredded citron and orange
peel. Add four eggs one by one, each be-
ing mixed thoroughly with the other 1ngre-
dents before the next one is added. Next
| to follow is one-haif cup of milk, one
! quarter cup brandy, one teaspoonful CHINA
| mon, one teaspoonful mixed nutmeg. Glove
| and allspice and the grated yellow rind of
one lemon Mix thoroughly, using the
| hands then fill into a large buttered mold,
| leaving scarce any room for II TO swell
| Tie thickly creased and Toured cloth or
| piece of oiled paper over the top and ft
| on the cover tight as possible. Put into
| a steamer or arrange some cords so that 1t
may be suspended from the inside OF the
cover of the kettle in which 1t is boiled. The
boiling water should reach up nearly to the
height of the bowl. Boil seven hours steadi-
ly, taking care that no water boils into it,
and that the water is boiling when the
pudding goes in and is never allowed to
STOP On Christmas day it can be reheated
in the mold in which it was made. When
sending to the table, stick sprig of holly
on the top, put a border of blanched split
almonds around the edge, and pour over the
pudding a quarter cupful of brandy or rum
to be set on fire just as it enters the dining
room.
Plum Pudding Sauce.-Cook together
cupful of sugar and a quarter cup Of water
until the syrup spins a thread. Beat the
yolks of three eggs until lemon-colored and
thick and pour the hot syrup over them,
beating all the time. Add a cup of cream,
one teaspoonful of lemon juice and two ta-
blespoonfuls of brandy, strain and serve i'm
raedate,Y.
Christmas Dinner for the Birds.-A pretty
Swedish custom introduced here of late
years is the providing of Christmas dinner
for the birds. Before sitting down to the
table indoors, there is raised aloft in the
dooryard a pole to the top OF which Is at
tached a large, full sheaf or basket of grain
Merry Christmas to the birds that live
in the cold and snow without.