The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-05

about that, isn't it?' said the Oracle
lingering the lace and linen out of
which the Debutante was fashioning
an airy piece of lingerie.
"Almostr' repeated the Debutante
Why. I've been working on mine for
And YETI the Oracle returned.
when the rush was all over last year
dare say you declared that you'd
never, never make another Christmas
present"
"Wen" the Debutante admitted.
something like that. And I'm not do
ing very much this year. Just my fam
lily and the friends 1 have always re-
membered.''
About how many in an?" pursued
the Oracle ruthlessly with that passion
for statistics SO irritating in those who
| take an interest in our affairs.
some mental arithmetic. We'll. really
more than thought. No, L can't leave
her out. Well not more than 80.
Thirty" exclaimed the Oracle. "And
if it's 80 the first of November it viii
be go by the last OF December. And
you'll have a very merry Christmas,
won't you, worn to fragile and head
over heels in debt? OF course it's no
use to argue. You'll go right on doing
this year as you've always done, car
ried away by the frenzy of gift-making
that seizes people once a year and you
won't remember in what a frame of
fortnight before the holidays, what a
relief it was to have them over nor any
of your resolutions never again to join
in the Christmas trot. But, now If
things-now is the time to exercise
your self control, prove your moral
courage, cut your list down to the
members of your immediate family
leaving out those friends you've always
remembered and earning their death
less gratitude for bringing to an end a
SenselesS and meaningless custom
which is as much a burden to them as
to you.
II have known for a long time that
the crying need of the women of the
age is Moses in the matter of a
Christmas reform. More than the ball
lot we need emancipation from the
Christmas trot. Confess that for years,
ever since you left childhood behind,
in fact, Christmas has been embitter-
ed for you by this wild and reckless
exchange of presents. The custom
means nothing. Originally it may have,
but now we give to people because they
have given to us, not because we care
about them or want to make them
happy; we have only to note the way
in which we give to determine THAI Is
it to our poorer friends that we make
our best gifts? Rarely. Instead we put
them off with some useless things pick
ed up at little expense and less time
or thought and with no consideration
of their tastes. and go bankrupt buy
for the people who already have every
thing and by whom some little re-
membrance, If only it were chosen
| thoughtfully and given in affection,
would be as highly priced.
"They say Christmas is a season of
joy but 1 believe 1T is as often re-
membered for disappointments and hui
nliliations-not because our friends for
got us but because of the way they
remember us. There is a way of Civ
ing that is a positive insult 1t is not
the value of the gift-it is merely a
matter of contrasts and COMPARISONS.
If you have a friend who pretends to
think great deal more of you than of
any one else and If at Christmas time
she gives you some trifle, selected hap
hazard without any attention to your
preferences, you will receive 1t with
gratitude and appreciation just because
she gave it to you and cherish it until
you happen to learn that she sent some
other friend whom she often gossips
about and criticizes something very
beautiful and valuable that any girl
would love to have for her own
You know she likes you best-you
have every assurance of it-but YOU
can't help being hurt. The difference
in the gift she makes you proves not
that you have less of her affection but
that you have less of everything else.
She wouldn't dare give the Other Girl
who is wealthy and courted and pet
ted, an inexpensive little present but
she thinks you aren't used to better
besides she knows you SO well that you
won't mind. But you do mind. 1t
isn't the value of the gift-you never
thought of it until you found out what
she'd given the Other Girl. Is it jeal-
ouSy? Well, yes, perhaps it's jealousy,
and perhaps it isn't very worthy sem
timent. but all the same you are so
hurt that you can never again look at
her gift without a pang and you put
it away out of sight and hope she'll
never give you anything again.
aBut probably you have done the
same thing yourself to one of your
other friends because pepole don't
give at Christmas time with regard to
tn cir affection for the recipients.
"You lavish your expensive gifts on