Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-09
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Time once more to be looking up our
Christmas gifts, and just here let me quote
from a young girls letter in response to
little remembrance that was selected, not
for utility, but because It was one of the
pretty ornaments that girls Just naturally
love. It's beauty" she wrote, land
believe You thoroughly appreciate the fact
that people, and especially girls, always
like the things they don't have TO have"
Isn't this a little Christmas sermon of
itself? Good, warm Aannels, a pair of
shoes, a new churn or a barrel Of -four are
excellent of themselves, and If a person
couldn't have both the decorative and the
useful, the useful should win out every
time. If possible, however, combine utility
with beauty and for the children see to it
that they have some things that they
don't have to have" -
What to Give to Shut-ins.-It is often
difficult matter to decide what TO
give for holiday presents to plain and de-
pendent folk, and these practical sugSes-
tons advanced last year by a woman who
has long considered the needs of others
with view to throwing as much sunshine
into ciouded lives as possible may help 10
solve the problem of what to give. Let II
be something comfortable but pretty" she
says. The most surely acceptable gift to
any woman Is a morning sacque or tea
Jacket, the latter being little the DRESSER.
good quality of henrietta, eiderdown or
even wool flannel may be purchased for
% cents yard, and three yards will make
an ample garment. The henrietta or fan
mel need lining with hannelette or thin wool
stuff IL silk is not convenient. Make the
back rather close fitting for comfort, the
fronts loose and belted with ribbon from
the side seams. Do not get diugy grays
and puppies for elderly people. or If you
do brighten them with bright facings, col
lars nd M 4 hriOht Jacket with arnet
or cherry lining, facings and satin bows
to match Is q thing to please any person,
and serviceable as well. For chilly persons
an ederdown jacket in dark colors. lined
with thin red washing silk, makes an ideal
morning jacket that may be worn all day
in winter
Still another comfort for the invalid who
dislikes the weight of heavy covers is a
pair of pretty silk blankets, which are less
than 50 pair, and warmer than anything
but down. They come in the gray Roman
stripes. and are just the thing TO throw
over the bed at night If one wishes extra
covers or to use in the daytime on the
couch, when one lies down for forty wiuks
Wrapping Christmas Gifts.--There is an
art in wrapping Christmas gifts so as to
add 10 their attractiveness Provide your
self with an abundance of white tissue pa
per. a package of the inexpensive Japan
csc napkins that come at this season with
the holly borders, then plenty of red and
green bell ribbon the shade of holly ber-
ries and leaves for tying. Wrap the pack
age as daintly as possible in napkin or the
tissue paper, and tie with white ribbon.
Slip into this your visiting card. on the back
of which write some of the sweet Christ
mas messages of which the world never
grows weary. Wrap again in tissue paper,
tie one way with red ribbon and the other
way with holly green, and where the rib
bons cross insert sprig of holly leaves and
berries. Little artificial sprays of holly
with berries come as low as five and ten
cents. and may be used instead of the real
where the package has to go some distance.
Instead of the ribbons for tying. raffia,
red and green, was used last year with
charming results, crossed and tied in fat
bows like the ribbon. There are also In
the shops new beautiful satin ribbons with
holly sprays used in tying gifts.
For Mailing.-COmmon sense, strong pa
per and plenty of Irvine are essentials in
preparing Christmas parcels for the mail
If you wish to be sure of your gift reaching
its destination intact. And, first, common
sense. Last year among the parcels finally
auctioned off by the post office officials at
Washington after every effort had been
made to find out to whom they were orig
inally addressed were packages merely
wrapped in tissue paper and tied with
thread or darning cotton. Naturally in the
crowded mail pouches their finish was seen
IN few hours. Mail clerks on the trains
frequently profit by other peoples careless
ness at Christmas time. Boxes of candy
and cigars insecurity wrapped fly open in
the crush and are accepted without demur
as part of the perquisites of office. After
wrapping q parcel in soft tissue paper,
then If possible inclose it in box of paste
board. If only wrapping paper is used,
holes are apt to be punched in 1t by care
less fingers or somebody else's parcel.
Therefore something stiff is better. Tie
this box tight and then put on the address
go that in case the outside wrapping goes
by the board the inside one will still be
sufficient for it to reach Its destination.
In Sending Doll.-After wrapping In
plenty of soft paper place in box or wrap
stiff pasteboard about it, first protecting the
head, legs and arms with excelsior or cot
ton batting.
in tying packages, tie as tightly as pos
sible without injury to the article, so that
II will not slip. Write, or still better. print
the address IN large. plain characters and
with good black ink. Put the address of
the sender in the upper left corner, and If
merchandise, put that announcement in the
lower corner. This all facilitates IN the
quick and safe handling of the mail.
All things considered, II is safer for
perishable or breakable articles to be sent
by express. If you do not want 1t deliv-
cred before Christmas all the express COM
panies have small red tags on which are
printed Not to be opened until Christmas"