The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-09
SOME CHRIST VAS HINTS.
From Good housekeeping.

In the SOuth The one thing lacking AT Christ
mas time is the snow. but an old negro OF
Alabama has originated a beautiful substitute.
lie cuts small pine trees from the noun
tains. carries them home and dips them into
his whitpwash barrel for a generous coat
ing. The great boughs, half green and half
white. are banked up against the sooty walls
and the SCOOTER fireplace. where knots Of fat
pine blaze. and his cabin is transformed into
a place OF veritable Christmas cheer.
4 dainty ironing board in keeping with
the toy iron which the woman traveller
carries in her trunk for emergency pressing
was one Of my Christmas gifts last year.
The board ia a piece Of asbestos 0 by 10 inches.
1t is slipped into a Cret onne cover Of envelope
pattern. with the flap located at the end.
instead of AZ ona side. 4 pocket NJ one end
holds a diminutive iron holder. The cover
and holder are bound with white tape.
We gave our small boys a toy magic Ian
tern for christ mas. NY husband removed
the lamp and the smoke funnel, and taking
an extension electric light he screwed the
plug into one OF the light sockets Of he room
and found that the extension socket exactly
fitted into tho hole vacated 10y the funnel.
After screwinG a sixteen candle power bulb
into this socket from the inside Of the lantern
the light came exactly into place in front
G. the reflector. This light made the lanteTn
much more efficient and at the same time
| removed all danger. smoke and odor.
uniauc Christmas gift was bestowe ed
upon a young man in business in the Philip
pines. The family purchased a phonograph,
all ialkcd into il themselves and induced
everyone to do 40 in whom the young man
had an interest. IA well as many who were
connected with his university.
College and class songs were sung for il.
-. $500. .nA Fap,.Itar aaNtnrg uipap a
new lease OF lie: nothing was forgotten to
make il the embodiment Of home to the way
farpr in A far land, to " HON IL was dispatched
that il might reach him at his solitary Christ
mas time.
As a final course at a Christmas dinner
the hostess served individual Christmas
trees. She had gone into the woods and cut
of the tops Of some stubby and i'm perfect
fir trees, making miniature trees about ten
inches high. These she set up in pots. bracing
them with tiny sticks.
Each one had a gilt star on top and was
trimmed with popcorn. cranberries. s~panGles
and tinsel. while they were lighted by tiny
colored tapers. the other lights having been
turned out so that the trees might illuminate
the room. In the branches small gifts had
been tied, nuts. candies. compliments. verses
and various jokes,
They were a great surprise, and one tree
particularly, in which a spriR OF mistletoe
had been tied. gave rise to much merriment.
The floor under the Christmas tree. writes
another contributor. was covered with white
table padding and sprinkled with diamond
snow. The tree was festooned with gar
lands of popcorn Crystallized In alum
Large and small icicles OF frosted glass hung
here and there, with white and gold orna-
ments.
Frosted English walnuts hung by tiny
silver and gilt cords. There were tiny glass
slippers and soft tufts Of surgeons cotton,
diamond powdered. At the TOP Of the tree
hung two silver bells. The candles were
white and gilt: Japanese gold paint was
used.
A square piano in the same room was
draped in white and trimmed with holly.
On this the gifts, wrapped in white tissue
paper and tied with yellow. were heaped.
On the floor beneath was a large basket
quilted with white on the outside. lined with
yellow and tied with big yellow bows. This
was to hold the wrappings after the gifts
had been opened and did away with the I'M
slightly Christmas litter that 40 often spOils
thu effect OF an otherwise pretty room.