The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-15
ALL His OLD FRIENDS THERE
FAMILIAR GREETINGS FOR THB
MAN on CHRTSTMA&.

UAHll uIA ~ hkB hDNP VI BAgA@Ag NAo@N
contain gifts from his women friends and
hesitatingly he begins TO open them. He
has had other Christmas mornings and
knows what to expect.
This long. slim parcel is the silver headed
cane; the fat. square one. the silk handker-
chiefs; the small ones. the silver match
box and the cigar cutter; the big one. the
red silk smoking jacket; the larger one.
the green figured dressing gown.
Slowly he opens them and arrange the
contents on the table. He counts them
over-the dressing gown. the smoking
Jacket, the handkerchief. the gloves. the
slippers, the match box. the cigar cutter.
One familiar object seems to he missing
and he turns over the papers in search OF It.
Yes, il had fallen behind the table, and a.
he opens 1t. under his gaze, from the pink
tissue paper emerge the vOluminous folds
Of the white satin scarf.
His brow clears. II wasn't so bad after
all. But as he begins to congratulate him
self he sees a slim parcel half hidden by a
fold OF the tablecloth. "u
His heart sinks, he fears the worst. He
takes the little parcel in his fingers and
weighs it m~editatively in his hand while
he gathers courage to break the pink cord
that enwraps IT,.
At last the paper is OF. and at the pros
pect opened by the objects that lie under
| his gaze he sinks back in his chair with
staring eyes and pallid brow. Yes, they
are here-the red necktie with the alue
spots, the blue tie with the white bars.
the lavender with the diagonal stripes
of brown, the white pique and down at the
very bottom the ready made white satin
dress tie.
Surely he had expected this. and yet
he had hoped that for one year he had
escaped the universal fate of man. But
he thought, what good deed have l done
in the year past that would make me worthy
to be immune from the trials of the COM
mon LOTT"
And from Sue. too. Well he knew that
from the wife OF his bosom nothing could
be hid With sinking heart he thought
that no excuse would enable him to avoid
wearing the whole assortment. Why had
ne not grown n beard?
Yet his aching heart must be covered
by a smile. Not only must he wear his
presents. but he must Ensemble. coun-
terfeit enthusiasm and assure each OF the
donors that it was such a surprise; just
what he wanted most"
Even in the midst Of his dependency
there was a sombre joy in the thought that
| ne WIS OIIY OIt vi NNOhHuNenSs ANo V
membered that a million men all over the
broad land were passing through the same
experience. thinking the same ~thOughts.
wondering why they couldn't kill the sales
man who had wrought such misery.
why" he wondered. IF women buy q
man wearing apparel for Christmas presents
do they not try and find out what other
men wear and save their helpless victims
useIess humiIiation?" fs
Once when he was younger and didne
know any better he had demonstrated with
his wife.
"Why. dear" said she, Il bought that TO
match your eyes and the other to match
your hair" ""
Women choose their clothes that way.
They don't know men buy haberdashery
to match their suits. not their eyeA That
even if they have blue eyes they don't wear
blue ties with their brown clothes.
Sill musing, he Ondere II a club OF
fellow victims could do any good or ~
s~uffragette tactics would have an educa-
tional value. He decided to make a list
of proper things for mems wear n to
enlist the help of his male friends i'm giving
it circulation. Scores Of other schemes
flooded his brain.
Hetook the neckties in his hand. He could
imagine his wife in a dress like the blue one
and thought how il would become her.
He wondered why white satin crsvats
1 nave HuCh N ~ SANO. ~
could picture to himself the very counter
in the store where they had lain, with the
entc,ng English Squares. marked down
from $3.50
a long time. But he knew that the proper
cane is substantial. with a simple crook OF
the wood for a handle. and not the riimsy,
silver handled a~ggravation he had before
"A silver handled umbrella isn't so bad
he thought. because you need only carry
it on rainy days and people will perhaps
think you borrowed IL, but a silver headed
camel
The gloves, too. were gray suede. He
knew they were last years stock carried
over till Christmas time. Would young
Jones, who had told him that the only
correct glove for street wear was a tan
glac6 kid. notice them when he wore them
to the Office. or could they be kept for
evening wear? Men sometimes do wear
queer things in the evening. French
counts. orchestra leaders and the like.
The dressing gown and the red silk smOk-
ing Jacket weren't so bad. At the worst
they need be worn only in the bosom OF the
family. but he thought regretfully OF the
wooIIen gowns in soft pastel shades and sub
duel patterns he had seen in the
of the Fifth avenue haberdasher and in
imagination saw himself aTrayed in one OF
them. He had thought that the next time
he had the boys up to play poker he would
follow the English style and as the host
wear his smoking jacket, but he knew hs
could never muster courage 10 mnlct the
red silk proposition on them.
He liz his pipe and in the curling smoke
saw visions Of a time when women who gave
him gifts would know what To buy. not
alone to please his taste but such things
as other men wear
In that happy time women would know
that the padded silk mufier was out OF
style and the large square OF white or
cream silk was correct. They would see
that no man wears a silk handkerchief
except under compulsion and that plain
please him best.
They would prefer 20 buy plated shirts
in tan or green or rose with modest stripes
or figures instead ~ the unparalleled
bargains at 80 cents. worth $3.50
What a happy time that would be! No
more ready made dress ties. or out OF date
gloves, or impossible neckties. But as the
door opened he spranG to his feet, saying.
Il don't gee how you could guess just
what l wanted, dearl You couldn't have
chosen anything that would have given mo
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