The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-12-19

1t is doubtful II St Nick in all his
travels ever beholds a dwelling in
which no effort has been made to
make festive the Yule-tide with the
green of the leaf or the scarlet Of the
berry. Sometimes, when it is but a
bit Of faded ribbon or a tiny sprig OF
holly the tender hearted old fellow
must be greatly touched.
In the household where there are
big eyes to peer into the mysterious
| darkness and small ears to listen for
the old saints coming, the Christmas
tree, Of course, is the universal deco
ration. The home carpenter may have
some difficulty in making a device 20
support the tree properly. One way
! is to use a stout packing box, and
turning it on it's side, nail cleats to
hold the tree in place. On the oppo-
site side Of the box directly over the
cleat Enclosures a hole is then cut
which is large enough to admit the
butt of the tree. The box may be COW
cred with cotton, sprinkled with mica,
or may simply be wrapped in green or
red tissue paper.
To make a foot" for the tree take
two by-four joists and make a square
cross with the two pieces about four
feet long. From the center of each
cut out a block the width of the board
and an inch deep, so that the two
pieces when put together will be per-
fectly fat on the floor. Lay the tree
across saw horses or couple of
chairs and fasten IL in the exact GEN.
ter with long nails. Then stand the
he dc
of the cross to the trunk of the tree
at a distance of about two feet from
the floor. Appropriate trees, in the
order of their popularity, are the fir,
spruce, hemlock and pine. The end of
the tree should be painted over to
keep the sap from running.
Besides the tinseled decorations for
the tree that may be bought in the
shops, one may add to it's attractive
ness by many little home made tribes.
Walnuts may be gilded and hung from
the tree by bright ribbons. Cranber-
ries strung on thread may be fes-
TONED from the branches, and figures
cut from crepe paper may be pasted
to tiny clothespins and placed on the
tree One woman who was obliged to
make her decorations from the materi-
ais at hand, gilded egg shells and, by
means Of bit of ceiling wax and mar
row ribbon, suspended them from the
tree. She also dyed long strings of
popcorn both green and red and hung
them In festoons. From the butterfly
crepe paper she cut the butterflies of
various sizes and poised them on the
branches with wire.
The Christmas Dinner Table
The miniature Christmas tree for
the center of the table is probably the
most popular decoration because it
lends itself so well to attractive light
ing and the distribution of small gifts
or favors. II one does not care for
the artificial trees sold in the shops,
any nurseryman, usually to be found
out of town a ways, should be able to
furnish at very small cost little Nor
way spruce about foot and half
high. This may be tackled to thin
board and trimmed as deliberately as
one wishes, and the base covered with
mound OF holly. A small log-sym-
bolizing the old Yule logs--which has
been followed out and filed with holly
or mistletoe is also attractive and in
expensive. A gilded holly tree when
lighted with many tiny candles Is most
effective.
The wreath idea in table decorating
may be carried out in detail. About
a tall candle in the center of the table
place a large holly, or other Christmas
wreath. Encircle this with smaller
candles, not too close together, and
about the candles have larger
wreath. Each plate may be encircled
by a wreath and each dish that is
served may be garnished in way to
carry out the same idea-parsley
about the bluepoints, and smilax
twined about the sherbet glass, for in
stance.
One More Elaborate.
A decoration more elaborate in APP
pearance but simple In construction is
the use of two hoops, one perhaps a
foot and a half in diameter, the other
two feet. These should be wound
closely with Christmas green's or
smilax and hung by wires from the
ceiling, the smaller one about foot
above the larger. In the center sus-
pend huge red Christmas bell, and /
from the hoops hang smaller bells
which may be those already made