Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-27
Gift Buyers Preparing for
Christmas Day.
RICH DISPLAY IN WINDOWS
Change in Taste for Presents Is
Manifest.
TOYS ARE NOW UP-T0.DATE
Modelled After Modern Inventions.
Stores May Not Keep
Open Nights.

Christmas. the greatest holiday Of the
year. is less than one month distant; just
twenty-seven days, not including today.
OF this number but twenty are shop
ping days. and the stores. which for
long time have been warning their
patrons to come early and avoid the
rush. are being filed by larger and larger
crowds each day.
Already the downtown section has
taken on the festive appearance: shop
windows are filled with colored balls,
tinsel and various other ornaments for
Christmas trees: wagons. drums, dolls,
books and countless other objects which
are the delight of youthful fancy have
found foremost places in the greatest
display Of the year.
Other windows exhibit large quantities
of nuts. candies. fruit and cakes The
large heaps Of sheled nuts suggest
homemade candies and nut cakes and the
candies and cakes we'll filed tables, the
festive board spread for the most pleas
ing feast of the year.
No Christmas Greens Yet
Something there is lacking. however.
without which the spirit of Christmas
cannot reach it's climax. There are no
Christmas trees on the local market
yet. nor sprigs of holly and mistletoe.
The first shipment of trees from the
northern woods is expected to reach this
city, about December 10. Shipments have
already reached Philadelphia
The fine weather, one elment which
keeps all from realizing the close prox-
unity Of the gift time is productive
of large crowds. especially Saturday
nights. For the last few weeks Saturday
night down town has been lively and ex-
tremely holiday-Hke. The overlooking
shop windows, with their bright lights.
have been an unceasing source of at
traction for parents as well as the little
ones.
Saturday nights may be the only nights
on which the stores will be kept open
over time this year. Many stores.
pecialy the large department stores. are
considering the advisability of not OPEN
ing their doors through the nights just
prior to Christmas
II this is not done this year it will be
the first time for several years, and will
undoubtedly make q great revision OF the
shopping schedule, as all gifts will have
to be purchased during the hours of light
Change in Taste for Gifts.
Another change which is making itself
more evident annually, but which will
probably be more in evidence this year
than ever before, is the changes in art
articles demanded by purchasers for gifts
for their friends and relatives. For in
stance. there are large numbers of books
sold now which for the most part are
filled with modern pictures and have
little or no reading matter, in place of
the less modern gift book, which con-
tanned much reading and little or no
illustrations.
Even to toys there is a great change
to be seen. Here modern toys, right up
to the minute in every detail, are de-
manded.
The small child of the present day is
not content with the little horse and
wagon which was source of so much
pride to his father and grandfather. His
toys must be modelled after modern in
ventions and the stores find a large sale
for these articles.
Toy Photographs moving picture ma
chimes, electrical machines, telephone and
telegraph instruments, and even the
aeroplane are demanded. The toy aero
plane. though comparative recent innO
walton in this country, is finding much
favor in the eyes Of the children of this
city, state the salespeople. and aero
planes at one dollar and one dollar and
a half are listed among the fast sellers.