Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-12-20


One girl whom ! know has pres
ent drawer in an old-fashioned chest.
and into ii goes any such trifling tok
en- as | have described. or pretty bits
or fancy work, as her deft fingers
finish them. So she Is always ready
for an emergency, and her generos-
ity, for which trait she Is famous,
really never costs her very much but
the slight trouble of preparation. She
makes bright worsted balls, stuffed
with cotton and holding Ginning bells,
for the visiting babies of her married
friends; and knits shoulder shawls
for the old ladies' who come to see
her mother. She keeps the frayed
linen collars of the menfolk of the
family, and hemstitches the perfect
ly good strip for turnover collars
and cuffs. She takes rainy days for
manufacturing silk work bags and
when a girl friend brings her work
for the fternoon-wrapped per-
chance in a big handkerchief is
wont to carry it away in holiday at
tire, and with many thanks to her
benefactor These trifling gifts colst
almost nothing; they are made from
odds and ends from family and friend
~ scrapbags. But is It not almost a
divine work to make such out of llt-
tie? 1 love those ringing words:
Those whom Christ apostles mae,
Gathered fragments when He bade."
1t is just the modern trouble, that
these fragments go to waste, the
fragments which really amount to so
muCh when assembled beneath the
divine, friendly hands Of blessing.
II Is easy to spend. II is hard TO
save. And when we spend money
upon our friends, we are wont to ex-
cuse our extragavancetaoicm
cuse of unselfishness. But was the
actual expenditure unselfish? Was
1t wise to carry the invalid an enor-
nous bunch OF costly roses when her
fragile hands could hold only one
slender bud, and all the others had
to be banlshed from her presence, be-
cause of their too heavy perfume?
Was 1t wise to send the huge bnsket
of fruit to the friend who was soon
to be surfeted with every known va
riety which the liberal steward of the
steamship could supply. when a steam
er letter bearing a personal bit of
handlwork. a sponge bag for her
travelling case, a cushion for her deck
chair these could have been sent at
greater cost Of actual thoughtfulness
and devotion, and far less financial
expenditure.
The Splendid Gift of Hospitality.
Is II wise ID send the rich friend.
who knows you are poor. as costly
present as she ,ffers you? You do
not wish to be under any obligation
to anyone. you say. A good motive,
but actual dollars and cents are NOT
the only way to reckon values. Could
you not do something for that friend
In the way of increased happiness.
which money could not buy? Could
you not arrange a meeting with your
talented friend who has become great
In fame. and so let her meet the So
cial lion? Could you not ask the au-
Niiof VI tnt ntV DDOk 10 Hu-
tograph copy. and send that instead
of the most costly present The
thoughtful act Of taking that bit Of
personal trouble coets much. and I
am trying TO argue that little money
must go a long way. II has to for
most Of US. and we all love to be
generous just as you do.
might go on to consider the splen-
did gift Of hospitality. and show you
that 1t is far pleasanter to ask your
friends to drop in for the simple fam
lily dinner than to gather around a
groaning board Of dainties, too rich
and too numerous to be wholesome,
and which You can only afford once
In great while. when you might
have those friendly. simple dinners
once week. Pot-luck Is excellent
fare. and the true friends will enjoy
the home flavor far more than any
elaborate menu conjured by the art
OF a borrowed chef.-Dorothy shep-