Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-09-20

oAAo - 1OoueQ Will present 1OE eVs
erybody. These presents are mex
pensive but they carry message OF
cheer and good fellowship. While
there are many exchanges OF pres
ents and many furnished by teach
ers to the scholars the larger num-
Der are furnished by Mrs. Larrabee
who carefully provides for everyone
on the roll. The event is never COM
plete unless the three La.rabee boys
receive their regulation presents from
town friends who have for many
years provided a rag elephant for
Charles, a red necktie for Frederic
and a package Of chewing gum for
William. Charles and William have
boys of their own they can transfer
their gifts to, but Frederic is COM
PEELED to wear his necktie at once
or as penalty meet one of tho
young ladies Of the village under the
mistletoe. AS the bashful bachelor
Of the family the red necktie always
looks good to him.
But the real Christmas celebration
at Clermont takes place at Mont
aux" early Christmas morning. Here
in the Larrabee home the living room
is kept securely locked until all are
ready for the event. When the doors
are opened the tree in all its splen-
dor Is presented and there is rush
made to secure what Is intended for
them. No one receives greater en-
joyment from the hunt than does
Gov. Larrabee, who gets down on his
knees and searches for the things
intended for the little ones, but he
: is as demonstrative as any when he
finds an article for himself. Sons
times he finds horn on which II
marked Railroad regulation" or .
drum with card which reads Down
with the liquor traffic" He blows
the horn and beats the drum until
the perpetrators of the gift fights for
control OF the instrument of torture.
Every one in the Larrabee home puts
presents under the tree for every
other member. There is law. how
ever, which is rigidly enforced, that
no article shall cost to exceed TWEEN
ty-fve cents. The ingenuity of tho
Larrabee blood is tested to the ex-
IRENE to keep within the law, and
yet give presents which will be out
OF the ordinary. The ladies OF the
household have interpreted this rule
to mean that the material which
goes into a present shall not cost
to exceed the quarter specified. Won
derful little novelties are produced,
and. in every instance, they. are use
full AFFAIRS, "just the thing I hav0
always wanted, but did not know
how to get one" The boys go
shopping, and, following out the Lar
,rabee habit Of buying in quantities
and taking the cash discount, are
able to secure suitable gifts which
do not exceed the limit per arti-
Gle" These may be shoe brushes.
pencil sharpeners. rubber dating
stamps, neckties, handkerchiefs. col
lar buttons, shoe strings, combs,
tooth brushes and soap. There is
never any waste to such presents,
because all such articles are tho
handiest things about the house. and
as a general rule the hardest to find.
During the year the bargain counters
are inspected every place the mem
bers of the family go, and when
something attractive appears 1t is
purchased and laid aside for Christ
mas. Gov. and Mrs. Larrabee,. who
passed the quarter law, and safe
guarded it so that it could not be re-
pealed or amended, have interpreted
it to apply to the children only, and
that their own gifts will not be linn
tied to the twenty-five cents.
The Christmas cheer is not limited
to the 25th Of December at the Lar
rabee home. It lasts the year round
and has its climax at Christmas
time. A more sublime hospitality
can not be found any place on earth
than I'm fho.T orroheo homo