The Washington herald., 1913-12-21
By G. Y. MCCAIN.

ny Ne ~ NASS-h-N-NH
All washington, during last week.
turned its pocketbook inside out and
Joined the early shoppers. II seems
from the worn and weeded-out stock
of the stores, that every one has done
at least part OF her-they DO most OF
it-shopping.
Stores have stocked up. for the last
desperate rally, with bright, assertive
presents that they would not sponsor
in ordinary times.
1t all comes under the head OF
Christmas spirit. For the. spirit ls
here. 1t didn't come in barrel or
bottle, but spread itself comfort
ably through the air and hit every
one. Mechanical toy vendors nave
popped up from nowhere. street Is
crowded every day with. shoppers and
volunteer or impressed bundle carriers.
The approach of Christmas Is evil
dent in the chappies and matrons, and
proud, IL Respondent, fathers-and the
girls, as they swirl in groups down
the street, or, II alone, are swtrled by
the groups. There is a hustle and
hurry.
Who has not met with the naive
remark: I'm all tired outT' Who has
not volunteered to relieve some poor,
tired girl who has walked through fash
ionable shops for two hours, her only
nourishment being three chocolate sun
daes and two cups Of tea to buy green
and red necktie for Willie, to whom she
has confided Qn strictest confidence that
she Just loves two-doIlar-an-ouncs per-
fume?
The Girl with Money.
There's the girl with plenty OF money,
her arms full to overpouring with bun
dIes-a box Of handkerchiefs for Mann
ma, a one-tone set (cerise cravat, hand
kerchief, and hose) for Father. poor
man; a sweet little pipe for Brother dn
hope 1t will win his heart and lungs from
cigarettesJ; a two-day trip to manhood
for Little Brother by way OF Alger or
Henty; a set of hair ribbons for Little
Sister land everyone knows. mean things,
that she is fifteen and old enough to
put her hair up; a-but no, there must
be a limit; and they just became engaged.
But what about this girl, who seems
not to be so plentifully endowed with the
material spirit of Christmas? What poor
little presents has she bought with the
pennies and nickels she has saved? Why,
she has a box OF handkerchiefs for
mamma; a one-tone set-what's the use?
They're all the same: it's a matter mere
ly of place and price-the boxes OF the
first could be no more brilliant than
those Of the second, and the presents
will do just as much good and last just
as long.
A break in the Christmas cheeriness
The young man just passing. he with
the cigar and cigarette boxes and the
worried look which means that he has
in his pocket a box, representing a
weeks salary, for some carefully select
II NH h.,t lv,,rafnapf afa I,,,
could cause so many lines Of care?
No Presents to Buy.
And there's the man who has no pres
ents to buy. II he always kept apparent
his usual contempt1ous sneer, II would
be all right, but he frowns portentously
and looks too grouchy really to mean II
when he sees a particularly happy shop
per.
He needs a trip to the toy shops. They
seem never to lose their appeal. A pho
tograph of almost any good-sized shop
will disclose to the public gaze a shame
faced man, with a pink complexion and
white hair, trying to analyze a toy dog
that he ought to know, IL he was any
sort of kid at all, contains nothing but
raw cotton. At the counter on the left
right over there, near the strawbSTy
blond-you will see another credit to the
race arranging lead soldiers in fighting
formation and signing inwardly because
he missed his calling.
Any why, pray, should he not? There
is a standing offer of a pair of black
velvet ear-muffs to. the man who viii
say, honestly and without equivocation
or hesitation, that he wouldn't like to
be turned loose for few minutes in a
nursery. To this prize will be added a
japanese footwarmer for the man who
will maintain. to his own protesting con-
science, that he could Withstand the call
of the rocking horses and sail boats and
Noah's arks (oh, yes, they sell more and
more every year, IL he had the courage