Omaha daily bee., 1914-12-01

trurnpery this Christ IN
maA. but make every "a a >-dDMj
present supply n - VI kL~
need that would else
be an aching want to the person TO whom
you make Christmas present.
This year times AFRO hard Thousands
OF people who are ordinarily well to do
are In want Other thousands have had
their-incomes reduced. There Is hardly
person. save the mlllionaires, who Ia not
having TO economize more than usual
and under such circumstances 10 spend
money for foolishness Is nothing short OF
a crime
The silly. useless. meaningless Christ
mas present Is never a welcome gift at
any time. Who wants five-dollar hand
painted Christmas card with a. dot of
doggerel poetry painted in one corner Of
Il? Who wants a ribbon-bedecked cell
luloid atrocity whose purpose is a faith
omless mystery? Who wants any Of the
myriad little flimsy silver and near sill
Yer trifles that clutter up dressing
table or sideboard? Who wants the em-
broidered and tlnsel and velvet and plush
and satin what-you- may-call-ems with
which our friends endow us at Christmas
and which serve no earthly purpose ex-
cept as dust and germ catchers?
For myself. l am never so impressed
with the fact that Christmas Is. indeed.
the season of peace on earth and good
Will toward men, as when l observe the
noble and forgivlng spirit with which
people accept the junk that is donated
them at Christmas. Otherwise they
would rfse UP and smite the givor, hip
and thigh. for having bestowed upon
them trash that is an insult to their
common sense and an outrage to their
tastes.
The average bunch Of Christmas pres
ents does not contain three things that
its recipient would not gladly chuck into
the garbage can II he OF she had the
courage TO do II. Yet this lot of silly
rubbish has cost many dollars, sometimes
hundreds of dollars, good money that
would have bought dozens of useful
articles. needed articles. that would have
made the person TO whom they were
given more comfortable enabled him or
her 10 be better dressed, and caused him
or her to overflow with perpetual graft |
tude toward tho gfver And tnts the |
tragedy Of the Christmas gift
or course, there are lot OF people who |
will say that It robs a Christmas gift of |
Its poetry and idealism to make II prac-
teal. Rats The affection that expresses
itself In taking cognizanoe OF our needs
and trying to supply them appeals lot
more to us than does the high-falutin
sentimentality that manifests itself in
useless. beautiful and symbolic terms
that sends us. for example. s2b worth OF
American Beauty roses when we've got
holes In our shoes.
The hardest task that any Of us ever
q, a. a. a. ~, a a,,a
clative at Christmas and write the proper
note of thanks, and the reason OF this
Is that you would be more than human
II II didn't make you mad to contemplate
this sinful waste OF money that your
friends have fooled away on things for
which you have no use and no place for, !
and to think how many things that you
needed and were dying to have you could
have bought with the price.
We are ali really in the frame of mind !
OF a young man who once showed me a
couple Of hundred of silly presents he
had received from girls, and who, after
sadly inqulrlng of me what / supposed |
most of the things were intended for, re-
marked: "Geei I'd trade the whole lot
off for one good pair OF socks"
This sort OF foolish and useless Christ |
mas buying is bad at any time hut IN
this particular year OF war and woe It
is absolutely inexcusable. So l say to
the woman who Is making out her Christ |
mas list. Apply the golden rule TO your
Christmas shopping; buy nothing that !
you do not know to be useful and that
you would not like TO have somebody pre-
sent 20 you"
30 far as your women friends are con- |
cerned, just remember that no woman |
was ever oversupplied with handker-
chiefs. or silk stockings. or lingerie or
towels. or table napery, or. for that mat !
ter. table accessories.
Give your girls things 90 wear hats or
slippers. or gowns. as many and as fine |
as your purse allows, but nothing from
a Paris froek to an artificial flower ever
goes amiss that goes to girl.
Instead of giving a dinky lot of foolish !
ness TO each of the various members OF
household lump your money and make a
gift TO the family of some needed piece
OF furniture that will be a comfort to
them for years TO come. Just remember
what your friends need and send that 70
them. Personally, the most enjoyable
Christmas present ever got was a
gorgeous lot OF cooking utensils. Don't
be afraid to send boxes OF fancy gro
ceries; that will always be an accepta-
BILE present as long as there's an appe-
lite left In the world
And when you can't think OF anything
especially appropriate to give 10 an in
dividual just send a check. That h al
ways received with paeans OF gratitude.
especially by children, who find q double
excitement In a Christmas gift Of money.
because II gives them the thrill OF going
shopping and buying Just what they
want.
We are always hearing at Christmas
that II is more blessed to give than 20
receive. The reason OF that u because
we don't have TO have around us the
junk We bestow on others. We can make
II both blessed TO give and 20 receive n
We push along the useful Christmas glft