The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1914-12-11

<a grandfathers would have gasped at
1NEq the idea! In their time Christmas
a spontaneous holiday. Christ
mas eve they hung their stockings on the mantel-
piece In fun confidence that Santa Claus could
ind his way through a sixinch stovepipe- Then
there was the Christmas tree with q grandfather
TO distribute the gifts and strong force OF uncles
and aunts to maintain peace among the cousins.
And there was skating in the afternoon with the
choicest sort of melee to give the finishing touch
to the day.
There was no need Of science there; II would,
in fact, have spoiled the whole thing But now
the spirit OF Christmas has changed We still
have our Christmas trees, subject to the regua-
tions of the fire department but we really
slaves OF Christmas shopping list From
Thanksgiving to Christmas most Of us live In
atmosphere Of deepening gloom We have con-
tnually hanging that dreadful problem
of what would be the best thing to give So-and-
SO, and when we have made a selection our hearts
sink at the awful thought that perhaps, What's
hisname may give the thing
It is to relieve this situation much as possi-
BILE that science has been called in to our aid OF
course, science has not yet been able to
prevent two people from sending the same gift
to one person But II has been able to display
unusual gifts and larger number Of them for
consideration, that 1t will be easier to Sc
lect a present which may be quite sure anoth-
er person would not think Of And the greatest
increased speed with which the ordeal may be
gone through
There are two things which have brought about
this result The first is the establishment Of ex-
hbits Of gifts for children in the schools Of the
large cities Of the country. And the second is
the scientific arrangement Of gifts for sale in the
shops and department stores. On one floor we
have a department devoted entirely to toys and
other gifts for children; in another place presents
particularly suited to men, and elsewhere sec
lions for women and boys and girls 1t Is all the
direct result Of the card index and the filing cab
net You look under the particular heading you
wish and you find displayed before you vast
quantity Of suitable gifts to choose from.
The object OF the school exhibits Is not so much
to save mothers labor, worthy object though that
might be. Nor Is II to display the latest and
most ingenious products OF the toy market Child
welfare is the primary purpose, and there we
have another side of the scientific Christmas. IL
is to save the children from being deluged at
the Christmas season with inartistic, unhygienic
and useless gifts. Esthetic and hygienic are
words that loom up larger in the vocabulary OF
the present than that OF the past
And So although Noahs ark will remain Noah's
ark to the end Of the world, no twentieth century
youngster whose family attends one Of these ex
hibits will feel constrained to suck the paint off
Shem Ham or Japhet. For 10 and behold, they
are entirely innocent OF the familiar red and
green and blue of that unsanitary century we
have left behind. The sons Of the patriarch and
all the animals that went in two by two" are OF
reasonably hygienic white wood.
By the same token, dolls will be dolls For here
again the scientific Christmas has produced
change to a more esthetic and hygienic product
Instead OF the big rag doll, whose features have
been kissed into obliteration by several genera
tions of children there is a stocknet successor,
equally unbreakable far more beautiful, and alb
solutey impervious to washing.
For older children one finds marvellous all
wood dolls, again embodying the three important
virtues. They are unbreakable washable and ar
tistic. Their naturalness is evident at a glance,
and the visitor is not surprised to learn that they
are reproductions OF American children modelled
by American artists.
And yet, the thought rises, will modern Dorothys
and Nancys love these charming creations ono
whit more than their mothers and grandmotbers
loved the china and dollies who preceded
them? There was Henrietta, gorgeous Partisan,
you may remember, whose pink and white lowell
is still happy memory. Poor Henrietta!
She died the victim of a bad small brother who
tried the effect of midsummer heat upon her
waxen complexion. Then there was Juliet, she
OF real brown hair that combed and a warm
brunette complexion, and host OF others who
may have had untold attractions. But you must
put them out Of your mind in this scientific age.
Real hair harbors horrible microbes and complex
ions do not digest well in small stomachs.
Ihen there are other suggestions which are the
result OF the practically OF our time Housekeep-
ing furnishings, for example, such as tea sets in
pewter. cooking utensils In granite and metal an
ironing board and iron which can really be used
and an iron cookstove upon which things can be
cooked. \ In the matter OF musical toys science
has gone even further. The pianos for the child
Of today are marvellous instruments Alas for
the prestige Of the tinkly toy OF generation gone
byl These have from two to three octaves OF the
chromatic scale and are accurately tuned ito
concert pitch"
But all such marvels cost money and are not
likely to avail much for the household where
FIVE or six must live on a small income SO Il is
good to discover case containing a number OF
toys at minimum price Not one exceeds ter