The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1914-12-18

~ lgrandfathers would have gasped at
lAMJ the ideal In their time Christmas
was a spontaneous holiday. Christ
mas eve they hung their stockings on the mante-
piece in full confidence that Santa Claus could
find his way through sixinch stovepipe Then
there was the Christmas tree, with a grandfather
to distribute the gifts and strong force Of uncles
and aunts to maintain peace among the cousins
And there 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; 1t would,
In fact, have spoiled the whole thing. But
the spirit of Christmas has changed. We still
have our Christmas trees, subject to the regula-
tons of the fire department, but we are really
slaves of our Christmas shopping list From
Thanksgiving to Christmas most of us live in an
atmosphere of deepening gloom. We have con-
tinualy hanging over us that dreadful problem
of what would be the best thing to give So-and
so, and when we have made selection our hearts
sink at the awful thought that, perhaps. What's
his-name may give the thing.
1t is to relieve this situation as much as posi-
bic that science has been called in to our aid. or
course even science has not yet been able to
prevent two people from sending the same gift
10 one person. But 1t has been able to display
unusual gifts and larger number of them for
our consideration. that 1t will be easier to Sc
lect present which we may be quite sure anoth-
or person would not think Of And the greatest
rdvantage Of scientific Christmas shopping is the
Increased speed with which the ordeal may be
zone through.
There are two things which have brought about
this result The first is the establishment Of ex-
hibits 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 department devoted entirely to toys and
other gifts for children; in another place presents
particularly suited to men; and elsewhere Sec
tions for women and boys and girls IT is all the
direct result Of the card index and the filing cabi
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 1t 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 1t
is to save the children from being deluged at
the Christmas season with inartistc, unhygienic
and useless gifts Esthetc and hygienic are
words that loom up larger in the vocabulary OF
the present than that of the past.
And 40. although Noah's ark will remain Noahs
ark to the end of the world, no twentieth century
voungster whose family attends one of these ex-
hibits will feel constrained to suck the paint on
Shem, Ham or Japhet For, 10 and behold, they
are entirely innocent of the familiar red and
green and blue of that unsantary century we
all the animals that went In two by two are OF
reasonably hygienic white wood
Bv the same token dolls will be dolls, For here
again the scientific Christmas has produced q
change to a more esthetic and hygienic product.
Instead of the big rag doll, whose features nave
been kissed into obteration by several genera
tions OF children, there is stockinet successor.
equally unbreakable, far more beautiful, and aD-
solutely impervious to washing.
r. ordor cbiIdren one finds marvellous all.
wood dolls, again embodying the three important
virtues They are unbreakable. washable and ar
tistic Their naturaness is evident at 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 one
whit more than their mothers and grandmothers
loved the china and dollies who preceded
them? There was Henrietta, gorgeous Parisian
you may remember, whose pink and white lowell
ness is still happy memory. Poor Henrietta!
She died the victim OF 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 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
Then 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 TO
concert pitch"
But all such marvels cost money and are not
likely to avail much for the household where
Ave or six must live on small income So II Is
good to discover a case containing number OF
toys at a minimum price. Not one exceeds ten