Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-12-16

of the family. The ribbons attached to the pack
ages in the pie should be carried up to a holly
decorated hoop suspended over the table, each
ribbon tagged with the name Of the one for whom
it is intended. When the family wash" has been
taken down-each person seeking his or her own
gift-they gather around the pie, and at a signal
pull out their plums."
Hidden in Egg Shells.
When the family is all present at breakfast
start to serve the meal of coffee, bread and but
ter, ham and soft-cooked eggs without any men
ton of gifts.
At each place have an eggcup or saucer, on
which you put an egg, the contents having been
removed previously through a small hole in the
end; partly fill with sand, and let each contain
a small paper with a suggestion In poetry OF
where or how to find their gifts.
AS each person thinks he is cracking his egg
he finds the puzzle inside.
Much merriment and good cheer will be the
result.
Serve original contentr of e~ggshells in omelet
with the ham.
Hide one persons gifts in bookcase. paper in
egg to read:
If you are either wise or smart
You'll find me in a hurry.
Among gifted people l now dwell;
So hunt, don't sit and worry.
Frost King and SnowbaIIs.
AS JHlS Is TIE Llme IOF Lue Clever WUludu OIL
the family to devise some unique way Of dis
t~ributing Christmas gifts, she may decorate the
living room with evergreens, holly and mistle-
toe, and then place in one corner a table covered
with a white cloth, hidden from view by a screen
of generous size. On this table is placed snow
balls. These snowballs. made of white cotton
batting and tied with white robbon, contain each
designated present, and are heaped in a pyra-
mid, thus obtaining a mass of snowballs Of
varied size. The pile is scattered freely with
diamond dust, in order to give it an attractive
sparkle. If there is a small boy in the house he
may be dressed as a Frost King, in a costume Of
white wadding, sprinkled with diamond dust;
leaves and holly berries can be sewed here and
there upon the robe. At a given signal the screen
is removed, disclosing the tiny Frost King, who.
with a few words of Christmas greeting, gathers
the snowballs into a pretty basket, and as each
ball bears a small tag he finds no difficulty in
distributing the gifts to those assembled.
A Holly Pie.
A novel way Of distributing Christmas gifts
on Christmas morning is to make a big pie in
the center of the table of holly branches, and ar
range it so the gifts can be easily drawn from
under it. Each gift must be tied with a narrow
red ribbon and one end lead to each place at
the table. This is great fun, and of course every
one is anxious to see who gets the most rib
bons, the lucky one being declared the most popu-
lar. The pie is not opened" until end of break
fast.
A Christmas Trail.
One member of the family should take charge
of the gifts, and when the coast is clear should
lay the trail with them in all of the available
downstairs rooms. Start from a tiny Christmas
tree on the living room table by fastening to it
a card for each person, marked, for example,
thus; card No. l, father. Look for card No. 2
t., Ao-1 l. l-II - - A. 49, l. FL
find a package tagged in this manner; Gard No.
2, father. Look for card No. 3 in your hat in hall
closet" The third card will be found on O gift
in the spot designated, nth further instructions,
which are followed on to the next, until all his
presents come to light. Everyone pursues his or
her trail at once, and a merry scene of confusion
is the result, These cards may be prepared be-
f~orehand, and no difficulty will be experienced II,
in placing the gifts, each trail is finished before
starting to lay another. The last cards should
direct the family to their places at the dining
room table, where they will find amusing souve-
Mrs Of the occasion.
Cobweb Method.
A rather novel and entirely inexpensive way
of distributing Christmas gifts is to employ the
"cobweb" method. Suspend a rope diagonally
across the room, over which the strings may
cross, each string to be labeled at its source with
the name of the member Of the family or the
friend for whom 1t is intended. A sheet can be
hung across one end Of the room, hiding the gifts
from view until time for winding the strings. Let
all begin the quest at once, 1t being necessary to
find the beginnings of the strings where the
names are attached. This will afford consider
able amusement. as the strings should be run
through keyholes, under beds. over transoms
and even out of doors, IL possible.
Aside from the element Of mystery contained
in this method, there is the added value which
attaches to those things which have been really
earned through ones own efforts.