The daily Alaskan., 1915-01-13
.Jif11'S Christmas
 Blunder
How It Effected a Revolution 10
 Giving Christmas Presents
By EUNlCE BLAKE


 Edward" said Mrs. Dunont, "Chrisi- mas is coming. and this year would like to introduce some novelty into our festivities tO please the childrrn How would you like to play Santa tiauS:
 "l have no objection IO doing any reasonable thing to add tU the chll. dreus happiness, but tt seems 10 me that Christmas Is losing its intent The result is the Spug, who thinks we are OverdOing tue matter and IS becoming rcUrllious against the inter- change of presents. For weeks before the Christmas season preparations are going on. money Is being spent, and after it is all over there is enough useless material accumulated to serve for millions of boutres."
 "l am sorry If you have become Spug."
 "lt is not the giving that l am op- posed to, but the exchange. Our chil- dren must buy gifts for all the other children with whom they are intimate because it is expected that these chil- dren will give presents to them"
 "You wouldn't place our children in position to receive presents without return. would yOu?"
 Certainly not l would do away with gifts on both sides
 How could you possibly do that?"
 'I.et It be known that this year our children will give presents only to those who need them. There are plen- ty of poor children whose hearts would be gladdened at being remembered and who cannot make return. Let ns provide an equivalent for an the gifts our children expect to receive and in' stead of making the return to those who don't need presents give them to those who do."
 "Oh. Edward, how impractical you are! Do you suppose those who give us Christmas presents will be satls- fed with such a retHrn?
 ~Granted. But we will have got rid of the exchange method and will have gained the pleasure of real giving.
 "If you are willing that our children should be placed in such q position with their associates 1 am not. l ad' ruit that we should give to the poor, hut gifts for them should be provided nStra."
 Well, my dear, I will give you an amount to spend for Christmas as you like. How much do you think would buy all the return gifts the children win need"
 Make 1t $50"
 "And how much for real gifts"
 "The poor are not accustomed to as much as those who are well provided for, think half of $50 will do."
 "Very well. will draw you a check for $75."
 "But this novelty that wish to intro duce Will yuu pcrSon1tc santa Claus:
 "ConSidrrlHg that I dou't approve of yonr mcthod If celebrating Christmas don't yon think it unreasonable to ask me to take that trouble: Better let Ilm take the part.
 Jim was their suu. thirteen years old. but quite large enough for Santa Claus He was delighted at the op Eortunity, and 1t was arranged that on ] ( uristmas even he should appear with bag of gifts. These were to be sole I7 for the children of the Dumont fam ily. Mrs. DumOnt, in defcrence to the wishes of her practical husband. con seated that they should aIE be useful articles. Billy needed new overcoat Jenny a dress suitable for dancing school and children's parties, while B,b, who was athletically disposed wanted a pair of skates.
 The Dumonts lived in a row oh twelve brick houses of equal height ard finish. An end house was vacant Jim got permission to dress in this house for the part he was to play, aft CT which he would walk over the roofs of the houses intervening between It and his house, open the scuttle and go down into a second story bedroom, where the assembled family would be waiting for him. Of course only the father and mother were to know he was coming.
 When Christmas eve came Jim gath cred up the different articles that had been provided for his outfit, and while his mother attracted the attention Of the other children be stole out of the house unseen, went to the vacant building at the end of the block, open ed the door with a key that had been