Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-12-20
Filling the Xmas Stocking
Suggestions For Puzzled Parents, BY Bertha Bellows
Streeter, In Woman's World.

Most certainly there should be; that is
half The fun OF emptying the mystic
rious receptacle. But let the surprise
consist in finding some OF the things
the child wanted but was not sure no
would receive.
II o are an artist he will not be
able to feel down the outside of the
stocking n say: Here's a Knife.
That's a baseball. I know this is u
horn because 1t feels like one. All, no.
The shape OF the packages inside will
reveal nothing as to their contents.
The knife will be in a long, narrow box
or wrapped i'm folds OF tissue paper that
will quite conceal it's identity until. at
the end of an exciting minute of tear
ing off wrappings with feverish and
curious haste. he exclaims . triumph:
The ball may a a few marbles or
nuts n up with 1t, SO that it's un-
wrapping ma be attended by many
interesting c%onjcctures before it de-
lights the eye OF the satisfied possess
| sor.
One of the greatest pleasures or
childhood is afforded by a mysteri-
Gus package. Do you not remember
how large Il part this played in yodr
own child life? Will you ever forget
the pleasure you experienced when
father returned from business trips
sili0 w W I1 iAS
! grip for the presents he had brought?
n the fun Of undoing the packages
to see what was in them? Let the
memory help you be an artist IN fill-
ing the Christmas stockings now for
l your own wee ones.
Gifts Worth While.
A little more re%trospection as to
when you were a child will help you
select toys that will give the greatest
amount of happiness for the children OF
each generation are like those OF the
previous one. You may object that
when o were a child they did not
have such toys as can be found now in
ever the bazars. True. there We're
not such worlds of mechanical con-
trivances each of which does but one
thing, nor the realistic reproductions
OF the household utensils and furnish
ings that SO delight the hearts of small
women. Blu if you inquire at the large
department stores you will earn that
the mechanical toys are not as lasting
in their attraction to children as you
may have supposed. The young gen
Grafton wants to make things go and
not have the things go off of their own
accord.
SO it is that a too chest will afford
more lasting pleasure for Il boy OF a
mechanical trend OF mind than "A most
expensive rail- of cars that runs all
g the house without more to do on
his part than turning on a switch. The
little girl who loves to pin bits OF
cloth about her dolly's shoulders will
go into ecstacies over a shoe box or Il
dolls trunk full Of pieces of cloth, bits
of lace and ribbon. But her happiness
will be quite complete if You tuck
dow in the bottom of that receptacle
a set of paper patterns such as you
buy for yourself for simple garments
that will fit the doll.
A pair of scissors with blunt ends
a tiny thimble n a paper of needles
and another of pins will greatly ado
to her pleasure for months to come if
box like mothers. And the best OF
such Il gift is that it develops ability
along a line that will be of lasting ben-
eft to her.
The child's attitude toward usefu.
gifts is always a hard one for parents
of moderate means to face unless the,
have taught h young generation not
to measure it's pleasure at Christmas
by h quantity of presents it receives
II such gifts must be made. especial
care should be taken in the selection Of
the articles themselves that the chile
may really enjoy the garments. A purse
with a small sum of spending money
to be discovered in the trousers pocket
or Il longed-for little trinket wrapped
with the new dress will often go a Ions
way toward making such presents al.
most as welcomed as he toys. But il
be made. in the name OF good old Sants
Claus. take care to give a toy that is,
4 just what l wanted"