Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-12-21

W. H. ohflstmas stocking?" one asks.
LIS - certainly there should be; thai ia
maii me nun of emptying the mysta.
lrous receptacle. But let the %snrnriss
t ha IN finding some of the things
me ~ liiiid wanted but was not sure he
would receive. NC
~ you are an artist he will not be
aple to feel down he outside Of the
avochllS and say: Here's a knife,
mats a baseball. know this is a
l HooiIh because it feels like one" All. no.
nie Silape OF the packages inside will
~ rTNeal nothing as to their contents.
l.u nilile VIII be in a long, narrow box
VIII IN Folds of tissue paper that
M quite conceal its identity until. at
Tue nc OF an exciting minute of tear
Us y "fapplngs with feverish and
Guflous haste, he eNclaims triumph.
MS Just h l wanted-a knife"
ane pai! ma have a few marbles or
nuts uohe up with it, so tina its I'M
wrapping may be attended by many
Interesting con.2ctures before il de-,
sor. i'
One of the greatest pleasures or
chllohood is afforded by a mvsteri-
GUS package. Do you not remember
now large a part his played in your
own enid life" VIII YOU ever forget
me pleasure you experienced when
Iather returned from business trips
ana let you children rumnage in his
gflp Tor the presents he had brought?
ana the run of undoing the packages
20 see what was in them? Let the
memory help You be an artist in fill
ing the Christmas stockings now for
your own wee ones.
Gifts Worth While.
A little more as to
what afforded you greatest pleasure
when YOU We're 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 you We're a child they did not
nave such toys as can be found now in
even the bazars. True, there We're
not such worlds of mechanical con-
~trlVances each of which does but one
tnlns, nor the realistic reproductions
or the household utensils and furnish
ings that so delight the hearts of small
women. But if you inquire at the large
department. stores you will learn that
the mechanical toys are not as lasting
IN thelr attraction to children as you
nay have supposed. The young gen
GRAFTON wants to make things go and
not have b things go off of their own
accord.
So it is that a tool chest will afford
more lasting pleasure for a boy of a
m|ecNaIllcal trend of mind than a most
expensive train of cars that runs all
over 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
so into e~cstacies over a shoe box or a
dolls trunk full of pieces of cloth. bits
of lace and ribbon. But her happiness
viii be quite complete if you tuck
down 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 add
to her pleasure for months to come il
YOU cannot afford a regular sewing
boX like mothers. And the best of
such a gift is that it develops ability
along g line that will be OF lasting ben
eft to her.
The child's attitude toward useful
gifts is always a hard one for parents
OF moderate means to face unless they
have taught the young generation not
to measure its pleasure at Christmas
by the quantity of presents it receives.
If such gifts must be made, especial
care should be taken in the selection of
the articles themselves that the child
may really enjoy the garments. A purse
with a small sun of spending money
to be discovered in the trousers pocket.
or q longed-for little trinket
with the new dress will often go a long
way toward making such presents al
most as welcomed as the toys. But in
every case where such presents must
be mate, III the name Of good old Santa.
Claus, take care to give d toy that is:
Just what | wanted!"