Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-12-20

full filling of the Christmas stocking is
getting exactly what the child mas
been longing for. Some sr"wnups
think they have secured the necessary
information when they ave e the
letters to Santa Claus and then Won
der at the child's disappointment as
he views the contents of his stocking
on Christmas morning.
Why, didn't you ask for a train or
cars" they inquire in amazcment.
Yes" the boy sobs. but not this
kind of cars. wanted freight cars;
and oil cars and cars you can dump
and open doors and put things i'm.
\ don't want this III YOU can't do any
| thing With"
And h little girl is disappointed
ing TO be desired.
"It's got black hair" she walls, and
the one | wanted has curly golden hair
and lovely blue eyes and her cheeks are
SO pretty and pink. 1t wasn't a bit
nice OF Santa Claus Il bring me that
old thing"
Children are terribly unreasonable.
you say to yourself. and then YOU try
the doll are just the best that old
Santa could do. He was all out of
the other kind" is the final argument
and the children. with the philosophy
of their age, accept the inevitable n
make the best they can of it.
scouting TOR SlttS.
II you have discovered the art OF
heartache will reward your efforts in
giving joy to a child on this morning
of all days. Before YOU buy a single
present you will take the child in your
lap and ask her what h really wants
for Christmas. You may have to tell
her that Santa has o much money
to spend This year II will not be able
to bring her more than II or two
gifts that cost very much.
And if you had to narrow your list
choose?" you ask.
1t may be a doll carriage, a book, a
game, a pretty new dress, but what
ever it is, do not fail at this time to
secure an a description of it. o
may find It necessary to make a few
suggestions in order to bring the
article within reach of your purse, but
if these are tactfully made the little
girl may not suspect the ideas are not
her own and by the time Christmas
has arrived the mental picture YOU
presented to her then is the one h a
exactly fits the gift she finds in her
stocking.
An artist in Christmas buying will
be Very sure that this is he case be-
fore he buys that gift. He will have
the color of the eyes and the hair, fhe
size of the doll and AT least a general
description of the garments she is TO
wear when she is enthusiastically re-
moved from the Christmas stocking.
He will know all about the other toys
in which she is most interested: he
says he wants to know even If Santa
cannot bring them all.
The Gratifying Results.
1t is a delightful conversation both
for parent and child and one that
brings them close together as few eX-
periences in life can. And the child
goes off happily to bed to dream of
the anticipated pleasures, while the
smiling artist makes note OF his dis
coveries in a little memorandum he
keeps expressly for this glad season
of the year. Tomorrow night. he says
to himself. he will catch Bill and sound
him as to his hearts desires. or il it
should happen that such Il conversa-
ton with Mark or Mary would come
in naturally enough. he will take one OF
them instead. But they must be taken
one by one, with nobody to distrac,
them from the important disclosures.
1t was on Christmas day of last yea1
that n boy whose father had so dis
covered his secret wish old every child
he knew: Come on in and sec my
train OF cars. Hi, man. I've got eight
cars besides an engine and a coal car
is that all YOU got for Christmas?'
in~credulously inquired Il boy who meas
ures pleasure by the numbe of gifts
AM Ain that enough, man? It's
just exactly what l wanted was thu
amazed reply Of the satisfied y%oungster
Blu are there to be no surprises in