Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-10-26
CHRISTMAS GIFTS
BY DOROTHY ok, ..... i:
The Worlds Highest Paid Woman
Writer.

- HE season is upon Us when the
dread spectre of the Christmas
Present stalks through our midst
and when wild eyed women sit down
with pencil and paper and try to dope
out some system by which they can
make one dollar go as far as two, ana
what they shall give to whom as =
token of love and remembrance
Getting ready for Christmas has a..
ways been a time of toll and travail.
OF blistered and fraZzled nerves, but
this year IL will be more strenuous
and narrowing than ever before, for
with plain bread and meat the price
of erstwhile nectar and ambrosia the
average family viii have dimes in.
stead of dollars with which to go a.
shopping.
And This suggestion that this is the
psychological moment at which to put
into execution much needed reform
in Christmas giving. Not TO stop max
ing Christmas presents. Heaven for
bid that beautiful custom should ever
die, but only to make presents to
those who need them. and when we
do give TO give useful things instead
of unloading a lot of junk on the for.
lorn recipient.
Who does not blush to remember
the things he or she has bestowed up
on helpless friends and relatives at
Christmas time? Ornate and expen-
sive pipes and cigarette holders that
nobody could possibly use on men
who already have dozens of them;
fragile bric-a-brac that breaks at the
first handling; silly gift books that no
intelligent human being could read;
dinky fancy boxes that are nothing
but dust catchers; imitation Japanese
art that is an eyesore; all sorts Of
near silver trinketry that is of no
earthly use except to clutter UP 4
house ,
We give these things not to express
our luminosity towards our friends,
but our affection And we give them
because in the course of annual pres.
ent making TO the same group of peo-
pie for umpty tumpty successive joy
Gus Christmases We have bestowed
upon them every conceivable sort of
!. ioolishness that they don't want and
can't possible use. and are driven to
desperation to find something differ
ent each year
AS for ourselves, we are filled with
gratitude for the kindly though of US
that prompted our friends to send US
remembrance at the blessed Christ
mas time. but there is not one Of us
who, when We survey the mass of
trash that represents our Christmas
presents. but could burst into tears at
the spectacle of so much good money!
wasted. With half, or even third,
that the idiotic trumpetry cost we
could have bought ourselves some.
thing that we really yearned for, and
we wish with all our hearts that IL
was considered proper to tie up a dol.
lar bill, or even quarter. with sprig
of holly and red ribbon and send it
as a Christmas present, instead of the
foolishness that II has been spent up
on.
In times of peace and prosperity
this exchanging of embroidered and
hand painted rubbish at Christmas is
a matter of individual give and take,
and makes no particular difference,
but in hard times and war times 1t be-
comes a crime. and this year no dollar
should be wasted on meaningless gifts
60 people who need nothing.
Among well to do people there
there. should be no giving Of Christ. |
mas presents to each other.
Please give to the Red Cross the
money that you intend putting into a |
Christmas gift for me. or send it to
one OF the base hospitals to relieve
the sick and wounded soldiers in |
France, or TO some poor mother in |
France to help her keep her children
with her, or buy with 1t one of the
Christmas Kits that are being sent to
our own soldiers In far away camps
That is the message that each one
of us should send to our friends. That
IS the way in which we should spend