Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-14

WASHINGTON, December 1.-THE
ether day society woman spent $4,000
on Christmas presents for hor relatives
and friends AS she waited in her
limousine for the chauffeur to bring
out her parcels. she looked infinitely
llstless and tired.
All about her swarmod the life OF a
great city. 1t was the noon hour,
and factory workers flooded tho streets.
Shirering under their thin coats and
eating ordorus lunches. Some OF them
we're nearly moved down In the net
work of traffic. An Italian woman in
purple threadbare coat. her face
scanned With wrinkles. hurried along
through tho mob. dragging a small
blind child after her. On the corner
an ambulance had stopped to pick up
a small pewsboy who had somehow
managed to get himself knocked down
by motor. Nearby women IN blue
wells were solicitin. contributions to
tho Red Cross.
The society woman saw nothing that
was going on outside tho limousine
window. She was thinking that she
must have taken cold at tho skating
rink that morning. and. II SO. it would
be better to take a Turkish bath that
afternoon. She brcathed u sigh Of re-
lief MS the chauffeur climbed back to
his seat. THANK God that is over"
she murmurcd. Christmas is such
bore"
She Is Really Stupid.
This particular society woman Is
notably utiselfish. The ugly things Of
life. il is safe to say, distress her as
much as anybody else. Every year her
naLse heads the list Of Il number OF
subscriptions to charitable institutions.
Ejt in spite OF reputation for clever
ross She is really stupid. She doesn't
kHow how to get the most fun out OF
lie. Christmas bores her, and why?
she doesn'; Know how TO buy r. per-
icctly nice Christmas for herself.
That is why Christmas bores most
people TheT don't know how TO place
their money where il will do the most
good. For six weeks before the holt
days. they rush inadly around the
stores buying opportunities for their
friends and relatives. motivated by
great ambition 10 give to each person
as much as that person will presum-
ably give to them. The result is simply
an exchange. Everybody gets his raft
OF neckties. shaving bric-a- brac and
writing paper Of the type that women
.hinf men like, and the women get
TOTS of things which they subsequently
take back TO the stores. The only peo-
pie who really want what they get.
and moro than pay for II. arc children.
lfd you ever give = child a toy that
ha' had been wanting and wanting for
months, and sec - slow emile OF abso-
Lutte Joy radinte his small face? II so.
you Sot your moneys worth out Of that
toy. And. the more he wanted that
10y, the more returns you received on
your investment.
Christmas is not bore TO people
who understand how to get the most
out OF 1t. Inst year a travelling man
for large war plant found that he
was going to havo to spend Christmas
Day on tho road. He did not feel very
cheerful at the prospect of eating a
holiday dinner in a Middle Western
motel with no one to drink his health
but foreign waiter. but there was
nothing else to do. In the morning he
NJ ms pipe and took walk about
The town striving to forget his grow
Ing sense Of disappointment. The
stores were all closed and the streets
deserted except for Il corner in fort
CT dilapidstcd grocery store. where