The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-10-26

No. 3-The Buying of Christmas
Preaent8.

No. 3-The Buying of Christmas
Presents.
For days Helen had been worrying
over the difficulty Of getting Christ
mas presents for all his people and
all her own with a very limited sum
Of money.
Warren had intimated that they
would not spend very much this
Christmas. The coming of the baby
had been such a drain on their
finances that he thought very SIM
pie and inexpensive remembrance
would be all that would be expected
from them this year.
But with two families to be re-
membered-even very simple gifts
wound count up to an astonishing
amount.
In some ways Helen was a very
systematic little person. And now
she went about Christmas shopping
in a most admirably methodical
way.
She bought note book and ruled
the pages into three columns. In the
first column she made a careful list
of everyone for whom she was to
buy a present. In the second column
she noted down several articles she
thought most appropriate for that
person and the outside prices she
could pay. In the third column she
put down the article finally bought
with the exact price paid.
Her Christmas List.
So glance through her note book
showed her instantly what she had
already bought and what she had still
to buy-the amount she had spent and
the amount she had still to spend.
His people came first, for it was
much less difficult to get presents for
her family than for his. So far she
had bought only few presents and
the firstpage of her note book looked
something like this:
Mr.. Curtis (his father)-Umbrella,
or military hair brushes or wallet.
(monogramed) $500.
Mrs. Curtis (his mother)-Work
table, or handbag, or candle-stlcks
$500.
Carrie (his married sister) -
Kimono ordr op light, 5000.
Lawrence Carries husband) -
Smoking set. $500.
Jimmy, Roy, Annabella Carries
children)-Toys, in ally $500. Fire
engine, 75c; dolls fur set, SIPS.
Robert This older brother)-Tle
holder, or shaving cup and brush or
bill-fold, $500. Tie holder $3.25.
Frank (his younger brother)-Bath
robe or cuff buttons, $500.
Edith (his younger sister)-Auto-
mobile veil, or pretty neck piece or
vanity bag, $500. Vanity bag, $2.98.
Uncle Joe-Book, S1.5O.
Aunt Mary-Handkerchi $500
Aunt Fannie-Bureau scarf, $500.
Center piece, $500.
Lizzie (his family's servant)-
Lace collar, $1.0O.
So often had she gone over this list
that it was photographed in her
mind. Mrs. Curtis and Carrie
presents worried her most. She had
particularly wanted a work table for
his mother-but she could find mons
she liked for anything near $500.
And if she went much over her ap-
preparation for any other person,
the sum of money Warren had al
lowed her for Christmas presents
would not go around. OF course she
could get a handbag or candlesticks
the table.
Her shopping Jour.
And Carrie was so critical! The
attractive drop lights were all SO ex-
pensive. She did not find a kimono
that had been reduced from SIP to
$5.98, because it was slightly soiled
from being on a figure. She knew
she could clean it with gasoline, but
the color was unfortunate. It was
a bright blue-a shade Carrie never
wore.
But this morning she started down
town with the firm determination to
get Carries present. She would take
the kimono, if during the day she
C, lid find nothing else.
She went through shop after shup,
bought a few things for her people,
found the bathrobe she wanted for
his younger brother Frank-a very
good one for S2.9s. But she could
find nothing for Carrie.
She was just leaving large de-
partment store when she passed a
table of cut glass in the centre aisle.
Carrie had so many small pieces Of
olive, celery and small berry dishes.
She had heard her say the only two
pieces of cut glass she wanted were
a punch bowel and large pitcher.
And the thought of either at $500
was absurd.
She was about to pass on when she
saw in the middle of the table a
pitcher-a beautiful one marked
LAS it is-S5.98. She caught her
breath. What was the matter with
FRIENDS