Evening star., 1922-12-24


ment with details that went about
like this
"It doesn't seem natural to be
hanging around idle. with all the old
time snap and sparkle and expectancy
vanished-driven out of the heart by
a commercial duel Of give and get.
Even the once thrill of Merry Christ
mas" has been killed by the syndi-
Gated hatefulness of printed cards
that mean nothing but the price.
And look what trade has done to
Misunderstanding it Of the glamor
! of the Christmas tree until the only
difference between one and another Is
the money value of the balls and tim
| sell Also, see how the shops have
discredited Santa Claus by having
| cheap limitations Of him prowling
around as ads.
Il took my six-year-old boy to a
toy department yesterday. and when
| he saw the red-flannel humbug. he
told me that he was just a man fixed
UP. same as aaI would be. and that
there wasn't any north pole Santa.
and that all his gifts came from the
stores-and, listen at this: Last night
when his father asked him what he
wanted Santa to bring him. that boy
sat on Jim's knee and prattled out a
dozen wants with such deceitful in
nocence that it fairly choked me. Alb
soluteIy blackmaiiins his father. And
had to stand for it. because Jim was
| so happy to be fooled.
| Even the thrill Of buying garlands
and holly has been spoiled by graft.
! 1t was 4 real JOY to me every year to
buy my greens from the old folks uot-
| side the market and to surprise them
| by adding a dime or two to the price
of each as a sort Of Christmas gift
| to myself. Garlands are now in the
| hothouse class, as far as price goes.
| so expensive beyond reason that 1t
! serves the dealers right to have their
| stuff on their hands-though a lot of
i unbought trees and wreaths on a
| dump is a mighty lonesome sight at
Christmas time.
II used to think it treason to ma
ture and the joy of the yuletide to
! buy artificial decorations, but my
| house this year Is going to be gay
| with scarlet velvet poinsettia bios
| SONS and wreaths of red immortelles
1t is my protest against the CONNER
cial cornering OF the woods"
TT was a foggy dusk, and woman
had it to herself as she cut
through the Capitol grounds until she
had to cross over to a little shop
| where they sell magazines.
She had nearly reached white
marble bank when she noticed a
crouching figure, pistol in hand. with
eyes peeping furtively at a couple or
the side street. In an instant there
Twas a fash, a feminine scream and 9
, hcarse cry:
You have killed an innocent
woman
The slayer rushed out and aimee
his weapon:
"It is your life I want. villain
Say. Name. why don't you fall down
You can't stand up and be dead"
A lady Of indigo morals would doubt
less have considered a play like tina
as poison-proof of the evil example o
get the family man who went hom'
and told his wife they must take tt
going to church so as to bring up lit
les George properly, for why?
He had just come from a movie
where a young criminal on his wa!
to the chair had blamed his parent,
for not training him to do right
when a child. Which seems to chow
that the motion picture. like ever,
other progress in life, has it's occa
sional drawbacks. for the reason thai
man will never be able to produce
absolute perfection until equipped
with halo and wings.
! A WOMAN stood at = window ant
ia looked down on the street. L
was a refined residence section, will
nearby churches and schools. and tn.
children playing on the pavemen,
were snugiy comfortable as to cloth.
, ing and Of healthiness that showed
for good tables At home.
: Two Of these children. small girls
) were wheeling their baby carriages
each occupied by q handsome doll. A.
!, they walked and chartered a mar
came along-a man who carried the
sorrows Of his world on his shoulder.
; in the shape of a hump on his back.
The little girls stopped. looked a,
the man and giggled. Then one OF
|. them hunched up her shoulders ant
initiated the man. If he heard the
giggles and saw the burlesque HI
made no sign. Amiiction learns tt
, take it's ridicule as a philosophic mat
, ter of course. The only thing abou,
the incident is:
1t was not q game learned from the
lnoviea It was the spontaneous out.
, cropping Of that human nature draw.
back We know as original sin.
, A WOMAN good. good woman
n was blaming little clerk behins
a toy counter for selling soldiers
cannon and drums She told her, Will
, an oratorical loudness that clinchet
the interest OF every customer bank et
around, that it was the military play
thing that was responsible for war
If the armories of the world werI
burned and men would abide by tn.
, teachings of the Bible
1t was q really f1ne little preach
Currant or Raisin Tea Ring.
Dissolve two yeast cakes and on.
tablespoonful Of sugar in lukewarn
water. Add three cupfuls of houl
and beat smooth. Cream six table
spoonfuls Of lard or butter and one