The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-12-03
Signs of the
Times

Every year It is the custom TO
make several wcll-chosen resolu-
lions I'm regard to this Christmas
shouping business and how it must
be done early. But every year
these resolutions are carefully over
looked and you say to yourself about
week before the great day: There
now. ! meant to have this all done
before Thanksgiving and I haven't
even started yet. Wei, next year
t will be different" or course 1t
never is.
wonder IL Eve put of getting
Adams blue suspenders until the
dav before Christmas
Nobody has yet been able to tell
WIZ "rlndpA's box Of prepared
mustard plasters can't be bought
four weeks before Christmas instead
Of four days previous TO the glad
occasion. But such a thing doesn't
seem possible, all intelligence to the
contrary
Likewise Christmas cards to be
sent to loving friends should be
purchased while they are stil clean
enough TO be legible. What good is
a nice holly berry message if the
card is so manhandled IL can't he
read2 Several weeks before Christ
mas 1t is perfectly possible to buy
cards in comparative peace ana quiet
typifying the true spirit Of the day.
while if you wait until a few hours
before the last bell the little paste
boards Of glad tidinEs arc so filled
with finger prints they look like
BoriillOn card.
In fact, there is every argument In
favor of early shopping and none
against IT, except that the children
may find their toys, but as usual
mob psychology knows no reason.
That statement is open for discussion
to any scientist who has discovered u
spark or reason in a Christmas shop
ping throng. If such q man is to be
found let him step forward and be
received with showers OF confetti
ard ticker tape.
However, whether there's rea-
son for it or not the crowd seems
TO have a mania for getting together
about the week before Christmas
and making n rush on the poor, I'M
suspeCting city. BY the time the
week ia over eveSy body who has
ventured within a half mile of the
center of town is covered with
bruises caused by violent contact
with bundles containing such things
as Willie's locomotive of Bobby's
tool chest. Strange enough, 1t is the
most crowded counter in any store
that attracts the majority of the
citizen body. II half the women in
town seem to be jammed in q mass
in front of the necktie counter then
the other half OF the feminine pop
ulation want to be there. too.
Thus Christmas gifts are largely
accidents. Maize may staV out with
the best intentions in the world OF
getting John a leather-coVered flask
for his yuletide remembrance. If
she happens to see a crowd around
the sock counter she will invariably
push way in, having reasoned. that
since so many people are collected
in one spot there must be something
there worth buying. SO John gets
lovely purple-striped hose for his
gift when he wanted a flask. The
fact that John is in the hosiery
business and has more socks than
he can possibly use on two feet for
the rest OF his life makes no differ
enCe. Maize simply had 10 buy what
the crowd was buying.
Why do they love the crush on.
the streets, the unspeakable mob on
the street cars, the exhausting fight
to the stores, and all such? 1t is
one Of those mysteries of a big city
that will never be cleared. OF course
1t is the custorN to sink in the best
chair on your arrival home aEer
final shopping joust and havb the
entire family bring smelling salts
and bandages to your aid You gasp
your hatred OF Christmas mobs and
relate how you got stucfs>,in the re-
yolylng door for 15 minutes because
an old lady from the country in
sisted on going the wrong way and
threw the door out of gear. Every
body listens pityingly. Nobody has
the heart to say you might have
avoided 1t all had you wished to
badly enough.