Evening star., 1924-12-12
Buying Christmas Gifts
Selection of Appropriate Objects Adds to Enjoy
1nent of Annual Season of Good Cheer-Pres-
ents Adapted to Use of Adults and Children.

worn at present. When suspended in
a room such n box resembles a hand
some hanging lamp.
The box can be suspended by means
of colored cords attached to the sides
of the box. The cross cord, on which
such box is suspended, can be
stretched across corner of the room.
One end is firmly attached to the wall
at the picture rail. The other end is
passed through q ring on the wall
and carries q weight concealed by a
tassel
There should be knot or decora-
tive wooden bead on the cord on the
far side of the ring, so that the cord
will go so far and no farther. This
will allow sufficient scope for the hat
box to be drawn down. The length
of the cord from knot to weighted tas-
sci must be long enough to allow the
hatbox to come we'll down.
Gifts for Children.
A general rule to follow when Sc
lecting playthings for all ages Of chill
dren Is that the more they can be
worked over by a child and the more
they can be used and adapted to vari-
GUS purposes instead of being confined
to one mechanical performance, the
more enjoyment they will afford The
younger the child the larger, as a rule,
should be the plaything.
Up to three years of age bright cloth
balls, gay picture books, furry ami
mails rag dolls, a string Of bells, or
a small music box are all suitable.
From four to seven years Of age a doll,
sai'boat, a rocking horse, small
cart, a soldier cap or drum may be
given. Puzzles and games are suitable
for the nine-year-old child. A live pet
may be given to a ten-year-old child.
Gifts Children Can Make.
Bean bags can be made from pieces
of gingham about inches wide and 13
inches long The child should paste a
colored picture or a design from wall
paper pattern on one end Of each piece,
put the pieces under weight to dry.
then fill the bag, and it is a nice gift
for a playmate.
A child can paste wallpaper pat
terms over the advertising matter on
heavy paper bags that are given away
by grocers and make a present for
mother or grandmother.
Napkin rings can be made by apply
ing a narrow strip of wall paper to
cardboard tough enough so that it will
not break when it is rolled. Fasten
the ends together with a bit of ribbon
run through two holes in each end.
A bag for marbles can be made of
strong gingham with a drawstring of
tape. Initials for the side can be
sewed through paper, and the paper
torn away when the letters are fin
ished.
Sweets and BOnbOnS.
Here are some Christmas sweets
that are healthful as well as de-
liciouS, and make very acceptable
gifts.
Peppermint Honey Taffy.-Boil to-
gether one-half a cupful of honey,
one-haIf a cupfu1 of sirup, one cupful
of sugar, one tablespoonful of butter
and one teaspoonful of vinegar
When little of the mixture will
harden in cold water, remove the
whole from the fire and beat into 1t
one teaspoonful of essence of pepper
mint. Pour the candy into buttered
platter. AS soon as it is sufficiently
cool, butter your hands and pull ii.
Then cut the taffy into pieces and
wrap the pieces in squares of but
tered white paper.
Sponge Drops.-Beat to froth three
eggs and one cupful of sugar, and
stir into the mixture a heaping cup
full of -four, with which you have
mixed thoroughly teaspoonful of
cream of tartar and half teaspoon
full of soda. Flavor the whole with
lemon. Butter shallow pans, drop the
batter on them in teaspoonfuls placed
about three inches apart, and bake
the cakes at once in r very quick
oven. Watch them carefully as they
burn easily.
Date Sticks.-Beat together two
eggs and one cupful of powdered
sugar. Then sift together three times
six tablespoonfuls of flour with two
teaspoonfuls of baking powder and a
pinch of salt. Put dates through the
food chopper until you have ground
up a cupful of them. Gring the same
quantity of walnut meats. Beat the
prepared -four into the eggs and
sugar mixture, add the ground dates
and nut meats, drop the batter from
a teaspoon onto a shallow buttered
pan and bake the cakes in a slow
oven.
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