Evening star., 1928-12-23
BY ALAN MACDONALD.

" VEN the night before Christmas
l. prosperity is the big talk of the
day. You hear it everywhere,
IL like refrain. It's to go on and
on, like Tennyson's brook. If
Republican, you have at. least sneak
ing comfort such as pervaded the aris-
tocracy when Louis the Grand got his
young, capable, extravagant hands on
the rich treasury of France. If Demo-
crat, even though you recently pulled
a plum out of the big bull market, you
suspect owlishly that there must be,
incredible as it. appears, a niger in the
woodpile, sure enough. But the ques-
ton before the house is what has pros
perity done to the Christmas present?
Surely, this is the most prosperous Of
years. PreSident-elect Hoover himself
ayers poverty is on its last legs. Stocks
and securities have been marching
steadily and unprecedentedly upward.
Days of $500, 100000 in money-making
trade on change are scarcely eyebrow
lifters. The profits, paper and other
wise, are admittedly enormous, and
with 100000 holders of the catapult-
ing shares in the land they are, SEEM
ingly, spread about pretty evenly.
Every community must have its pos
SCISSORS of sudden money. with every
body else more or less hopeful.
Under this condition, asked myself,
isn't it natural to suppose this Christ
mas will be super Won't the
fortunate go in for bigger and better
presents? Won't alert dealers and busi-
ness men go to extremes of inge-
nuity and research to provide richer
and rarer gifts to share the dancing
collars Of doting parents and loye-dazed
sWeethearts?
NATURALLY / went at once to the
~ famous Fifth avenue gem shops.
Maybe there would be a necklace such
as the priceless gaud that caused the
unfortunate Marie Antoinette such tur-
MOL. Sure enough, there was. In the
midst of the regulation things, great
diamonds and Square-cut emeralds. was
n pearl necklace on sale at $685. 900
And old firm had been 20 years as
sembling it. Perhaps foot long, its
central pearl was about as big around
as the top of your fountain pen, the
others graded down to the diamond
clasp with a perfection no naked eye
could successfully challenge. The firm
had had many offers of cash and other
necklaces and jewels. and several mil.
lionaires had wanted to buy part Of
the string. But the owners believed
DCAthN ~AAA AobAAaoD 7AAORPCA Nchid Dhy I1At
string intact before the season was done
and for all I know some bull-market
11abob has already acquired it.
Not far down the avenue another
5eweler produced a necklace worth
$85 900, designed for the Christina!
trade. 1t was a magnificent thing o.
diamonds and platinum, three strand
OF brilliants for the neck, with pend
ant like small sun. The jewele
blandly broke it in parts before m,
eyes, like prestidigitator, making i
into three bracelets It had invisible
clasps little short of marvellous.
Again, I saw shining necklac
priced at $4,000, which could be mad
into bracelets, brooch and two earrings
A little Mrs. Whites big black eye
glowed when she showed it to me, Sh
was obviously in love with the thing
and could not blame her.
Next, was looking at a small glas
case in a green and gold room. In
side was. apparently, collection O
gold coins, some antique, and her
and there a modern American So
piece. The suave jeweler reached i
end took one out. He pressed
gently and little invisible flap a
lg as a nickel opened on a H1g'