The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-12-11

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And haven't you hoped devoutly,
seeing the Christmas light glow
like a candle in their eyes, that
Santa Claus wouldn't pass them
by?
Perhaps those pinched little
faces haunted you all day, and
Spurred you into contributing to
one of those beneficial societies
which display sparkling Christmas
trees and give presents to less
privileged children, while the
Christmas carols ring out.
CHRISTMAS MAGIC
The magic of Christmas! Was
there any enchantment on earth
like it in childhood? We grown
ups no longer believe in Santa
Claus; we may have lost most of
our illusions about life.
But we're never too old to re-
call the heart-warming thrills of
Christmas, when we hung up our
stockings and shut our eyes tight,
in the hope it would bring Santa
Claus down the chimney more
quickly.
Outstanding of all the thrills of
that most joyous season was the
delicious spicy odor waited up
from the kitchen as the Christ
mas cake was baked. A genera
ton or so ago, the baking of the
Christmas cake was almost a re-
ugiouS ceremony.
There were no Theoretically
sealed raiSinS to be had in pack
ages warranted free from germs,
and children, if they were very
good, were allowed to seed the
raiSins for the browning festivity.
Little hands were scrubbed,
sharp knives polished, and slit
in the side of each raisin was
made and the seeds squeezed out,
care being taken not to lose too
much of the pulp.
MOOT QUESTION
The almonds were blanched,
and the moot question raised be-
tween old NANNY. the cook, and
the lady of the house, whether
the spices should be soaked in
spirits overnight, or would it be
better to mix them with the other
dry ingredients.
A dozen eggs were as nothing
in those happy days, when the
freshest of country eggs never
went beyond Is cents dozen, and
the housewife considered that
even that price meant taking a
shocking advantage of Christmas.
Above all else, it was the de-
licious odor of the baking cake
which really brought Christmas
home to the children, and made
them Scamper to the kitchen door
and sniff.
Too bad for youngsters to be
deprived of that delicious cur
tain raiser to the Christmas fes-
tivities today!
} But the old-fashioned Christ
mas cake, with it's pound-for-
: pound of everything and II eggs
to boot, is too costly a luxury
for the average family, which
. finds it cheaper, although not
: as satisfying, to leave an order
for q Christmas cake in the chain
!: store or the corner confectionery.
Perhaps the commercial cake
is more economical, but for the
sake of Christmas spirit and the
delicious smell that will permeate
the house, why not, in addition
to the store" cake try Poor
Mans Christmas Cake" which
can be made for about ten cents
a pound or less?
SENDS RECIPE
For a good many years now I
have been sending a recipe for
this Poor Mans Christmas Cake"
to each of my correspondents
who sent me that request, en-
closing a self addressed, stamped
(3-cent) envelope.
And I've had a wealth of let
tiers about this cake. One which
came from New Jersey is out
standing.
The mother of the family had
died four weeks before Christmas.
and the father wrote me he wasn't
much of a hand at baking, but he
was going to try and make a
Poor Mans Christmas Cake" so
that his three motherless young
} sters would not be deprived of that
heritage of childhood, the smell of
J the Christmas cake.
And with the best Of wishes for
a Happy Christmas season, please
let me say I shall be delighted to
send the recipe for Poor Mans
Christmas Cake again this year,
to anyone sending in the required
stamped, self addressed envelope.
And in the words of Charles Dick
ems Christmas Carol: God bless
us everyone.
DEVOTION IRRITATES BRIDE
Dear Miss Fairfax:
81 married an only son, in fact,
an only child. And now / wish
hadn't II drives me wild the Way