The Wilmington morning star., 1946-12-25
WASHINGTON WIVES
CITE GIFT WANTS
Wives OF Presidents Cab
met Members Place Per-
fume On Top Of List
Bv DOROTHY WILLIAMS
United Press Staff Correspondent

Ou1Ucu IIcSS oUd11 OOx1 OoROAANOAU
WASHINGTON, Dec. %. - Give
her perfume, if you want to follow
the last-minute Christmas shopping
advice of the wives of President
[Truman's cabinet.
Almost to a lady, they agree
they'd welcome perfume in their
own yule stockings.
"Something in a floral fragrance
is nice," Mrs. James F. Byrnes,
wife at &c Secretary of State, said.
"Flowers or candy are wonderful
gifts, too. but I think women real
ly prefer something more lasting"
Mrs. Byrnes proved herself the
true wife of a diplomat by refusing
to list any Christmas shopping
don'ts for gentlemen shoppers.
"Maybe they've bought a gift
already" she said. "Why criti-
cize?"
But Mrs. Robert p. Patterson,
wife of the Secretary of War, ad-
vised young men to avoid buying
purses and compacts for their best
girls.
IT think women feel about purses
the way men do about neckties-
they like to select their own" she
said. "Compacts are a risky
choice, too, but gloves are always
a delightful gift"
Mrs. Patterson, like Mrs. Clinton
P. Anderson, wife of the Agricul-
ture Secretary, says her husband
has a knack for picking out just
the right gift without any hints
from her.
my husband knows what I want
better than I do" Mrs. Anderson
said, "but he's always so anxious
for ne to see my presents that he
can scarcely wait for Christmas
Eve"
Mrs. Anderson, another perfume
fancier, said that the holiday visit
home of their 22-year-old son, Sher-
burne, former soldier and now a
student at the University of New
Mexico, will be Christmas present
enough for her.
"a beautiful Poinsetta plant is a
w Christmas remem-
brsNce," she said. cor if you are
buying for someone like our t.
year-old daughter, Nancy, think of
her hobby. Nancy loves anything
that C horses. She likes
books about horses or more NINA
ture horses for her collection"
Perfume Is the first choice OF
Mrs. John w. Snyder, wife of the
Secretary of the Treasury, and
their daughter, Drucie, 81.
Mrs. Snyder lists a mirrored,
gold edged perfume bottle tray as
one of the most priced gifts she
has received from her husbnad dur
ing the q Christmases of their
marriage.
She credits some Of the happiness
Of those Christmas seasons to the
fact she has eve presumed to
give her husband a necktie. She
says that she never knows when
her husband shops, but that he al
ways produces thoughtful gifts.
sometimes he wraps them him
SELF" she said. "He does them SO
beautifully that he shames me"
For young women of her daugh-
ter's age, Mrs. Snyder suggests
flowers, handkerchiefs or costume
jewelry chats good enough to be
popular for some time"
Mrs. Tom C. Clark, the attorney
generals wife, advocates giving
your favorite girl some luxury she
wouldn't buy herself. She recalls
with keen pleasure the mink coat
her husband gave her one Christ
mas, but adds that 1--WE waited a
good man wears before we could
afford it,"
good many years before we could
ing bag, or perhaps a set of toile-
tries, or, of course perfume, are
her choices.
The attorney general used to be
a Christmas Eve shopper, she said,
until crowded stores forced him to
buy earlier. Her favorite gift
from him is the antique silver
candelabra he gave her once when
they were spending the holiday in
New Orleans.