BUYING THB PRESENTS. Christmas shopping has begun. These are days when it is a pleasure to watch the faces and the movements of people in the streets. Human nature gives itself dead away when the time for buying Christmas presents comes. The great problem from youth to age is how to adjust the purchases to the purse and still leave no one out. -This is what makes the child grave -faced, the mother anxious, the father well, when the problem becomes too tough, the father goes somewhere and braces up. Could the thoughts on people's faces during the holiday purchases be set to words, what a book they would make. Mammas planning surprises for the children, children planning surprises for mamma, and for younger brothers and sisters. Sweethearts anticipating anti-cipating "Valentine's day, planu, lg a surprise for the 'o'nly one." Fathers concealing the fondness in their hearts under frowns, and still buying recklessly of the goodie-goodies that are put to tempt credulous old fools like those fathers about Christmas time. Being all engaged in the same work, the units that make up the multitude are drawn insensibly nearer to each other. Neigh. bors are more cordial to each other; the hand-clasps hand-clasps are warmer; memory, being busy, old ex. periences are brought to mind when Jones did a good turn, when Smith was like a brother. Then some who were here last year and as heartily as any of us gave the Christmas greetings, are gone, and they are missed as people try to figure up those for whom a little souvenir is due. Then what a L.w-e time it is since e last Christmas was here. How the years increase their pace aft-or aft-or the shadows begin to grow long to eastward. It is a rule to sing carols on Christmas eve and Christmas day; but they are not half so sweet as the carols that ring like silver bells in the hearts of men and women and children when ma-king ma-king Christmas purchases for their loved ones.