Show CHRISTMAS GIVING While making Christmas presents avoid the too prevalent custom of bestowing expensive gifts outside your family Though the bestowal of the same may never you financially it is very bad taste For it may the recipient recipient recipient re re- since it may savor too much of paying off oft some obligation not by kindly installments of personal personal personal per per- service but by a cold glittering sum lump-sum present or it may take the complexion of currying currying currying curry curry- ing favor or the recipient while receiving your gift thankfully enough really feels it an additional additional additional addi addi- obligation to be paid off the following holiday holiday holiday holi holi- day season To learn that the last mentioned condition exists exists exists ex ex- to an unusual extent one needs but to eddy about the whirlpool of harassed shoppers to catch their agonizing appeals Do you think one woman in a jewelry shop questioned her companion that this vanity-bag vanity is isas isas isas as expensive as the vase Mrs A A. gave me me- last Christmas I shall have to skimp on the family presents if I buy her this but I just must I hope she doesn't give me anything this year And Anc this theme though keyed in wonderful variations ran through the shoppers' shoppers lamentations from the stuffy excelsior smelling excelsior smelling basement counters back to the spaciously fashionable jewelry shop Even though the friend for whom the vanity-bag vanity was finally purchased may have bestowed her vase in the true Christmas spirit she had burdened the recipient to the extent of skimping on family gifts that a gift of like value might be returned Even HEven exchange appears to be the shibboleth for all too many gift makers In the South for many scarce years follow follow- ing the losing struggle promiscuous mak gut girt girt- ing mak-ing mak as as' as practiced in many places today was im im- possible It was entirely out of the question for forthe for forthe the largest portion of Southern families but they had the real Christmas charity in spite of ot scanty means For they gave such clothing as they could spare spare and and they did not remove buttons buttons buttons but but- tons or trimmings either either to to the needy and baskets baskets baskets bas bas- of food were left upon the galleries of many brave looking old homes where the larder was was suspected of being limited But no cards or bluster accompanied these To have told that you gave the Curtis children the bright red they were wearing or that you had left books at Carvers Carver's or that you knew the Dorseys Dorsey's had a plentiful Christmas was to have branded yourself a pariah a carpet Trifling gifts were sometimes given openly but they were not regarded as entailing any obligation what whatever ver No one wishes to have our Christmas bustle cease or to see shops empty of anxious buyers for tor how could busy nephews recall the existence of offar offar offar far away lonely aunties or fussy old uncles remember remember remember re re- member happy young nieces unless they received object lessons on street cars and in shops Neither would we deny parents the privilege of buying the most exp expensive as well as the most unique things with which to prolong the Santa Claus Glaus myth For though Christmas is really a happy season it is never wonderful after the absolute absolute absolute ab ab- solute faith in the full stocking disappears Mothers and perhaps some some fathers too through the eyes of their little children maintain a bowing bowing bowing bow bow- ing acquaintance with the spirit Santa Claus Glaus but butto but to many he is the red-garmented red white-bearded white Salvation Army man holding out a slotted box that the poor and the unfortunate may be fed from what the thronging shoppers may choose to give And it is the independent poor if you will notice that approach the box most frequently giving out of all proportion to their means because because because be be- cause of their ready sympathy But they do not expect any return from their mites They are repaid repaid repaid re re- paid by the feeling that they are obeying the charitable spirit which the Redeemer so lovingly taught Then bestow your modest presents upon your friends by all means but keep the expensive gifts for the immediate family for Christmas is a family family family fam fam- ily festival Your friends have birthdays upon upon which h they may be handsomely remembered while the larger family the poor whom we have always with us have special claims upon our charity at this season n A |