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Show 1 ; m 1 4 The Christmas Shopper f j; S - ' zezt r Kan f in i .i..-S -1. 'V fr.Wilinl, IIWIJJJJMpWs-gwi.i.. I I in" I i I vmmmM im 1 I I 11 fyj" T Mmr 81 r ,S ItimMMj i I in the by 1 v I ) ' Copyright, 1922. Waatr.Q Newspaper Union. IS F YOU are fortunate enough to live In the country, then your are ell right. If you are unfortunat enough to live In the city, then you'll have to pretend for a little whlla that you are In the country. Thprp In nnthlnff tn pnufi it at Christmas time. Let me tell you about It. A week before Christmas you scurry round and find as many big bags as you can burlap bags tht probably came filled with grain. Then you buckle up your arctics, draw on your mittens, wind a muffler around your throat, make sure your ;trs tr protected, pro-tected, and start for th wood. Un-1 Un-1 : der the snow re the green Angers of ground pine, or crows foot. Yards and yards of It come up when you pull. It looks as fresh and con tented as though It grew In a comfortable com-fortable conservatory, conserva-tory, instead of cuddling under a frozen blanket. You stuff great quantities of this delightful Christmas Christ-mas t r lm m 1 n g . ' " Into the bags, and ! 1 you are sure that the woods In winter ' . are much superior than at any other ' time. Then you come home with your 1 fragrant bags slung over your nhnul- ders and the most amazing appetite. ' ; You probably eat a pile of pancakes ! and maple sirup high as a pagmla '. Then think of the string, the scls- i sors, the aprons and the fun of making (' wreaths! The whole family devote-s i ! an entire afternoon to It, and get Into j friendly squabbles about the length, ii breadth and thickness of Iheir re- spectlve products. Everyone is per-i per-i f ectly sure that none can equal hU ! Aim we nave sum nothing at an about driving four miles back In the hills to buy the largest turkey that ever graced a platter; and how there was no room for anybody else when the prodigious bird was landed In the wagon, and how the head of the kitchen declared she never could get him In the oven, but seemed very pleased at his noble appearance ! And pies! Bless us, the P-I-E-S! Not your thin, anaemic characters, but thick, round succulent beauties that make your nose sniff as far as the front of the house. I have known the noses of small boys to become almost al-most permanently wrinkled from the constant exercise thus stimulated by the aroma of punrpkin pies. It Is a dangerous period, this time of cooking and baking. If you are accustomed to maintaining a solemn sol-emn expression ! I warn you to keep away from country houses if you are fond of keeping your muntpTiHtlrp In. tact ! Then, of course, a Christmas tree has to be found. This is even more fun than going after greens. A rope, an ax with a responsible edge that understands the duty required of It, and as many people as you can muster mus-ter to take part. In the expedition. Such laughing, such stumbling, such falling down of persons who forget that feet need to be wary of running vines and dead briars, such mirth over the young man who unwittingly winds himself up In a bramble bush and has to be uncoiled. And best of all, the terrible arguments about selecting the right tree. There is no fun like this. And if on Christmas day you don't wish for a stomach as big as a blimp, then you are not the person I thought you ! Christmas in the country? Well . . , rather 1 : : i |