Life — December 8, 1887 — page 26: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“LIFE HINTS ON GIFTS. EADERS of Lire who wish to show more than ordinary taste and discrimination in the selection of Christmas presents, overwhelm me at this season of the year with letters asking my advice on the all-important question, “What shall we give?” Unfortunately, these letters all relate to gifts for other people—not for myself—and my judgment is not in all cases likely to prove satisfactory, but on general principles the following hints may prove useful: For Clergymen. There are thousands of little things that clergymen like, and in case the donor should feel particularly generous, and desire to send them all, he need have no hesitation about doing so. They will be received in the proper spirit—in the spirit of open-handed recipiency. ‘The two most popular presents for clergymen are slippers and trips to Europe. The slippers are popular with the congregation and the trips abroad with the clergymen. Should there be any uncertainty as to whether the rector would prefer slippers to a foreign tour, it might be well to consult with him before deciding on the particular shade of worsted to be used in constructing the slippers. Lor a Friend in Reduced Circumstances. It is always a good thing to consult the needs of the recipient as well as one’s own natural desires in selecting a gift. For a man who has ten dollars a week and five children, an ormolu clock is a very beautiful present. If it isa particularly cold winter, and you notice that your friend is shivering through the streets in a spring overcoat, it would be a very delicate attention on your part to send him a cloisonné vase or a pair of andirons. Some misguided, tactless persons make it a habit to send clothing and coal to their unfortunate friends, and it invariably happens that at the end of the year these presents have been totally destroyed. Indeed, the compiler of these hints knows of a case where a ton of coal was sent by a well-meaning woman to an old schoolmate with whom the world had gone wrong, and who was so wrought up by this unfor- tunate choice of the donor that she threw a portion of it into her kitchen range atonce. A man who is reduced in fortune is not necessarily broken in spirit. For Servants. Presents for servants seem to be the most puzzling of all to our correspond- ents, although the problem is simple enough when one really puts one’s mind on it. For those who have no minds to put on the question, I will say that the best guide to this matter, it seems to me, is the list of servants’ presents furnished me by a woman of fashion in this city. She grades her gifts to the length of service. For instance, if a servant has been in her employ from five to ten years, an orange and cornucopia full of burnt almonds or caraway candies she finds to be a pleasant remembrance of the day. For three years’ service, she asserts that an apple on the end of a wooden skewer is quite sufficient. And for less than three years’ service experience teaches her that lasting love and faithful service “Cram CHOWDER, PLEASE.” ‘TEN YEARS AFTER. Water St. Pete Simphin. comicbooks.com