ABOUT WEDDING PRESENTS.

NZ Truth, Issue 890, 16 December 1922, Page 14

ABOUT WEDDING PRESENTS.

Everybody knows what a confounded nuisance lt is to soloct a wedding present, and most folks who have been through tho mill know what a lot of useless wedding presents are generally showered on young couples. The bride or the brMegroom, as the case may bo, has to^*lt down and pen letters of thanks, with hor or his tongue m her nr his cheek, and bo the farce ls carried to a finish, Of couiho, if some acquaintance happens to be "getting oft" m tho near future, .ono of the cruets or- perhaps , a. s?et of caivon; can be palmed off, but it is a risky business, especially m a country like New Zealand, whero people seem to know everybody else. To cope with this wearisome business of silly voddlng presents the "kitchen tea" was introduced, and those brides elect who have boon fortunato enough, to be Invited to one of these lit tie functions have generally "struck oil." The object of the kitchen tea Is to enable kindly disposed friends of the young lady to pive her gifts that ore really capable of being used. As tho nanw suggests, tho presents take tho form of articles of domestic usu\ such as pots and p.niH, cutlery, dlnhos, hakim; utensils, mid tho host of other neccs-i-saries which nil cost a lot of money, and which have to be procured m ordor to nl!f»w tho housewife to run hot <.• - tabllshmcnt efllcicntly. The kitchen tea, therefore, is something which should be encouraged. / - Now, if it is difficult urt'dcr ordinary circumstances to got something suitable lor the bride, it Is oven more difficult to nelcct the right thing for tho bridegroom. This unfair position wan

recently overcome m the ease of an Auckland couple. The young vlady m the case had the luck to be invited to a kitchen tea, when she got almost a cartload of tip-top gifts which practically equipped her kitchen for her. Then the male friends of the prospective husband rose to the occasion, and initiated what they styled a bathroom supper. There was a fine supper, all right, and it was not served m the bathroom. No, the name, like that of the kitchen tea was meant to indicate » the kind of gifts to be brought along for the young man. At first glance, one might think that the selection m that case was very limited indeed, and one has visions of nothing but a