THE GIVING SEASON

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1930, Page 13 (Supplement)

THE GIVING SEASON

PROBLEMS OF CHRISTMAS

(By

“Speculator.”)

Again the problem of Christmas presents has been before us the last day or so, and again we have had. great difficulty in' selecting suitable gifts. Really Christmas as a season of good cheer seems to be over-rated.

One’s first difficulty, and it is not the least, is making the selection of those to whom gifts should be sent. One’s nearest relations and closest friends, of course, but how about Aunt Harriet? We sent/her some mittens last year, but did she acknowledge them ? Still, if we don’t send her anything it’s odds on that she will be annoyed. Then there’s Cousin Lucy. We’ haven’t seen her for years, but suppose we will haye to keep on sending her handkerchiefs each Christmas and receiving the cheap editions of a novel wti\havo already read in return. It is really-'a terrific economic waste. The space occupied by our unwanted books must be nearly as'valuable as the money expended. on them, while our. aunts must have-a supply of handkerchiefs for a lifetime. ’ ' -. >•<,>;• Again, there is Bill. I was at school with Bill and we used to sit together., Since then wo have corresponded, more or less regularly, and have sent cards bearing suitable-greetings for. The season each Christmas. . We have not seen each other for a long time; we are not interested any-longer in the division of Gaul into three parts (if.we ever were); we have got beyond the stage of surreptitious in the park;,.we 'no longer wear the' bottom button of 'our waistcoats undone; and, in fact,-what-ever common ‘-interests we may; have) had have disappeared now that'we are no longer herded together. < ’ At last by the long process pf elimination I have reduced myi list to reason; able -proportions. I have excluded those who did not give me a present last year and I have excluded those whom 1 wish Would, not give me presents. If I ignore the latter long enough they may forget me. Oh yes, my list of relations is considerably abbreviated and -rtiy friends, not: being' thrust .upon 'me, -are ; a' select ■ little'. company. ~ ’■■ ■■ : -

With the list completed the-’second problem arises. How are gifts, for: fifteen people to be' bought out of the modest sum available. ’ Logically,!.-of course, , one ’ should 1 divide them ; into classes. according .to nearness and dearness and allot sums accordingly. , Unfortunately that does not work out in practice. I tried it one year. Discov-' ering that my; allocations included two shillings for my latest, niece I visited a toyrghopl She would have liked a nice large balloon, price/ threepence, or a magnificent stuffed, elephant, >price six shillings. . It' might seem reasonable to buy the palloon and add the additional money to other gifts. But is not so simple as that, for. there »is /the child’s mother to ,be considered. I compromised by buying a-’ mechanical beetle, which the child probably hated. / But there is a different system. I place, the prospective receivers of gifts in order of merit. Then Igo ahead and buy what I feel, inclined till money, is exhausted. It makes for a little ten? siori, perhaps, j but. it*.saves a great; deal of time. ‘ *

Another problem, ( closely allied to the one immediately. al>ove, is the- selection of gifts. For instance, one might re: member that iUncle Hector is an; ardent student,of new fiction, has no children, and has lots of money. Good, I rush to a bookstall and prepare ,to. buy 'h\m what the attendant assures is the very latest novel. Then I have a harried presentiment that in a recent letter he said he/had.'read'a .'book just such as this. Was it the same? I dash home. I cannot find the- letter.; Shall I risk incurring ■ his wrath by ■ apparently not having accorded his letter the. importance which should rightly attach to a communication.. from a person so august? /Norican I send him a book of mellower vintage; he will have read it; and would resent my not giving him credit for keeping abreast of current events. Once again I,am forced to compromise, sending him a- tartan necktie/ and hoping that it does not jar upon his ■taste. ’ '-;■■/' . '•’■ ’■ /

Last year my nephew, Peter, went into raptures over a 'bbx of lead soldiers. He then said he would like some soldierson horses next / Christmas, -but can I attach any importance to that? /He has probably melted last year’s supply.dotfn for air-gun pellets and. is anxiously hoping that I will send him the air-gun this year, Now Peter is my favourite nephew and I don’t want to fall in his esteem. I have left it too late to com-, ,-municate with his parents so I. reluctantly take a shot, in the dark and send him a cheap home-engineering outfit. No whirls, they say, always like silk stockings. That sounds simple for apparently all one .has to do for Helen (fourth cousin on the distaff side) is to enter a drapery shop, bark “silk-stock-ings” (full fashioned) and retire in good' order. That might have been alrsght when stockings were black or else * colour moderately resembling something in the spectrum but', those. days have gone. Personally I rather like: the look of those the assistant assures iriq are “elephants’ breath,” but fancy a. dainty young thing like Helen wearing something resembling “elephants’, breath.” Really, it would be too absurd. Beige does not look bad and it sounds safe so I’ll have to risk it. Still—l did like ths look of .elephants’ breath?

Now a word about gifts I receive. It is a time-worn subject I know but one on which there is much to be said. W’hy do maiden aunts send me flannel underwear? Perhaps they have experienced the rigors of Taranaki’s climate but personally I prefer something less hermit-l-ike to wear next to my skin with the addition of a cardigan on top. I do not really require “Gardening Hints,” 34th. impression, nor does it thrill me to receive aii’ allegedly silver cigarette case when I already possess, and do not use, two equally utilitarian, if slightly less magnificent cases.

Anyhow,' “it is more blessed to give ■than to receive?’ so one should not worry about what is received. Lastly there is my present tp myself. I would" like a length of. the new suiting with the natty little herring-bone stripe. Also I could do with a case of .petrol and. perhaps a new* tennis racquet. Still perhaps I’d ,b®tter wait till' I have inspected' all the knick-knacks sent me. And so I will wait till after Christmas when I will find that once again my finances have fallen to a low-ebb and that the herring-bone suiting must remain in the shop window.