GOODWILL GIFTS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20483, 8 December 1934, Page 26 (Supplement)

GOODWILL GIFTS.

Many Congratulation* Received. Praise for our display of thrift articles was universal all the week, and the interest of the public in all our work was most marked. Many older people have learnt just how easy and delightful it is to make pleasing gifts from old materials, and now that that part is over, we've to set hard to work sorting and packing and sending off i all our goodwill gifts. We are having | our *• tin-washing ” party on Monday, when the premier prize-winners will I don their aprons and help us decorate and fill our tins. It’s always such fun! TEA AND SWEETS, PLEASE. All December, tea. sweets and toys will be welcome to assist Aunt Hilda ih the best Christmas effort ever we've had. Specially would I request gifts of tea for the old people. I know many of our older readers will love to help us again.—A.H. THANK YOU To Mrs M. Knight (North Beach), tea; Myrtle Hurst, buttons; Anonymous, large parcel of scraps, motithorgans, etc.; Lydia Laraman. half of pocket-money; Lois Burgess, beautiful silk quilt; Amy Williams (Addington), sweets and tea; Lydia Laraman (Rakaia), tea; Ngaire Southerwood (City), toy duck, pink booties and blue nightdress; three Heath cote Starlets, toys and puzzles; Mrs Smith (New Brighton), tea; Ruth Craighead, tins of sweets and scrap-books; Kathleen Turner (Merivale), silver paper; W. and V. F., parcel; Minnie Bell (Tinwald), animal toys; Edna Roberts (Murchison), box of toys; June and Daphne Stringer (Temuka), parcel of help. A BIG BOX—AND A LITTLE BOX. How many of us have been rudely awakened just before Christmas from a soothing dream of “ plenty of time yet ” which no longer has any power to lull us! Soon there will definitely not be plenty of time —in fact, scarcely any time at all. And there are all your presents to buy. Follows a search for gifts which “will do” for various relatives and friends, in overcrowded shops from which the most attractive articles have departed. That is where Big Box and Little ; Box come in.

Big Box lives in the boxroom or a convenient cupboard; Little Box in a safe drawer, for he is to contain money.

Begin now and put this brainwave into practice. Divide the amount you intend to spend on presents by the number of weeks to Christmas, and put aside a definite sum weekly in the Little Box. Then, when you see any specially attractive-looking article suitable for a gift you will have a fund from which to buy it for Big Box. If you are clever enough to make presents, the earlier you begin the better, for such things cannot be hurried over. You will constantly be meeting with fascinating suggestions and materials—a charming piece of linen or lace or ribbon. And nowadavs there is such a wide scope—embroidery ami many kinds of needlework. handpainting. raffiawork. leatherwork, barbolawork and so on.

Not only will your Christmas expenditure be eased by this 44 instalment system,” but you will actually spend less if you give yourself plenty of time to plan and choose—especially if you manufacture as well. Your friends will receive more acceptable presents because these will be more carefully thought out and individual taste will be more sympathetically studied And after Christmas why not keep Big Box and Little Box on the job all the year round for birthdays, weddings, and all those occasions which will burst upon us just when funds (and ideas) are at their lowest? ROMANCE OF THE ROSE. Roses are now in their prime, and we are all delighted by their beautiful colours and scept as we walk round our gardens. IA all ages and in all countries where it grows, the rose has been extolled as the qxieen or flowers. The early Christians held this flower in great esteem, and Clement, one of the Fathers, maintained that it should be used only in religious functions, as Jesus had worn a crown of thorns, and the rose by wearing thorns also commended itself for holy purposes. The Rosary, used in prayer, is an example of its sacred association; in early days the beads were always carved into the resemblance of a rose. The rose also plays a large part in English history. We know how the terrible Wars of the Roses were ushered in by the plucking of the white and red roses in the Temple Gardens. When the wars ended the marriage of Henry the Seventh with Elizabeth of York led to the appearance of the rose as a Tudor symbol. Ever since the rose has appeared in the Royal Arms. The Persians say that roses at one time were all white, but when Allah made the rose queen of the flowers an enthusiastic nightingale flying towards the perfume pricked its breast with one of the thprhs and so spilt its blood over the petals, chapging them to red. CHRISTMAS COMPETITIONS. All entries for the competitions must reach Aunt Hilda not later than Tuesday next, December 11. Entries received after that date cannot be accepted. The prizes will be paid in cash before Christmas.