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THE MACON TELEGRAPH: 5-TNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 25, 100i ^
Christmas
KATE CLYDE Mentions Some Things
Which Should Not Be Given as Presents.
Sartorial Fancies of the Moment-Advance
Information on Spring Fashions
T HE colored photograph has
proved very popular thin year
for a (IhllilmM present, hut If
you think coloring photo
graphs la easy you want to try It the
way a girl I know did.
She gave every friend' she owned a
photograph of heraelf In tastefully col*
ored fancy dread (ahe had had the pho
tographs n long
time, and, to
tell you the lion-
cat truth, ahe
wanted to get
rid of them).
She thought ahe
really wua prac
tising economy.
It turned out to
he anything hut
economy In the
end. For a week
sh© lived »n an
ntnv'finhere of
paint and mud-
luge, her nalla
were never
clean, and ahe
, . usually had a
£"L smudge of p.lnt
p from the corner
of her mouth to her ear because ahe held
her brush between herteeth. Inaddltion,
ahe apllled a bowl of “painty” water on
her beat table acarf. and. every ahlrt
walat In her poaaeaalon w»ih decorated
with a spot or so. The last but not
least of her mishaps wag a nice little
doctor’s bill because ahe would persist
In passing her paint brush between her
lips whether It had green paint on It or
not. Between the doctor, the paint she
used and the things the paint spoiled
she came to the conclualon that those
same Christmas presents were not par
ticularly cheap.
Old fashioned hollduy week parties
are right In vogue both for thoeo who
have the good luck to spend the Christ
mas holidays In the country, and for the
less fortunate ones who have to stay In
town. In the latter case a room Is dec
orated-In as rustic a fashion ns possi
ble so as to suggest the living room of a
farmhouse, and all sorts of old fashion
ed games are Indulged In by way of
amusement. Each game has prlsca. of
course.
The prises for an old faahloned spell
ing bee were shown to me yesterday.
They are very new faahloned diction
aries only an Inch square and inclosed
In tiny aluminium cases, each having an
oval magnifying glass In Its cover. Of
course the little dictionary Is printed In
such tiny characters that It can only he
read with the aid of this magnifying
glass. But think how convenient to
carry around In one’s pocketbookt
Ussiest Christmas gifts.
I can’t bear the people who give me
useless Christmas presents, like paper
cutters, for Instance. Who ever uses a
paper cutler? The leaves of all books
come cut nowadays, and as for the
magnsines, a hairpin Is always more
convenient because you have It right
there, even If It Is not so elegant. I
have three paper cutters now, and all
they do for me Is to get lost and step
ped on.
Handkerchief cases are another nui
sance. Who ever puts handkorchlefs
into a handkerchief case, unless It Is
some very prim old nialdy person? I’i
sure I never should bother. Glove boxen
are quite another matter. A glove box
Is both pretty and useful If It matches
your drenslng table In shade. The trou
ble Is that most pcnplo never think of
that trifle, and they don’t mind sending
you n perfect dear of a lavender covered
box when everything you have Is as
Bhe earned the quarter.
pink as pink can be, from I ho big fat
pincushion to the narrow ribbon' on
your lamb’s wool powder puff.
Well, most women, don’t care anyway.
It’s a prosent, and you ought to bo glAd
to.get It; tlmfs all there Is to It.
For my part. I like gifts of a practical
or personal nature, things I can wear or
put up In the room, mill even that sort
of gift has Ita disadvantages. Look at
Bessie Fluttrrly, poor, but with exqui
site taste, and she always has some aw
ful Christmas present from her rich
Aunt Jane which she has to wear out.
Last year It was a very handsome satin
waist; but, oh, horrors, of a bright,
•had© of purple! As poor Bessie was
wearing a dark red tailor made in those
days Just fancy how she looked!
Then, too, speaking of things one can
put around the room. I shall never for
get the year Busan Faddy had the ma
nia for “hand
painting’’ china.
Bhe sent me a
small dish shap
ed like a fu
neral urn and
painted with
anaemic looking
b ti t lercupH
which she told
mo was to go
on my mantel
piece. Well, of
course, It wAnt
there—It had to,
for Busan Js a
very good friend
of mine—hut it
managed to slip
behind a fat
ller ruffle trn* trailing photograph, and
on ground. on thc thlrd (Illy
I gave the innid n hint that If she
knocked It off accidentally In dusting
she would receive a quarter.
Hhe earned the quarter before the
day was out, und, of course. I was "aw
fully sorry/’
Contrast In Furs.
The fur lined coat Is n feature of the
winter's fashions. For evening wear In
gray, tan or white it Is charming, par
ticularly when relieved by a collar of
prettily contrasting fur—for Instance, n
champagne colored cloth will be reliev
ed with A collar of dark marten, while
a pale blue garment will have a collar
of moleskin.
Gray chiffon velvet Is much used for
gowns and for evening coats. Black Is,
of course, always In good taste, and,
owing to Its glossiness. It Is not nearly
so somber mm the ordinary velvet.
Hats are growing n little larger,
pcdally for dressy wear. 1 have seen
two Imported models recently which 1
consider very smart. One was a straight
brimmed shape of pale blue panne
vet. For sole trimming It had a'huge
ruche of three shades of tulle—-pale
blue, heliotrope and pale pink. The
other hat was of pale pink tulle and
Irish lac *. with two pale pink ostrich
tips drooping over the brim on the left
side and a moss rosebud falling against
the hair.
By the way, moss roses are the InteHt
millinery fad.
Hairdressing Is undergoing another
change. Smart women are no long-
routining themselves to the figure
tu fact, there ts u distinct epidemic of
braids. A favorite way Is to braid the
hair Into two pigtails and to cross them
very Frenchy looking girdles. In fact,
these flowered belts, done up In tissue
paper daintily tinted boxes to corre
spond. have formed more than one
Christmas gift this season.
The worst freak of fashion which has
shocked my eyes for a long time I wit
nessed yesterday. It was a three-quar
ter box coat of gray and white mottled
leather which looked perilously like
snakeskin, and also a toque and muff
of the same. This, mind you, wan sup
posed to be very elegant.
MRS. ROBERT J. WYNNE.
The wife of the United States postmaster general Is a handsome, youthful
appearing matron who does not look as If she was married utmost thirty years
ago and is the mother of four children—two sons and two daughters. Bhe was
MIhs Mary McCube of Washington and UouhtlesM little dreamed in 1875, when
she whs married to Robert John Wynne, a telegrapher, that Robert John Wynne
would become postmaster general of the United States und be high In tho con
fidence of the president.
In front, forming a sort of crown effect
all around the head. The other way
consists In making a single braid and
winding It around and around into a
flat pancake arrangement at the back
I of the head. This requires a fancy hack
i comb above it*—
It goes without saying that all the
smart belts are wide this season and
that you are decidedly out of It If you
dure to wear a narrow one. While a
good many white belts arc worn with
white waists and skirts, yet some flow
ered ribbon Is also seen made up Into
An Awkward Mishap.
Thank heaven, they have at last
ceased to sew silk petticoats on drop
stitch machines! Never shall I forget
tho mortification of a friend of mine,
and incidentally of myself, for I was
with her. She caught her heel in the
rufflo of her petticoat, and the strain
must have started the seam, for It be
gan to rip. Before we had gone half a
block It was trailing on the ground, and
before we could stop it seemed to me
that the whole ruffle, with yards of
thread, was wound around her feet.
She did the only thing possible—picked
It up and tucked it into her muff. For
tunately it was a large muff.
Our old friend the seal Is once more
enjoying favor. Yes, It was a bit out of
style; respectable and rich, If you will,
but out of the height of style. The
main reason for Its return, I’m thinking.
Is that furriers arc using more discre
tion in the way they make it up. They
are following mainly the box coat mod
el and giving up the attempt to make a
tight fitting seal coat. Tight fitting seal
coat! Save the mark! Did you ever
see one? Of all the disfiguring articles
It is the worst. It can’t be tight fitting;
that’s all there Is to it. And when the
attempt Is made It causes a woman to
look like a cross between a grampus
and an elephant. *
Ju^t a little hint to you. When you
have your sealskin coat made over next
have a collarless effect outlined with an
application of flat black silk braid. It
will make you look less “chunky,” and,
besides, you can wear a chinchilla or aq
ermine stole with It and thus vary the
sameness. Also If you want to add to
the fancy effect have your sleeves made
with wide, bell cuffs and fill them with
very deeply tinted ecru lace.
It Is these funcy touches which rc
Hove the somberness of a fur garment.
It seems to me that a gray cloth gown
Is about the most practical dress a wo
man can have, for it may be used dur
ing the winter on a good many occa
sions when a velvet dress would be
much too elaborate, and If made close
fitting, with a trimming of passemen
terlc or dyed lace,' It Is ultra chic for
spring wear wlthput a coat. A cos
tume of gray or champagne cloth la
most useful In April and May, and the
wise woman bears this In mind when
planning her midwinter wardrobe,
est thing is a flat stole made of gray
chiffon velvet having ita ends beauti
fully embroidered with pale pink roses
and decorated with gray and pink
fringes. How dainty this would be
worn with a gray cloth gown and a gray
straw and chiffon hat trimmed with
pink roses! KATE CLYDE.
A BUSINESS WOMAN’S COSTUME.
A business woman must be econom
ical. She has not hundreds of dollars
to spend upon her wardrobe; conse
quently If she is wise she finds out what
color is the most becoming and buys
an office gown of that color and uses it
as the foundation upon which she
builds her system of dress. This color
scheme makes it possible to wear one
hat with various articles of clothing
without appearing radiantly dressed
like a bird of paradise, and nothing in a
business woman’s office dress is more
destestable than finery. Simplicity,
cleanliness, harmony, are the three-
qualities essential to the business wo
man’s wardrobe. It is not so much how
mafiy clothes the business woman pos
sesses as it Is the kind of clothing she
wears and her general appearance.
Good advice to the busy woman who
has little time to give to the considera
tion of fripperies would be: Leave fan
cy things alone and content yourself
with the smart and useful stock and
collar which are now In vogue with all
the severer styles of dress. It takes
only two minutes to tie the bow neatly
or to slip a clean and dainty, prettily
embroidered collar on to a blouse or
bodice.
A muslin fichu can be worn In the
evening, but it requires skill and leisure
to arrange it. To bo picturesque is
charming, but never let your fancy for
the picturesque degenerate into untidi
ness or unsuitability.
WOMEN AS CHIMNEY SWEEPS.
The vocations to which latter day wo
men are devoting their energies are In
creasing In number, and realms un
thought of before are being Invaded. A
guild or union of women chimney
sweeps has been'started in St. Peters
burg and Moscow. Its founder is the
widow of a sweep blessed with six
daughters. All seven belong to the
guild and are active members. No wo
man chimney sweep is to be les3 than
fourteen years old nor more than thirty-
five, but girl assistants may be admit
ted at eight years. As soon as a sweep
marries she must leave the guild. AH
must sign the temperance pledge and
be members of the Orthodox (Greek)
church.
WHAT IS THE CAUSE?
Since the beginning of the current
school year forty-eight women teachers
of. Baltlmdre have resigned In order to
get married. An inquiry has been start-
s—-
I have seen some advance spring ed to find if similar conditions exist
styles in fancy neckwear, and the odd- * elsewhere.
Ellen E. Kenyon
Warner
Educator and Student of Child Nature M
T WO Impudent little English
sparrows sit upon the rim of
the Iron tire escape und turn
their heads hrasslly thin way
and that to leer at me out of their
bright, small eyes. To me they are only
Impudent little'English sparrows, und
that ends It. But If Dr. Ellen K. Ken
yon Warner insle juI ofme saw them she
would draw from them lessons In natu
ral history, mercifulness to birds, lan
guage Expression, culture of the Imag
ination and maybe a combined lesson In
either. On the following system she
bases her work, literary and otherwise;
First.—Accumulation of data.
Second.-—Examination, analysis, com
parison, classification. ,
Third.—Generalisation.'
Always she makes sure of her facts,
then goes ahead.
Her heart In In the common schools of
her country, In which she Is proud to
have been educated. She was born and
reared In Brooklyn und was promoted
fr«»m pupil to teacher In Its school*.
For several years she was superintend
ent of a primary department. There
she found great Held for the study of
that child nature she loves so well. Ilet
mind, vompreheiislve, dear and exact,
| brushed aside the cobwebs of tradition
I m educational mutters and went t
heart of the matter. Bhe loved chil
dren; eh* was born with a girt for In-
jMtuctlng. both as a teacher and writer.
| With It all she has infinite sense of hu-
| inor. ami them, powers, gifts and facul
ties explain Ellen K. Kenyon Warner.
Before she left school Miss Kenyon
j began to write for publication. Her
brut contribution wss a story In ten
jchapteni called "Brother Jurk and 1."
jBhe was afraid to tell anybody shout It
Iso wrote upon an upper corner of tin
manuscript her address, also the
unked for the atoVy, 120— a huge price. |
r-.hc thought—and mailed It to a juve-|
nil* magazine of which Jennie June Cro
j ly was editor. Nellie Kenyon was lm-
intensely surprised when u little later
she received a letter Informing her that
"Brother Jack and 1" was accepted and I
requesting her to call on Mrs. Croly to
J help arrange the Illustrations.
To support herself through this ordeal
Nellie took a school friend into her con-
Ifldeiice and persuaded this friend to go I
[with her to Mrs. t'roly. When the two
girls appeared before her gentle Jennie
June looked Nellie Kenyon over front
J head to font and said to her. “You are
very young to have written that story.”
►N WARNER. J Thereupon Miss Kenyon mad* a stale- I
j ment w hich the friend tells on her to
ngtng besides, this day, a statement the most extraor-
ithor of the se- dtnary that ever issued from the lips of
t Readers.” I feminine creature:
are the result "Oh, I’m not so young ss ! look."
ration and ex* Meanwhile during the time Jennie
' their author. I June eras talking to Nellie Kenyon th<
ipeeker. writer schoolmate, slyly edged near to the fa
»he has been a mows woman editor so that her owi
face of things • skirt might touch that of the editor
A GOWN OF BANANA VOILE.
Simplicity Is the keynote of this attractive gown of dotted banana colored
voile. The skirt Is slightly fulled about the waist and finished with three deep
tucka at the hem. The bodice Is surpllced and opens in front to display a small
vest of yellow lace. The collar and girdle are of umber panne velvet.
Bhe did this In order that she might I sec
afterward cut out the piece of her skirt | lh«
that touched Mrs. Croly’s aiul keep It {tog
souvenir. Girl* will be girls.
of humor. The noon hour she and
hers In her building spent
her. The district was one inhab-
rgety by an immigrant popula
With this first success und similar lion, and the children's attempts at
that folio wed. for awhile
chances wore about even whether Mlsi
Kenyon would be a writer of fiction oi
an author dealing with philosophic*
and educational topics. She was dmwr
about equally both ways. When sh«
*me a teacher In the public schooli
the question was settled. Teacher sh<
was and Is. whether orally or In print.
The next step In authorship followed
In an odd way after she began teaching
It came about through Miss Kenyon'i
tllsh *|icaking were at times fearful
land wonderful. The school was also a
continuous performance of amusing tn-
Icldeiit, incident duly reported to the
I coterie of teachers by Nellis Kenyon.
Finally the auditors said:
“Nellie, you must write a book and
put these things in It"
Nellie did. The little book was the
beginning of her writing on school top
ics. Bh*» prepared during her years of
•teaching many papers on education
treated from the philosophical point of
view. Bhe founded a magazine called
the Primary School, the first Amerl-
an periodical devoted to the beginning*
of children's education.
Her enthusiasm once aroused In this
direction, the Indefatigable little lady
continued to work for the public school
as It should be. She organised teachers'
improvement associations. Bhe contin
ued writing educational papers, and
they came to attract attention In Eu
rope as well as here. Some of them
were translated and printed In peda
gogical Journals In Germany. At length
In 1893 Miss Kenyon became editor of
the different educational periodicals is
sued by a publishing firm in New York.
Bhe also wrote entirely n department of
the magazine, “Child Culture." She
published u book culled “The Coming
School.”
Meantime the value of her education
al work and writing was becoming gen
erally recognized, and she received from
the Unlvorslty of New York the degree
of doctor of pedugogy (Pd. D.).
Ir. all her educational writing Mrs.
Kenyon Warner goes to the bottom of
things. In the teaching of little children
she would have none of the artificial
expedient of memory drill. Hho says:
Reading Is the most Important of
bcIiooI subjects, Ity the method used
in teaching a child to read Ills mental
habits for life are affected. Reading
should connect Itself with all the inter
ests of school and of life and should
train the emotions and cultivate moral
and aesthetic tastes. The school course
in reading should tend toward a com
prehensive and wholesome view of life
Itself.”
This feminine Herbert Spencer of
child education believes with the great
sociologist himself that moral progress
is achieved only by arousing the noble
emotions. Mrs. Warner looked about
for school readers which should do
this, nt the same time following the
scientific method of induction and de
duction in teaching children. She
found none that to her mind filled the
requirements, so took up the task of
supplying th© need herself.
Of tho two “Culture Readers” already
published the first, for very young chil
dren, deals with Mother Love. Here the
author has gathered familiar nursery
rhymes, fairy tales and stories “out of
her own head” in such an attractive
way that learning to read will be gen
uine play to a little one. At the same
time all the lessons ring changes on the
central theme. Mother Love.
The culture theme of the second
reader Is Industry, treated In a similar
manner. A manual for the teacher’s
use accompanies the books. In Mrs.
Warner’s scheme song ts also an im
portant part of child education. She
says: “A song Is literature and should
be so rendered as to develop all its emo
tional values. Nervous, noisy singing
strains the voice: hearty. Joyous sing
ing trains It. 8©n*s like a lullaby may
be used to calm children after mirth or
boisterous play .“
CHARLOTTE VAN BECK. _
CHRISTMAS GIFTS
FOR POOR CHILDREN.
S IX children were left destitute In
one of the few poor families in a
wealthy and fashionable suburb.
It was near Christmas. A benevolent
lady. Miss Scripp. had tho children on
her mind, but was not able personally
to do much to gladden them at the Joy
ful Chrlntmastlde, for she herself was
not rich. Her neighbors wore, how
ever, and Miss Scripp determined to
make a canvass among them nnd se
cure gift* of food, clothing and money—
anything that could b« spared from a
wealthy household to make Christmas
merry for the Hobb children.
Miss Scripp gave notice to her flfelgh-
hors of her charitable Intention. All
the ladies replied that they would re
joice to contribute. Two days before
Christmas Miss Scripp sent a boy
around with a pushcart to make collec
tions. He returned with an assortment
of bundles as large as that of a laun-
dryumn on Monday morning and not
unlike It In outward appearance.
With pleased anticipation. Miss
Scripp had the boy carry the parcels
Into her pretty little dining room. Then
she began to overhaul their contents.
She began with the largest parcel.
8bl uttered an exclamation of disap
pointment, vexation even, as there un
folded before her the remains of that
ivory white chiffon gown which had
done duty at parties two winters for
Mrs. J. Van Blinker De Whytte. Its
multitudinous flouncing* hung in fes
toons; its accordion plaiting was bat
tered and bulging like an antique um
brella; its front was stained with parti
cles of feasu ranging from heavy din
ners of state to after theater “snacks.”
"How can that be cut down Into warm
coats and stockings for the poor, little
Hobbsr* murmured Miss Scripp as she
laid it aside, with a deep sigh.
Few of the parcels were marked with
the name of the donor. Evidently the
fair and generous givers wished to do
their alms In secret. It may have been
that, but Miss 8cr1pp concluded as she
proceeded to go through a pile that they
were ashamed to be known and for this
reason had refrained from attaching
their names to their respective dona
tions. Unfortunately for this amiable
precaution, however. Miss Scripp recog
nised most of the articles. Mrs. Thrifty
had sent her old rain coat. It was out
of fashion; it was also bedraggled; it
'also let the rain through In spots.
Again Miss Scripp shoved the unpleas
ant article aside, with a sigh, and mur-
inind. It had bocome worn into holes
Just where each of Pynchem’s substan
tial feet had pressed It, so that more
than once he had tripped upon it and
come near falling. Opportunely the
very night beforo the boy called with
the collecting pushcart Mr. Pynchem
had said, with divers unconventional
expressions, that if he ever found that
old rag there again he would "histe” It
out the front window. Thus perforce
Mrs. Pynchem removed It, skillfully
working It off on charity.
But the gem of the collection for the
destitute little Hobbs was Mrs. Spar
ing’s last winter’s calling hat. It had
been a perfect dream w’hen the milliner
first turned it out. all silken, spangled
gauxe nnd radiant rainbow tinted panne,
with a sparkling buckle that had be
come so tarnished that Mrs. Sparing
could never use It again. In Its prlstlno
perfectness there had been likewise real
oitrlch plumes upon that calling hat.
but these Mrs. Sparing had prudently
ripped off that she might have them
renovated for another winter.
Such were some of the Items In Miss
Scrlpp’s charity collection for th© desti
tute Hobb children's Christmas.
TABITIIA SOURGRAPES.
“How can l make that available for
keeping the poor little Hobbs warm?"
Miss Florence De Whytte sent a pair
of pink satin slippers run over st the
heel. She tucked into the tiny toe of
one of them a necktie of her brother’s
that had been worn so long it could
never by my possibility be used again.
Mrs. Pynchem sent, indeed, a woolen
rug. It had lain at the threshold of her
husband’s bedroom almost time out of
DAINTY BLOUSE FOR CHRISTMAS.
This stunning blouse emanates from
a celebrated Parisian house and is car
ried out in soft taffeta of a bright
bronze green. The plaited fronts hang
from a deep yoke, over which is an em-
piecement of the silk, the rounded ends
of which are finished with velvet and
dull enameled buttons.
The sleeves are full at the top and
close fitting about the wrist. Starting
from the elbow Is a very full puff fas
tened with buttons to the body of the
sleeve. The girdle is of velvet.
A blouse of this kind would make a
charming Christmas present.
NOTES FOR FEMININE READERS.
for the Navajo i
lh* southwest. Til
*ui*>rtor to the ot
tritx*.
»tl small children I
w»*re marched to
all In one and thi
- fat or any ally s
i water will answt
r than anything el*
roman who had mi
in* bags that once
. hut promptly apt
niv.-tii.-u a zatchtf
*K. She Cook her
e patent the day it
r the purp
to the time of her death her hair, which
was black, remained unchanged. I be
lieve* there is much truth In the widely
spread opinion that the Intellectual
qualities of the son are in a large meas-
Iure inherited from the mother.”
j If we wilt look at our prejudice* we
J shall find that they arise from our Held
I of View bring nrctoarlly small, like the
I eye of a fly.
| Natural finish willow and wicker
[chairs and furniture are cleaned by
tng a scrubbing brush and a warm suds
of borax. These must be dried quickly
In the sun it possible. First, however,
they must be dusted and all stains re-
“She's going to give up housekeep
ing." said a doctor's wife, “and l*m
going (o take her parlor carpet for one-
third what It cost.” "Well." said the
doctor, “see that it’s well shaken be
fore taking."
At a concert at Warsaw suddenly
multitudes of spiders, attracted by the
i sounds of a violin, came from the
f cracks and crevices of the hall. Like
' Miss MuffeL the human audience
1 sought safety In flight and the spiders
I soon had the building to themselves,
l Nearly f1,500,060 was sent to Europe
i In the three weeks preceding Christmas.
} This money represents Christmas gifts
I to relatives in the old country. Over
one-third went to England, one-sixth
i U> Germany and the rest scattering.