The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, December 21, 1930, Page 23

El 3 - “dusky brown, THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE, SUNDAY, DEC. 21, 1930. NATURE PROVIDES THINGS THAT MAKE NICE PRESENTS The birch, when it gets too big for its cloth cracks the bark a few layers at a time and the wind pulls off long, thin streamers of | exquisite tints of silvery white of | from which boxes and baskets may be fashioned for Christmas which are out of the| ordinary. Rustic looking place cards | may be made for the friend who | gives unique luncheons, says Nature Magazine. The camper friends might find napkin rings made of it | convenient. The locust thorn wmch‘ is found in the Middle West makes & good stiletto, in fact, it is sharp- er than one made of silver. You can make it a bit more decorative by having a silver band fitted to it by the local jeweler on which initials may be engraved. bl A5 S0 B NGLAND HALTED CHRISTMAS For twelve ¢ from 1644, Christmas was not kept in Eng- land. The Puritans deeming it a pagan festival, passed an act of parliament abolishing it, and di- recting that December 25 should be a day of fasting and repent- ance. Charles II restored Chri mas. | | | | Martha Whiteside had come from a family proud of its Pilgrim an- | | cestry. The women had always been | | good natured, well read but prim. Beca of Dolly, Martha, who was widowed early, had drifted into | journalism. Dolly grew up, married | Fred Howard and moved away. Martha loved her, missed her, but was too busy to consider changed conditions or passing time. Then on Christmas eve came a letter. Martha sat alone in her| apartment reading it. The stork had come! She arose hastily and | went to the mirror to see how she locked—being a grandmother. Re- flected she saw youth and grace. But—she had hardly realized it— | her hair was white! | A grandmother: TFaintly there came a vision of her own grand- was, in black with a snow-white apron tied about her slender waist. { Around her shoulders was a soft ,mull fichu. A little lace cap adorned her silver curls. It was a bit old fashioned, she knew. But other women, Martha remembered, had quit wearing caps and fichus; but somehow they seemed just right for the quaint little grandmother who seemed always giving one cookies. Martha laughed, a rather startled laugh; for she suddenly realized— “Why, I'm as old as she was then!" A puzzled look came into her eyes. ‘The puritan Martha was saying: “It’s time to give up your work, don sombre clothes and learn to bake cookies.” The newspaper wom- an was answering: “Martha White- side, you'll do nothing of the sort. You'll go to the beauty parlor Lo-; morrow morning and get a facial | and have your hair bobbed!” Thei vision laughed and disappeared. Decision and with Martha. The hair was cut in the latest lines. The curls nes- tled into form like they were hap-i py over her decision. It suited her | active bearing, her youthful face | and smart ensemble. In the editorial Toom the sports | | editor was passing her desk, as she ‘removed her hat. “Hello, Bob- | mother. A dainty little woman she | White,” he cheerily greeted her, and the sobriquet stuck tight. That's where she got her pen- name for those clever articles she writes. Those who are near her among business associated, friends or family fondly call her “Bob- White.” At is Christmas, five years since Martha made her decision as to | the kind of grandmother she was going to be. Dolly and Fred with their Bobby and Jimmy are spend- ing the day in Martha's apartment. A maid is converting a library table into a very proper one for dinner, arranging a marvelous Christmas dinner, just sent up from the caterer’s. The group is gathered about a tinseled tr in the bow window. There are remarkable toys—too many, perhaps. Martha, fresh and pretty as ever, is sitting on the of life and never has time to g'mw? old. Long live your type, my dear, the adorable kind of grandma we can lovingly call “Bob-White.” An Airplane | | | | l Turkey “What ‘do you kids think you going to do with all those Ch mas ads the airplane has been | showering over the town every afternoon?” Randy Roberts de- manded of his small brother and sister at the table a few evenings before Christmas. “That's what I'd like to know," Eleanor, ninteen, chimed in as she folded her napkin. The twins, Beth and Bob, aged but seven, looked at each other over their plates and then turned towards their mother. i “Beth and Bob are quite justi- fied,” Mrs. Roberts assured her! two older children. “Those ad- Again Comes the Dim Vision of Her Grandmother. | floor teaching Bobby how to bark [it, kiddies. |at the miniature kennel and see |expenses, and that's what we're | the radio dog jump out at the | trying to do.” |sound of his voice. On the soft |father at the head of the table: | blanket before the fire, Jimmy is gleefully chewing the toe off a rub- ber clown. Suddenly Martha looks up at the panel mirror and sees the picture. Again comes the dim vision of her grandmother, smiling happily, Mar- tha laughs back at the vision, then solemnly reiates the story. Vividly she paints the world picture of the prim little grandmother and of her puzzled decision. “Was I right?” she asks. Bobby kicks over his “structo” castle as he throws his arms about her and cries, “My Bob-White's tind o' dramma I want.” Dolly, half tearfully, replies: “It looked a little shocked, | was a pretty picture, mother, but 1t needs an antique frame; doesn't action were one | fit into this apartment at all. Who' ¢,y on could want you different? You're glorious!” ‘The maid announced dinner and Fred, raising a glass of sweet, spar- kling cider, suggeésted a toast “to the most charming of charming grandmothers in memory, poem or song—to the one who laughs off her sorrows—shoulders her share vertisements are unusually attrac- tive with their weaths, bells, poin- | ' settias and their red, gold and !green lettering. The twins are making Christmas cards out of {them with the aid of paste, card- board and a verse now and then clipped from some magazine. It is7their own idea and that is whut" every one is striving for nowadays, | | you know, unique and original | Christmas cards.” Mrs. Roberts" brown eyes twinkled. “I'q say they're original all yright,” Randy grinned. “But go to At least you're saving He turned to his “How about the doctor’s bill, ,Dad? Is it reducing enough so that {we can manage a turkey for Christ- | ‘mas dinner, or shall we regale our- ! selves on something simpler for the big day%” Mr. Roberts smiled wearily: “I don't know, my son, you know | | that incision isn't healing as it' should and T've only worked two idays this week. Even with your | help and Eleanor’s the bills just about stand still.” | “That's all right Dad, I was just | asking. Mother’s cooking makes everything taste good.” He stopped on the way out to look at the®eap of ads piled on various chairs. Sud- denly he picked on up and scruti- nized it. “See here, folks. Listen what it | says the Smith Market an- | nouncement—‘Some of these adver- | tisements are marked. The one| turning in the greatest number of marked ads will receive a 12-pound turkey at our market the morning | of Christmas eve.’ Babies, the tur- key's yours! There can't anybody | beat a collection like this.” And nobody did. | =3 To Our Friends Whom We Count by Thousands, To Our Enemies of Whom We hope there are few, We Wish A MERRY CHRISTMA{S and A HAPPY NEW YEAR Valentine’s Jewelry Stor E. L. PULVER 7i l Greetings TO OUR MANY FRIENDS AND PATRONS: We can’t clasp you by the hand and wish you the Season’s Greetings, so we take this means of saying-- MERRY CHRISTMAS HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL (i AR Christmas Greetings AND New Year’ s Wishes TO ALL ALASKA Rice & Ahlers Co. LAUNDR A T L= ]