ANYTHING FOR "HIM."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1010, 28 December 1910, Page 9

ANYTHING FOR "HIM."

There is not a man in the country who has not secretly violated his last New xears resolution not to swear when ho has looked over the things Santa Glaus hns been eo blind as to bring him, feelingingly says a writer in an American paper. 1 remember several. years ago a young woman gave me a "made iip" purple pull necktie. It -was one of those royal purple affairs that hook in the back, and it had .a nightmare defeated before the starting gun was fired. What did I do with it? well, I liked the girl, and I hoped she liked me. . I put it around ray neck, laowing • I should never feel worse if the hangman's nooso were applied. Next I turned up my coat collar, so tho world would not see, and -went to call on the- girl. ■ She : was pleased, and I was pleased that she was pleased.- But as for the tie—it was lost. I have a collection of articles given me for Christmas that ought to be sold for rummage" or given away, but I have not tho heart. Such things as handPointed neckties, initial " socks, alleged artistic tobacco jars, little gift books like Lucille, pocket knives that should never bo removed' from the pocket,' so-called silver-mounted combs that call, loudly for the dentist after their teeth have been one* used, pipes of ungainly size, cigars that were never intended for anything elso than gifts, shirts that have to be placed in tho basement, to keep them from awakening the baby, suspenders of all kinds and descriptions when everybody ought to know I always wear a belt; all these things.and more clutter my house and my, memory and make me sigh and hold my breath when Christmas comes again.... . : I have known women to give their'husbands oriental rugs because they wanted them for themselves.' I have also known of a woman who presented her husband with a handsome pair of lace curtains for her room, and no doubt he was immensely pleased. The trouble with the selection of gifts for men is that half tho time no attention is paid to a man's actual needs of the things he likes. I kuoir a haberdasher whose best holiday trade is tho morning of Christmas and the day after. Ho tells mo that: many Women have hesitated over, gifts for their husbands, brothers,' sons or sweethearts until the last minute. Then they rush into his place and ask to see something. . They buy neckties, belts, suspenders, hose, stickpins, tie rings, mufflers,, smoking coats, etc., without any notion of how the gifts will be received. ■•• They simply' have a duty to perform.-.and',want to get it off their mind. Christinas' for ■, men will always bo this way. aS'.loiig as women work for months over..sonic"'.dainty things for their women friends and leave the men, to have "anything I can , find , .":' ' .'■■•■■