i89o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
865 
A NEIGHBORHOOD CHRISTMAS. 
VERY year the refinements of Christ¬ 
mas keeping are multiplied and 
elaborated. Exquisite trifles and rare de¬ 
signs in brie a brae crowd the counters. 
Dainty gifts are made by dainty fingers, 
new and old blend in lovely novelties, and 
even new ways of giving the presents are 
annually contrived. 
But there are still children in the world 
who do not complain that “ a Christmas 
tree is so old 1” to whom it is yet a dream 
of delight, a joy that begins in anticipa¬ 
tion, long before, and lasts long after the 
yule tide. And since it is, and ought to be, 
the children's day, let us be glad that it is 
still possible to make it bright for their 
elders in simple ways. 
Is it not better to keep the world’s great 
feast with homely and humble fare, and 
with the heart, than to gather about it the 
most beautiful customs and leave that 
out ? Or better than to think, as some¬ 
times happens, that, because there is little 
to keep it with, Christmas cannot be kept 
at all ? 
There are households where the merry¬ 
making must be of the simplest sort. To 
such is commended the story of Phoebe 
Cary’s “Good Little Sister,” who had 
“ thought of this Christmas and the little 
it could bring ever since the crops were 
half-destroyed by the freshet in the spring.” 
And tnese were her gifts, stowed away in 
the children’s stockings on Christmas eve : 
“ The sweetest nuts of the autumn, 
Treasured aud hidden away, 
The ripest and reddest apples 
Hoarded for many a day.’' 
“ And seed-cakes 
Moulded grotesquely 
Like birds, aud beasts, and men.” 
There are persons whose gift-making 
must be measured, not by the love in the 
heart but by the money in the purse. Such 
need to remember a wise man’s counsel: 
“ Give what you have To some one it may 
be worth more than you dare to think.” 
And there are little villages and rural 
neighborhoods not a few that could keep 
the day very fittingly if content to do their 
modest best. To such is recommended a 
neighborhood Christmas. 
Is it not time that some one put in a plea 
for the Christmas-keeping itself ? Is there 
not need that we should remind ourselves 
that Christmas is the day of all the year 
when we should not “ remain folded in the 
circle of our pleasant joys ” ? The homeli¬ 
est may be the heartiest cheer, and nothing 
is more in accord with the true Christmas 
spirit than the giving and sharing of love 
and sympathy and pleasure, which brings 
us nearer to each other, helps us to be truly 
neighbors to one another, and so aids us in 
becoming true children of that Father who 
sent His Son to be the Deliverer, Helper, 
and Comforter of men. 
In almost every rural neighborhood there 
Is some building which might be used for 
a Christmas festivcl, some unused church, 
or small hall, or lodge-room. Lacking 
these, there may be some one who, (as did 
one good neighbor of my acquaintance) will 
lend her spacious sitting-room for a Christ¬ 
mas gathering and tree. For a tree is usu¬ 
ally the most popular, effective and pleas¬ 
ing thing, and it is, all told, the wisest way 
of distributing the presents. It admits, 
too, of almost any sort of entertainment,— 
or none at all,—as a prelude. 
The principal thing is to get every one in¬ 
terested, and that in good season Simple 
exercises in which the children take part, 
will draw in the parents. Then there are 
always some small expenses connected with 
the occasion, and if each one is given the 
privilege of contributing a trifle, the inter¬ 
est will be warmer and the enjoyment freer. 
In one community, dime-offerings were 
solicited and came in freely. With those 
multiplied ten cents were bought the tar- 
letan for the bags, the candy to put in 
them, trifles for the children all round, and 
some special gifts for little ones who needed 
them. 
The “ rub ” is apt to come with the dress¬ 
ing of the tree. This you must forelay for. 
It has to be done at a time when every one 
wants to be at home ; it needs a tall person 
lUtoUanfouss guivntijsittg. 
Please mention The R. N.-Y. to our adver¬ 
tisers. 
When Baby was sick, we gave her Castoria, 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castorla, 
When she became Miss, she clung to Castorla, 
When she had Children, she gave them Castorla. 
and one who is used to it, and some one 
ought to stay by the tree till all is over, 
particularly if there are lighted candles 
about it. All this must be planned. There 
is usually no difficulty in getting a large, 
handsome tree and having it solidly set 
up, and there are many simple devices for 
relieving its bareness and giving ic a bril¬ 
liant appearance. If candles are objected 
to, the other adornments should be more 
numerous. 
Of course there must be candy and pop¬ 
corn bags. Let them be of generous size 
and generously filled, and do have one for 
each person at all likely to be present. 
Every name ought to be called once, at 
least, and this will insure it. The square 
bags are best, of all colors, especially the 
light shades; though there are many 
quaint conceits one may follow in shaping 
them, as mittens, shoes, fans and the like. 
But these do not hold so much, and are 
much more troublesome to make. Strings 
of pop-corn are an improvement, and if a 
basket of oranges can be provided, to be 
suspended separately from the stouter 
twigs and distributed among the children 
afterward, it will add to the cheerfulness. 
By a little effort and ingenuity many in¬ 
expensive, home-made trifles can be pro¬ 
vided—pin-balls, needle-books, pen-wipers, 
blotters, match-holders, etc. Handker¬ 
chiefs are a cheap and effective decoration, 
and each one makes something more for 
the children. Unless the gifts are very 
numerous or too fragile, it is best to dis¬ 
play them as much as possible. Pretty 
fancy-work, bits of silverware or china, 
books, aprons, handkerchiefs and glove 
cases, and even bright-bordered towels and 
the like, are so much cheerier and more in¬ 
teresting than brown paper parcels or 
pasteboard boxes. One may well sacrifice 
a little sensitiveness here. And do be will¬ 
ing that your gifts, or one or two of them, 
should be on the tree. It is a loss when 
any one is so proud, unsocial or indifferent 
that nothing is allowed to appear. 
A reasonably easy and quiet distribution 
of the gifts adds much to the pleasure of the 
occasion. If boys carry them to the owner 
as the name is called, they can be previously 
trained to noiseless alertness, or perhaps 
could come with slippered feet. 
As a preliminary, Christmas carols may 
be sung and an exercise given, or there may 
be just readings or recitations. 
The selections should express and invoke 
the spirit of the time. Lucy Larcom’s 
“Christmas Green,” or “A Christmas 
Thought,” Susan Coolidge’s “Christmas 
in the Orphan - house,” Longfellow’s 
“Three Kings,” and a part of Lowell’s 
“ Vision of Sir Launfal,” would be appre¬ 
ciated. For variety, some one might give 
one of Will Carleton’s or of Trowbridge’s 
ballads. And perhaps some one could read 
some part of Dickens’s “ Christmas Carol,” 
the story that never grows old, if only to 
say with Tiny Tim, “ God bless you, every 
one I ” OLIVE E. DANA. 
CHRISTMAS CONFECTIONS. 
AINTY' bags of silk and lace, or satin 
lined boxes, filled with French can¬ 
dies are pleasing gifts where something else 
might not be appropriate. 
The foundation for all French candies is 
white of egg, with as much water as of egg, 
thickened with confectioner’s XXX sugar. 
Not the slightest difficulty will be experi¬ 
enced in making these delicious confec¬ 
tions. It is best not to work with so large 
a quantity at once. The whites of two 
eggs, with as much water, are easily 
handled. When flavoring extracts or rose 
water are used, that amount less of water 
is taken. 
This is the “ French Cream ” from which 
are made chocolate and fig creams, cream 
dates, nut creams, etc. 
A few general hints will suffice. The 
white of the egg is never beaten. Mix, by 
stirring with a silver spoon until stiff 
enough to be handled without sticking to 
the fingers. After molding into the desired 
forms, lay it on waxed paper to harden. 
The candy is best after it is a day old. 
In making Chocolate Creams, melt 
Baker’s chocolate in an earthen dish—do 
not let it cook. Keep it thin by placing it 
in a kettle of hot water. Make the cone- 
shaped balls of cream, place them one at a 
time, on the end of a silver fork, and with a 
teaspoon pour over them the thinned choco¬ 
late. When well coated, slip them from the 
fork on to the waxed paper. 
The famous “ Neapolitan” or “ Panache” 
Cream is made in this way : Take three 
equal portions of French cream, leave one 
part white, color one part pink (with cur¬ 
rant jelly or cochineal), and the third part 
brown, with grated chocolate. Roll each 
part into a flat cake half an inch thick, 
place one on the top of the other, and cut 
into squares. 
Spiced Creams are made by the addition 
of grated chocolate, ground cloves and cin¬ 
namon to the cream. Cut into small cubes. 
Nut Creams are made by placing the 
halves of nuts on a circular piece of French 
cream, or by mixing and chopping together 
three or four different kinds of nuts. 
Maple Sugar Creams are made by adding, 
in quantity to suit the taste, grated maple 
sugar. Mold into any shape. 
By using the various flavors and the 
fruits, wintergreen, peppermint, orange 
and lemon creams are made. 
Macaroons seem to be the favored sweet¬ 
meat of the gentlemen. Here is a recipe 
that never fails : Beat the whites of two 
eggs to a very stiff froth. Add one cup of 
pulverized sugar, and one cupful of finely 
chopped nuts. Hickory nuts are much 
cheaper than almonds and quite as nice. 
Place with a teaspoon on a thoroughly 
waxed paper, and bake in a moderate oven 
15 minutes. Allow room for spreading on 
the paper. Beef suet is the best for wax¬ 
ing the paper; butter sticks, neither does 
lard answer. Take care that the oven is 
not too hot, and these macaroons will be 
relished by the most critical connoisseur. 
If sent as a gift, place them temptingly 
in a fancy basket, lined and covered with 
fringed tissue paper. anna hinrichs. 
[The tri-colored fancy cream mentioned 
by our contributor, would not be a bad 
addition to the home wedding feast, es¬ 
pecially as it is sometimes sold under the 
name of “wedding cake.”—E ds.] 
THE CHRISTMAS PRESENTS. 
O NE of the monthlies gives a pen- 
picture of two little girls going to 
buy each other a Christmas present, 
which paints the real children delightfully. 
On the way one says : “ How much shall 
you spend for my Christmas present ?” 
“Fifteen cents.” “ Then I’ll spend fifteen 
cents for yours. Now, you wait outside 
while I go in and buy, and don’t you peep.” 
So Theresa stands shivering in the cold 
while looking in the window, trying to see 
what Josephine will buy. After about 
ten minutes the tables are turned, when 
Josephine is the one to stand and shiver 
and gaze steadily in to see what Theresa will 
buy. 
The great event over, the gifts safely 
bought, they start for home with an im¬ 
portant look on each face, and a close grip 
on each little mouth lest it should disclose 
the precious secret. But soon one little 
traitor of a mouth says: “ Show me what 
you have for me and I’ll show you what I 
have for you.” A faint protest follows, 
but Theresa says: “Yes, do. I’d rather 
see it now than Christmas. Truly I would.” 
Who can doubt it ? After a little more 
fencing, there is a careful opening of one 
end of each bundle, two little peeps, two 
little delighted chuckles, and hand in 
hand they skip gaily home. Don’t we 
all know these two household darlings ? 
Bless their dear hearts ! lina hadley. 
£tti$ceUancouss JSUmtising. 
Always name The R. N.-Y. in writing to 
advertisers. 
Many Clergymen, 
Singers, actors, and public speakers use 
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(Rev.) C. N. Nichols, No. Tisbury, Mass. 
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Quartly, Minlaton, So. Australia. 
Ayer’s Cherry Pectoral, 
PREPARED BY 
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The dyspeptic, the debilitated, whether 
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GRATEFUL-COMFORTING. 
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Sample paper, 10c 3 for 25c : 12 for 15c. 
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