416 
American Agriculturist, December 13, 1924 
When Thought Means More Than Money 
Suggestions for Getting a nd Sending Christmas Gifts—Games for the Holiday Party 
I T is almost Christmas time once more 
and mingled with the season’s good 
will is a little of the annual thinning of 
our purses for gifts we feel we must 
make, while we sacrifice the needed winter 
wear or table luxuries that we crave. 
While the season should be one only of 
peace and good will it is up to us as in¬ 
dividuals to make and keep it so. 
Let us resolve, first of all, to spend 
only what we can actually afford—and if 
we have fifty to give to and five dollars 
to spare, plan to use it only, but to the 
best advantage. I’ve seen housewives 
delighted over a cookbook that was 
nothing more than a 5c. note book spaced 
for different departments—half a dozen 
of the giver’s favorite recipes in each 
group written in and the remaining pages 
left blank. Diaries are made from the 
same kind of books; the dates written 
with red ink making it more attractive. 
The annual Christmas letter to old friends 
full of cheerful news and humorous com¬ 
ment is sure to be welcome. A set of 
holders, dish cloths, bags, shopping list 
books, telephone pads and so on may be 
welcome gifts. If you make anything, 
make it neatly, enclose it in dainty paper, 
add a seal, a bow of ribbon, a sprig of 
holly or a bit of evergreen. 
Many Gifts Really Worth Money 
For the one with plenty of leisure but 
little to spend, there are quilts, rugs, 
wristlets and mittens, any of which can 
be made of old goods beyond usefulness. 
The only cost is thread, but such gifts are 
valuable for it takes many hours to make 
them. City folks appreciate “a brace of 
chicken,” fruit cake, jellies, etc. or may¬ 
hap a pot of butter or a basket of nice 
fresh eggs, but these are often the farm 
wives’ income. s 
Let’s all resolve then for hearty Christ¬ 
mas Greetings to all—good will and best 
wishes, and a gift to ourselves of freeness 
of worrying over our pocketbooks and of 
wrecking our nerves. As big a thing as 
I, myself, can do for Christmas is to send 
my best wishes to the staff of the “A. A.” 
and to all its readers.—Patsy’s Wife. 
Two Good Ice-Breakers 
D O the children want to give a party 
during the holidays? It means lots 
of trouble, of course, but in the long run 
nothing pays better dividends than mak¬ 
ing the youngsters feel free to use their’ 
home as a gathering place for their friends. 
Simple—but liberal!—refreshments, an air 
of hearty welcome without the “don’t” 
spirit in evidence, and some good hearty 
games to break the ice will make a success 
of any party. 
These are two games which boys and 
girls alike enjoy. They are not too 
boisterous, although at any children’s 
party it is. well to stow breakables and 
ornaments out of the w T ay. On the other 
hand, they are jolly and exciting, and not 
even the most active small boy could 
complain that they are “sissified.” Try 
them out the next time your children give 
a party. 
Rainy Day Race 
At one end of the hall, the end opposite 
chat where the players stand, have ar¬ 
ranged two mackintoshes, two sets of 
rubbers, and two umbrellas. Two players 
race at once, and when the signal is given, 
both walk, not run, towards the mackin- 
toches, which they are required to don in 
addition to putting on the overshoes and 
opening the umbrellas. So attired, each 
racer must go to the other end of the 
room and then back, after which he doffs 
the raincoat and the rubbers, placing 
them in a neat pile, and closes and leaves 
the umbrella, returning to the goal. The 
player who is first to get through all these 
maneuvers wins the race. This is even 
better as a relay race, each play<T after 
performing touching off the next one in 
his line. 
Stride Ball 
The players stand in a circle in a stride 
position, each player’s feet touching his 
neighbor’s. Each player is responsible 
for guarding the space between his own 
feet and between him and his right-hand 
neighbor. A player stands in the center 
of the circle and tries to roll or throw a 
basket ball or volley ball either between 
the feet of a player or between any tw r o 
players. In the latter case, however the 
ball must not go above the player's waist. 
If the ball goes outside of the circle the 
player who let it pass must exchange 
places w r ith the player in the center. Play 
should be rapid, atScf when an unsuccess¬ 
ful attempt is made the ball should be 
quickly batted back to the center for a 
new trial. 
Avoidable Mail Troubles 
T the dead letter office a curious 
medley of articles and letters which 
might all be at their proper destination 
if somebody had been careful, bears 
testimony to the failure of many people 
to observe simple rules. 
First of all use good envelopes and not 
the cheap sort that burst easily. Do not 
be ashamed to put your return address 
on the outside. If you can not write 
plainly and do not own a typewriter, get 
some good scribe to address your missive 
for you. Sign with your name and address 
on the inside, so that if the envelope should 
be damaged the sender’s address will still 
be there. The government stamped 
envelopes are good, and so are the tough 
substantial ones to be had in all stores 
for a fair price. 
When you send valuable letters or 
papers register them. If you wish to 
send money remember that a check, a 
money order, a registered letter or an 
express money order will be far better 
than coin or bills dropped carelessly in 
an envelope. A money order may be lost 
but the money you spent for it can not be. 
Ask Before You Wrap 
When you wish to send a parcel, inquire 
before getting it ready how it should be 
wrapped and avoid the trouble of re¬ 
wrapping it. Tell exactly what the con¬ 
tents are, and do not give the postal 
employees the trouble of examining it, 
as they are required to do in case it does 
not seem to conform to the rules and regu¬ 
lations. Many a person supposes that 
a bottle of liquid wrapped inside clothing 
or soft packing will get by safely, but 
the very sound of the shaking liquid 
gives it away. Do not tuck a letter in the 
center of a parcel and subject the whole 
parcel to letter postage. Be frank and 
teachable and you will learn some valu¬ 
able facts about safeguarding mail at 
the post office. Remember, too, that 
rules are sometimes changed. Particu¬ 
larly should you send foreign mail and 
mail to the remote corners of our vast 
domain only after inquiring th,e rules and 
getting directions as to mailing. 
Insist that all mail that comes to your 
home be properly addressed, even if you 
have lived in the county all your life. 
Postal employees change frequently and 
the new clerk or carrier may not know 
that you have arrived at the dignity of 
being the oldest inhabitant in your sec¬ 
tion. Be courteous and patient in your 
dealings with the faithful servants of 
Uncle Sam, and you will go year in and 
year out without any serious mail diffi¬ 
culties— Hilda Richmond. 
The Cranberry Is a Favorite 
Scalloped Cranberries— Moisten two 
cups soft white bread crumbs with 
one half cup melted butter. Butter a 
pudding dish, sprinkle in a layer of bread 
crumbs, add a layer of stewed and sweet¬ 
ened cranberries, twelve large seeded 
raisins, a little grated lemon rind and a 
little sugar, continue the layers until the 
crumbs are'used, cover and bake for half 
an hour in a moderate oven. Serve hot 
with hard sauce. 
Cranberry Bavarian Cream — Whip 
two cups double cream to a stiff froth, add 
one cup sugar and one tablespoon gela¬ 
tine, which has been softened in four 
tablespoons cold water and liquefied over 
hot water. Keep the basin in a pan of 
ice until the mass begins to thicken per¬ 
ceptibly, then stir in one cup strained and 
sweetened cranberry juice to which has 
been added four tablespoonfuls cherry 
syrup. Fill a mould and pack in ice and 
salt for four hours. 
Cranberry Cake — One and one half 
cups stewed cranberries, one and one half 
cups light brown sugar, one half cup but¬ 
ter, three eggs, one teaspoonful of pow¬ 
dered cinnamon, one half teaspoon pow¬ 
dered cloves, and one-half teaspoon 
grated nutmeg. Cream butter and sugar, 
add beaten yolks. Mix flour, soda and 
spices together and sift them into batter 
and sugar. Add cranberries and Avhites 
of eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Divide 
into two buttered layer cake tins and bake 
in a moderate oven. Put together with 
while frosting and decorate with nut 
meats. 
Cranberry Pudding— t)ne cup sugar, 
one cup sweet milk, two cups flour, three 
tablespoons melted butter, one large cup 
raw cranberries, two teaspoons cream of 
tartar, one teaspoonful soda. Mix and 
bake like loaf cake. Serve cold, cut in 
slices, with cream sauce. 
Cream Sauce —Mix one pint cream 
with one half cup sugar, add the beaten 
white of one egg and continue beating till 
light. 
Cranberry Pie— Use one cup cran¬ 
berries, half a cup raisins, one cup sugar, 
one cup water, one tablespoon flour, one 
teaspoon vanilla. Chop the cranberries 
and raisins fine and stir in the sugar, 
flour, vanilla, and water. Bake with up¬ 
per and under crusts. 
Baked Cranberry Dessert— Pour boil¬ 
ing water over a pint of bread crumbs, 
melt one tablespoon butter, and stir in. 
When the bread is softened add two eggs, 
and beat thoroughly with the bread. 
Then put in a pint of the stewed fruit. 
Sweeten to your taste. Serve with cream 
sauce, using thick cream simply sweet¬ 
ened with plenty of white sugar and flavor 
with vanilla extract. Decorate with 
grated cocoanut. 
Sugarless Cranberry Sauce — Cover 
one quart of cranberries with water and 
cook until well done, then strain. There 
will be from four to five cups of liquid. 
Add two and one fourth cups of any kind 
of white syrup, boil from eight to ten 
minutes, then let it simmer the same 
length of time, set aside to cool. 
For the Child Who Has Everything 
I T was hard to know what to send my 
little niece Betty for Christmas, for 
she was always remembered with many 
and costly gifts. But to my surprise and 
joy I learned that the little evergreen tree 
which I sent, proved the “king pin” of 
her collection of presents. She had of 
course, a large, handsome tree, brilliantly 
lighted and beautifully trimmed. But it 
was a “musn’t touch” affair, while the 
little tree which I sent occupied a comer of 
the playroom and was daily trimmed and 
untrimmed, until long after the holiday 
season had passed.— Elsie Duncan Yale. 
FOR THE SCHOOL GIRL 
AND THE HOME WOMAN 
TF mother has a 
have one too. 
cape dress, daughter must 
And indeed they are very 
here ruing to growing girls. No. 2238 has the 
recently revived Peter Pan collar and is 
pretty in plaid or striped woolens. It comes 
in sizes 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 years. Size 8 re¬ 
quires 2J/8 yards of 86-inch material, with % 
yard contrasting. Pattern, 12c. 
A 
SIMPLE dress for wool or cotton is No. 
2248 which is planned for economy of 
material and effort. It cuts in sizes 6, 8, 10, 
12 and 14 years. Size 8 takes V/g yards of 
86-inch material with Jij yards contrasting. 
Price, 12c. 
r pHF, tight bodice and full skirt style is 
A always a becoming one and this year is 
permissible for all sorts of dresses. No. 2211 
may be made in cloth for everyday wear or in 
silk or velvet for more dressy occasions. It 
cuts in sizes 16 years, 36, 88, 40 and 42 inches 
bust measure. Size 36 requires only 2J^ yards 
of 40-inch material. Pattern, 12c 
•EVERYBODY has 
A-' No. 2226 is stunni 
--- —, „ cape-backed dress! 
No. 2226 is stunning in black silk or satin 
with trimming of white, Kelly green, Chinese 
red or pearl gray. It is smart, too, in wool or 
the new Kasha cloth. It cuts in sizes 14 aud 
16 years, 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44 inches bust 
measure. Size 36 takes 8^4 yards 40-inch 
material, with 1J-4 yards contrasting. Price, 
12c. 
Many delightful gifts to make 
are shown in our cata¬ 
logue—only 10c. 
TO ORDER: Write name, address, 
pattern numbers and sizes clearly, 
enclose proper remittance in either 
stamps or coin (stamps are safer) and 
send to the Pattern Department, 
American Agriculturist, 461 
Fourth Avenue, New York City. 
.Add 10c for fall and winter catalogue. 
2248 
2226 
