‘THE GUARDIAN.

I MADE IT MYSELF i SANTA CLAUS “VfRYl REAL" '- SIMPLE HANDi-CTI-IFT can DEVISE 1. m... .s.....¢..... Millions .......'...-...... t... ..........

DELIGHTFUL GIFTS

(By Doreen Wales)

l’ This year. as always. Christmas gifts provide acute problems. but

you can still give many of the presents you would like to be- stow, by putting your spars time

so good use by maklnl some o! your presents.

As an enthusiast for self-made presents, I began early. First of all, I wanted to give my best friend an electric stand lamp, but I found that my budget did not run to it. However, my friend will receive ‘her stand lamp and 1 think she's going to like it.

2 started with a fancy glass syrup jar (one of the 2 lbs. var- iety). Next l bought a fairly stout broomstick and from its end

FOLD ON DOTTED LlNCS

l". sawed off a piece about six in- ches long. in the top of this I bored a hole about an inch and I. half long, and another through the side of the stick. so that the two holes met. (The accompany- ing sketch will help you to follow these directions.)

Through this right-angled hole in the piece of stick, I pushed a

length of flex ready for connect?

lng to the lamp-holder. which l bought, of course, and screwed to the top of the stick. Now l stood (he stick into the Jar and then fil- led the jar with china cement. This ran be bought quite cheaply. I smoothed the cement around the top of the jar pulling it up around the stick to make the finish as neat as possible. When the cem- snt was hard the stick was as solid ss a rock.

‘That was the hardest part of the Job, for the painting of the jar and the part of the support showing above it was a pleasure. I used enamel paint in various colours and the effect was most pleasing. I won't tell you just what my de- sign was, because if you intend to

make s. stand lamp. you will have your own preferences for colour.

a FOB THE SHADE

i The support for the shade I was

‘able to buy at an electrician‘: at a modest price, but for the shade I preferred my own work.

Stiff parchment can be bought. When you have cut out the shape of the shade. you can either stitch it to the wire frame with con- trasting coloured cord or silks, or use coloured headed paper clips. That is for y u to decide. Like- wise with the colouring and decor- ating of the shade.

I have now made three of these

stand lamps. and found no diffi- iculties. By the way. any old jar or Ivase will do for the base. provided lit has a fairly narrow neck. Dont attempt to paint it until the cement is really hard. It will pa; to leave this for some days be- fore you touch it again.

Last Christmas some of my "home-made" presents which seem- ed to give a great deal of satis- faction to younger friends were shell neck-laces. You may have seen these dainty little ornaments in the fancy stores, priced at about half a guinea. The ones I made cost only a few pence.

At the seaside during the sum- mer I collected a number of cockie shells of various sizes. I graded these and. as you will see by the accompanying sketch, l used about nine shells to each necklace, some all of the same size, and others graduating sizes, with the largest in the centre.

Through the “neck" of each of the shells I bored a small hole.

'l‘liis may cause you a little diffi- ‘culty. for the smaller shells so czisily crack and spilt, but after a lilllc practice you will be able to punch a ncut hole. Use a sharp .darning needle or the point of the 1 scissors.

SURPRISE f OURSELF

Noxv the shells mus! be painted. iYou will be abig to decide on the (colours, according 1o the person by lwlium the necklace will be worn. ‘You will surprise yourself by the dainty designs you can paint on the pretty little shells-a flower" on a natural background; a sun- set effect or Just a plain colour. The backs of the shells can be treated in a contrasting colour.

Buy a yard or two of silk cord. l have found old gold the best colour. Cut this into lengths and attach the shells by mcans of fine wire or silk. If you pull this tight between the shell and the cord, it will hardly show.

Shells can be used also for mak- ing children's bracelets or, with a little ingenuity. you can use two or three of them, suitably paint- vcd. and attached to a scarf pin, to

make a coat decoration. - Once you have a supply of shells. _.ihcre is no end to th-i variety of presents you can make from them.

l have also bought several small ‘lengths of felt of different colours for presents this Christmas. Their ‘uses are many but my plan was vto make small dorothy bags or

purses for rny young friends.

l Cut the felt into the shape down

in the sketch: the size depends on

of children have asked that quee- tion, since visits from St. Nicholas began to be associated with the ob- servance of Christmas. In 189T. om little girl wrote to the editor 0! The New York Sun, asking him_ about Santa, and the next do)’ In editorial appeared, an editorial that has been reprinted thousands of times since. Here is that famous editorial:

The Editorial

We take pleasure in answerlngi

at once and thus prominently the;

the type of bag you are making. Mine are small ones. hold cash and a hanky.

Having cut the felt you will need a piece of cardboard for the base. This can be stitched into place, but I prefer to fit it with stronS Elim- Punch the holes for the draw-cord and then fold the lelt as in the sketch, making your folds inwards vqd outwards alternately.

TABLE DECORATIONS

Thread the draw~cord through the holes and when this is pulled tight, the felt should told concer- tina-fashion and make a neat and useful little hzmilbug, If you can thread the ends of the cord through a largo bead and fray the protrud- ing ends into a tassel, you will add to the effect.

Onc other prcscut which I have found \cry xicccptablc, especially to my oitlcr friends iS u small table garden. All )uu nccd l5 a bowl, a flat bulb bowl is the best type. Round tho sitics of this puck some ordinary garden moss. and into it 'prcss some picccs of rough stonc. I 1n the bottom of the bowl lay a piece 0f brokcn ntirror. to give lhc cffcct of a lake. Across this. perch- )ed 0n the sloucs at either side, you ican place a little rustic bridge lmadc from twigs and around thr- lbowl you can stick small pieccs of ‘shrub or cvcn tiny bulbs which iwill grow in the moss, if the muss ‘is kept moist.

Table decorations Lil‘: aitvuys ac- ceptable. hast year l made many ‘artificial flows-r sprays oi‘ hazel ;twigs lo which l \\‘llv‘ll acorns puintcil in various volouis to glu- a must plcustug cffcvl. l also cul- lected a number of small fir cums and treated these in much the lsarnc way by wiring liwm to (wigs ’and painting the-m, l still have any; cral sprays in my tiitiim; room um ‘they always look ircsli.

Toys and fclt animals for the very young can be made for very _little cost. All you nerd is some lspare time, a little patience and

materials. The rcst iS up to you.

I The “home-made” not only pro- vide pleasure in the making. they bring real satisfaction to the re- ceivers, for each gift has some- thing of yvuursclf in it, and sets it in a class by ilscli.

Hark, ti... Herald Angels Sing

Hark! the herald angels slug, Glory to thc nut-born King, Peace on curtii. and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled; Joyful, all ye nations risc.

Join the triumph of the skies, With th‘ angelic host proclaim, Christ is burn in Bethlehem.

Chorus iliark! the herald angels sing,

l

‘ tellect, as

I

Glory to the new-born King.

at the rams time our great grati- fication that its faithful author is numbered among the friends oi‘

Tbs Sun: Dear Editor:

is no Santa Claus.

Papa says. "If you see it in The

Sun. it's so." Please tell me the truth, ll there a Santa Claus?

VIRGINIA UHANLON. 115 West Ninety-fifth street.

Virginia, your little friends an. wrong. by the skepticism of a skeptical 8E8. they see. They think that nothing

can be‘ which is not comprehens- All

ibie by their little minds. minds, Virginia. whether they oc men's or children's are little. in

this great universe of ours man is

a mere insect, an ant, in his m- compared

of grasping the whole of and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. lie exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist and you know that i‘.l’iOy abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas, how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would bc as dreary as if there were nu Yirginias. There would be no childlike faith then. no poetry, no romance lo make tolerable this :.x- lstencc. We should have no enjoy "it'll! except in sense and sight This cternzii light with which child- hood fills the world would be ex linguishcd.

truth

Reality Unseen

Nut bclicvc in Santa Claus You might get your papa to hire mcu to watch in nil tlic chimneys on (fln-islmus Eve to catch Santa Claus, but evcn if they did not see Santa Lllaus coming down. what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Uluus, but that is no sign that ilicrc is no Santa Claus. The must rm] flliings in the world are those that lluilllQl‘ rhiitlrcn nor man can sce. Did you ever scc fairies dani- ing on the lawn’! Of course not. But that's no pron! that they or:- not llicrc. Nobody can conceit.- ull lllc “curlers there are unsccr. and unsccable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise ‘It side, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not tn~ strongest man. or even the unittd strength of all the strongest mm that ever iivcd, could tear zipurl Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, rom- ance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the super nuturui beauty and glory beyond. ls it all real. All, Virginia. in all this ivorld there is nothing cis- rcal and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God: h: lives. and he livcs forever. A thou- sand years from now. Virginia, nay, tcn limos ten thousand years from now. hc will continue lo make glad the heart of childhood. \

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Bone Chino in cups, saucers, coke

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say thero

They have been affected

They do not believe unless

with the k boundless world about him, as mea- ‘sured by the intelligence capable

_ CHARLOTTETOWN

PDEQEMQER so, 1943

WHO WAS mcx gwngiiueioii?

BANTOMIN! TAKE! LIBIBTIES WITH HISTORY

(By Be: Cont»!

The age-old legend of Dick Whit- tingtorv-the poor boy who hiked to London with his cat and became a rich and popular Lord my» o! t-hs Cl ty-ls one of the favourite themes of Christmas pantomime.

Although the story has been stretched and twisted In all ways by amusement caterers. yet much o! the basis o! the legend is fact. There was in truth, a Dick Whittlngton who travelled to London as a boy and became thrice Lord Mayor of the capital city.

Many of the original records and chronicles concerning the life of Dick Whittington were lost in the Great Fire. but from various sour ces many of them only brief zefer ences we can trace more oi less the {uthentic story of one of the most romantic figures in history.

Dick Whittington was not a p00: boy; that ls certain. He was the third son of Sir William Whllting ton of Pauntley in Gloucestershire. . . Sir William was a wealthy man and young Dick's life might have been very different but for the fact that his father fell on evil days and, according to some reports, was outlawed.

Young Dick was sent to London to serve an apprenticeship with Sir Ivo Fitzwaryn, a wealthy Dorset shire knight. who run a very suc cessful shipping merchant's bus!

ness in London. llow did Dick reach London? Did he walk? Rec ords vary on this point, but it seems more than likely that he was forced to walk part of the wa;.. f0: we do not read of him possessing a horse and that was the only method of travel in the 15th century.

Now what of his famous cat. 10f Dick Whittington of pantomime fume is never seen without his equally illustrious four - legged friend. There urc portraits ~n ax

istcncc. painted in the 15th cen

tury, which show Dick with a black and white cat. while a s.atue of the boy who was to become Lord Mayor. with his hand or the

main gate when Ncwgute Prison was rebuilt by the generous bequest of Dick Whittlngton.

What Kind 0f A Cat? Whether the cat iralked to lion- don with iis young muster iunnul be proved, but it is more than -,-- “ nbic that Dick was a lover of call for he was a genuine dcvoicu i. simple pleasures of life. Bul. there is another and far more plausible explanation of the popularly ac- cepted connection between Dick Whlttington and nis cat.

The young ilVc-st Cauntryman who travelled to London to try lo rc- tricve the fortunes of his family. certainly’ did not lack courage. not the facutly for hard work. That is obvious from the fact that it was not long before lhc youthful ap- prentice had achieved such suc ccss that he not only set up as a merccr in his own right. but lie woocd and won Si|' Ivo Filzuu-iyrnl» beautiful daughter. Alice.

That chapter of the legendary story is dcfinitcly true to fact. Richard Whlttington traded most- ly in silks, which were in great de mand in those days. The meichan disc was carried from Continental ports to London in small, shallow boats known as “cats". and that. some historians contend, is the rea son why Dick's name ls always connected with a cat.

Be that as it may, Richard Whit- tington prospered exceedingly and he was only 35 when he was elect- ed an Alderman and Sheriff of the City of Landon. Three years later, Adam Bammc. the Lord Mayor. died suddenly. and it was the young mercer who was appointed by the king to succeed him. - Whittlngton had progressed be- yond his most ambitious dreams. On two further occasions he was elected to the high office of Lord Mayor, just as the bells of Bow Church are supposed to have pre- dicted years before. He became. also. the confidential friend of kings and princes.

He is often referred to as Sir Richard Whittlngton, but nowhere can I find proof of his knighthood.

Entertainer! Royalty: Helped The Poor: This adventuring man never for got that he had been comparative- ly poor when hshld set: out to seek fame and fortune, but as he con- tinued to prosper, ne entertained in the most generous fashion at his sumptuous home at Lesden Hall, on the site of which now stands Lead- enhall Market, in the centre of the City of London. Some of the ban» quets he gave in honou of Henry the Fifth and his charming French queen, were memorable even to his

The Greatest Giff

Those who give themselves grou richer.

The kindly word. the spontane- ous smile, the thoughful deed- those are outward espieuions oi the goodness inside the hearts and minds of men.

Those of us in the newspaper business must record the iittlc things that make news day by day Often we wish there were less oi pettlness in the world and more of the spirit of Christmas scattered throughout the year. But the day that marks the birth of JQIUs brings with it s rebirth of faith and hope and a realisation that deep down inside each person there are Christ-like qualities of unseil

lshness, loyalty and devotion to the highest principles of God and man. It ls those qualities which make Cgirllsltmss the most joyous season o a .

Truly. there is “loy to the world" in abundant evidence of self-give lng, of hands clasped in friend

ship, of hearty good wishfi. How lnsignlfic t are‘ the little trouble

some things of the world In the light of the Christmas spirit that pervades the world!

ness of the season to wish all our friends and subscribers

“Es '

no. TREASURE ISLAND

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HOW’ TO PLAY

Paste the complete sketch on cardboard, cut out carefully and allow to dry.

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A MIIIY CHRISTMAS

And so we again Join in the glsd- g

royal gucsts.

Both Hcnry 1V and iicnry V had occasion to be grateful to Whitting- ton for his ready loans lo th. royal purse, loans to illc extent of many thousands of pounds, for which lac often rejected puynicul.

ln later life “lliitlington was lcil without wife or children found his greatest joy in his c iarit-

respect through the centuries

lie bore nearly uli the cusi oi

Ilfllfilhllllfihit! Li}: 5hv-Sa‘""7 ‘(DDT ‘h’

Plavcrs use coloured buttons as counters, and a dice. If the dice is r.ot available, pieces oi paper numbered from 1 to 6 can be put in a hat and drawn by the players in iurn. A six must be thrown before a player can begin. Penalties and movzl are stated lll the skDlYil, and the first player to reach “llumc" is the winner.

R .

Paternoster U ing hospital,

built in the sl

and he the legend of

houses are no ie benevolence.

had been

His work in this handed "lown

as n pcr

iual monument to his mcmciy.

Richard Wh interest in th

‘cs-a

building the Groyfriais Library an? Burt's Hospital. founded the college of St. Michaela

Higligate ncur to ihc now famous milestone which Mercer's Company.

and among many bequests he left _moncy for the restoration

tape of almshousts at may have been many stances of his charity, is inscribed with Bow Bells. The aim w maintained by the