Christmas card

“ The custom is a most striking one—so long as we have sufficient imagination to remember vividly that we are all in the same boat—I mean, on the same planet—and clinging desperately to the flying ball, and dependent for daily happiness on one another's good will! A Christmas card sent by one human being to another human being is more than a piece of coloured stationery sent by one log of wood to another log of wood: it is an inspiring and reassuring message of high value. ”

“ It is, of course, impossible to thank every donor of a joint gift; one simply thanks the first person whose eye one happens to catch. Sometimes William’s eye was caught, sometimes not. But he was spared all embarrassment; and I can recommend his solution of the problem with perfect confidence to those who may be in a similar predicament next Christmas.
There is a minor sort of Christmas present about which also a few words must be said; I refer to the Christmas card.
The Christmas card habit is a very pleasant one, but it, too, needs to be disciplined. ”

“ The question is, will the publishers send you a check, or only a copy of your card?"
"I should relish a check, I confess; but oh! I should like almost as well a beautifully colored card, Luther, with a picture of my own inventing on it, my own verse, and R. L. in tiny letters somewhere in the corner! It would make such a lovely Christmas present! And I should be so proud; inside of course, not outside! ”

“ From Joan Dalgleish to Mary Morris, Manchester.
December 23.
Dearest Mary,—I am sending you a little Christmas card, in the shape of a water-colour drawing with a calendar attached, which can be removed each year. It will remind you of the fine time we spent bathing and boating on the Welsh Coast, which I know you people in the North adore. I have long wanted to send you some token of our days together in that pleasant land, and, after much searching, here at last it is. ”

“ A plain white card monogramed in Christmas red or green with a written word of greeting, makes a pretty, new accompaniment to a gift, and carries a decided touch of personality. The use of these cards at any season for a thought to a friend cannot fail to be appreciated. ”

“ During the twelve days of Christmas card-playing was a very favourite amusement with all classes. Whilst the old people enjoyed their game of whist with ‘swabbers,’ the young ones had their round games. ”

“ And the great bell tolled among them, like the chanting of a friar. Visions of the days departed, shadowy phantoms filled my brain: They who live in history only seemed to walk the earth again."
Christmas and New Year Cards
were first circulated in England in 1846. That year not more than a thousand copies were printed, and that was considered a large sale. The numbers distributed annually soon increased to tens and hundreds of thousands, and now there are millions of272 them. Mr. J. C. Horsley, a member of the Royal Academy, designed this first card which was sent out in 1846. ”

“ Suddenly she picked up an alien from the carefully chosen mass that lay about her, a cheap little card that she knew she had never bought. Either she or the sales girl must have caught it up by mistake with some of the others. It was a commonplace little card of the folder variety that carries a sentimental verse inside. Alice opened it mechanically before tossing it into the waste basket. And there beneath her eyes were these words:
Oh what, my dear, of Christmas cheer could any one wish more,
Than candle-light and you within, and holly at the door! ”

“ For this occasion we will make a reduction in the subscription price to Bird-Lore, and offer five subscriptions for the sum of $4.00.
Orders for these Christmas Cards should be sent at an early date, in order to ensure their delivery in due season.
In this connection we would call attention to the fact that, having reprinted the first (February) number of Bird-Lore, we can now supply volume one complete, and, if desired, on receipt of two dollars, will deliver it with the Christmas Card to any address on Christmas day. ”

“ In England, the custom of making Christmas presents and New Year’s gifts had, except among relatives, died out, when a few years ago some apparently childish, but in reality very ingenious, person invented Christmas cards. ”

“ The drawing was made by J.C. Horsley, R.A.; it was printed in lithography by Mr. Jobbins of Warwick Court, Holborn, and coloured by hand. Many copies were sold, but possibly not more than 1000. It was of the usual size of a lady's card. Those my friend Luke Limner speaks of were not brought out, as he says, till many years after.—Joseph Cundall."
As works of art—compared with the majority of Christmas cards, which are mostly "made in Germany"—the card almanacs presented by tradesmen to their customers are generally of a very superior character. ”

“ I sent your younger son to the lady Stapleton, and she said according to my lady Morley's saying in that, and as she had seen used in places of worship (gentlemen's houses) there as she had been.' ... After the middle of the fifteenth century, cards came into very general use; and at the beginning of the following century, there was such a rage for card-playing, that an attempt was made early in the reign of Henry VIII. to restrict their use by law to the period of Christmas. ”

“ The tax-gatherer forgets his calling, and at last joins the throng of Christmas joy-makers and joy-receivers, who find kindly impersonation in “Santa Claus.”
Let the card-dealers, then, and the writers of pretty fancies—the students of folk-lore, the devotees of mystic rite—have their way; let the tradesman prosper in the time of gift-giving; and every toiler in the wide business field reap his golden harvest or glean his few sheaves, as he may. ”

“ It goes without saying that leading a suit the weak adverse hand can trump, and upon which the strong hand can discard, is carrying out a custom most commendable at Christmas, but which at the card-table does not arouse the enthusiasm of the partner.
A player should be most careful not to indicate by some mannerism that his hand is trickless. By pulling a card before it is his turn to play, by apparent lack of interest, or by allowing himself to be wrapped in gloom, he may give the Declarer as much information as if he spread his hand on the table. ”

“ The ill wind that's blowing to-day is bestowing
A number of negative gains.
THE IDEAL CHRISTMAS CARD.
"Are we sending Christmas cards. this year? Yes," said Blathers, "but not next year, or the year after that, as we shall be retrenching. They are quite modest trifles, yet at the mere sight of the envelope cach recipient will, cheerfully, I hope, pay twopence towards the sinews of war. One hundred of these contributions will amount, I am told, to sixteen shillings and eightpence; not much, but it is my little offering to the country in her hour of need. ”

“ And we’re 138 going Saturday afternoon to take these things around. Mona has lovely things, and so has Elise. You see, we get so many Christmas and birthday presents, and card party prizes, and such things, and I do think it’s sensible to make use of them for somebody’s pleasure instead of sticking them away in dark cupboards. And, Nan, what do you think?—with each lot of things we’re going to give a dozen sheets of white tissue paper and a bolt of holly ribbon and some little tags so they can fix up real Christmassy presents to give away. ”

“ It is true that Christmas cards bearing her signature continued to appear until late into the ‘nineties, but these were usually designs made for her books and afterwards appropriated to other uses. Those of her best period are fully entitled to rank amongst the Art products of the time. These were years when Christmas cards were Christmas cards, designed by Mr. Marcus Stone, R.A., Mr. G. D. Leslie, R.A., Mr. J. Sant, R.A., Mr. W. F. Yeames, R.A., H. Stacy Marks, R.A., J. C. Herbert, R.A., and Sir Edward Poynter, the present President of the Royal Academy. ”

“ It would be interesting to follow this woodland treasure after its arrival in the great city; but one thing is certain—wherever it is, even if it be only a sprig in the hand of a sick child, faces are brighter, hearts are happier, and the sweet words, "Merry Christmas," have a deeper significance.
CHRISTMAS PUZZLE.
The answer to this puzzle will form an appropriate motto for the card in the centre. ”

“ At least nobody has since they started the custom of sending Christmas cards instead of gifts. But that was a mistake; it’s been overdone into an evil. There’s a passion to see who can buy the most expensive cards; and you spend weeks beforehand making up the lists and addressing the envelops, and the cards cost as much as the presents used to cost and make ever so much more bother getting them out. Look at what happened to us last Christmas! Look at what’s sure to happen this Christmas! ”

“ A universal Christmas custom of the olden time was playing at cards; persons who never touched a card at any other season of the year felt bound to play a few games at Christmas. The practice had even the sanction of the law. A prohibitory statute of Henry VII.'s reign, forbade card-playing save during the Christmas holidays. Of course, this prohibition extended only to persons of humble rank; Henry's daughter, the Princess Margaret, 098played cards with her suitor, James IV. of Scotland ”

“ If you seek to hold their attention too long, they will grow tired and their interest will slacken. You must be brief.
There are beautiful post-cards without number and the cost is very trifling. Use historical cards. Take, if you so desire, the card containing the "Liberty Bell," and preach upon the text of the Bell: "Proclaim liberty throughout the land." Describe the bell, give its history in a few words. The seasonal post-cards, Christmas, Spring, Winter, Thanksgiving, Hallowe'en, etc., give a [110] new meaning to these days, and tell things the children should know about them. ”

“ Brander lets the children choose which cards they like best, and they always take those with the brightest colours. This leads me to tell your readers that a very pretty effect is produced by pasting or gumming Christmas cards, each separately, on to a piece of gay-coloured calico. ”

“ Add gift tapes to please. (Cover with plastic wrap for weather-proofing.) Tape on ornaments or rope beads.
FAMILY GREETING CARDS. Give the warmth and quick color of “Scotch” Gift Tape in holiday designs to popular photographic greeting cards. Pretty, so personal.
11 Make yours a “Friendship House” with these touch-of-tape ideas
Pretty way to decorate and please friends, too ... displaying their cards with the Christmas Magic touch of “Scotch” brand Cellophane Tape.
FRIENDSHIP WREATH. Simply tape Christmas cards to a “hula hoop” for dramatic wall decoration! (b) . ”

“ Some folk affect to dislike or despise Christmas cards, but I find them most useful, often most welcome, always a kindly remembrance.
People in strange lands have been good to me. They have taken me about, invited me to their houses, have helped me in my work, and many introductions, obtained originally for practical purposes, have ended in real friendships.
It is impossible to keep up a correspondence with all one’s friends, however, and yet one likes them to know they are not forgotten. ”

“ If there are not enough gifts to fill the box of the sleigh, open newspapers and crush them into the bottom of the box to fill up the extra space; spread white paper over the top of the newspapers, and fill in with the prettily wrapped gifts. Each parcel should be tied with a ribbon and decorated with holly, mistletoe or evergreen (Fig. 220) . Cover the top of the paper parcels with various toys (Fig. 200) , and Santa Claus with sleigh and reindeer will be ready to surprise the family early Christmas morning. ”

“ They each held aloft a sprig of holly, and they all kept time as they sang, "God rest you, merry gentlemen," in their march from the dining-room to the office. And there they must form in circle about the tree, and dance three-times round, singing "The Christmas-tree is an evergreen," before they could touch a single present.
The presents are done up according to custom, packages of every shape and size, but all in white paper and tied with red ribbon, and all marked for somebody with somebody else's best love. They all fall to opening, and the babies' shouts are not the only ones to be heard. ”

“ Cards for stag affairs have Old English pictures on a soft gray background; souvenir postals make interesting guest cards; tiny fans, playing cards, ribbons, cards cut out of water-color paper imitating flower pots with flowers in bloom, cards decorated with sketches of brides and bridegrooms, kodak pictures of familiar scenes, boats, different sports—you can scarcely go amiss on your cards—the more original they are the better. The card is laid on the napkin at dinner or luncheon, or if it has an easel-like back is fastened to the wineglass. ”

“ And now, dear Cousin Margaret, can you see a little what that Christmas box has been to us? I can't bear to say, "Thank you"; it seems so commonplace and inadequate. And yet there is n't anything else I can say. And we do thank you, each and every one of us. We thank you both for our own gift, and for all the others, for each one's gift is making all the others happy. Do you see? Oh, I hope you do see and that you do understand that we appreciate all the care and pains you must have taken to select just the present that each of us most longed for.
Lovingly and gratefully yours,
Mary. ”