question, and I had never observed anything fiendish or malevolent about
her. However, it is so much the fashion for girls to use sweeping
expressions, that I am never a bit surprised when I hear "awful,"
"dreadful," "horrible," "terrible," and other strong words of that kind
used without much reference to their exact meaning. I suppose the young
girl described so alarmingly is very fond of candy, for which nobody can
blame her; not I, certainly, especially if it be home-made. But I will
imagine that each of my girls has an allowance, so much given her a week
to spend as she pleases. What proportion of this should she devote
merely to gratifying her taste for sweet things? Do you not think it
rather foolish to spend so much on bonbons, caramels, and creams, that a
girl has nothing left when she wishes to help clothe a poor family whose
house has been burned over their heads, to buy a pretty framed
photograph for her room, or to make a Christmas present for her mother
or dear friend?

It is quite time, by-the-way, for us to begin the consideration of our
Christmas presents in these bright days of late summer. By giving a
little thought and time to the matter, paying attention to small wishes
and wants which are spoken of in the family, we can often give our
friends and ourselves much more pleasure than can be done when
everything is left to the hurry of the last few weeks of the year. I
heard a lady say the other evening, "I have at least six girl friends
who knit beautifully, and I do wish one of them would make me a
fascinator." "And pray what may a fascinator be?" said I. And I learned
that it was simply a beautiful fleecy thing to wear upon the head in the
evening. It used to be called a "cloud" when I was a girl; and in my
girlish days I always kept one on hand to use up odd moments. It is
pretty, dainty work. Bedroom slippers, crocheted and made up over
lamb's-wool soles, are welcome gifts to receive, and not hard to make.
May I add that a present is much more likely to give satisfaction to the
recipient if it is beautifully wrapped up in tissue-paper and tied with
dainty ribbon? I never derived more pleasure in my life than from a book
which came to me one white cold Christmas eve. The book was daintily
wrapped in white tissue-paper and tied with a white ribbon, which
fastened on the cover of it one dewy, long-stemmed rose. A candle and
candle-stick is a graceful and useful present. You know that one should
alway