A young man who is addicted to the bad habit of Sunday golf might have a small plaid paper golf-bag, and a card with a picture of a golfer with his sticks,--this can be cut from an advertisement or catalogue,--and a rhyme something like this:--
"Behold this young golfer so fit, Who his ball (or his caddie) doth hit, When six days in the week And the seventh day eke, To the links he doth eagerly flit."
An enthusiastic young housekeeper might be given a set of small tin baking dishes with this jingle:--
"This matron can cook wondrous well; Every recipe known she can tell; She can roast, stew, and bake, Make marvellous cake, And her jelly will frequently 'jell.'"
A pretty girl might have a pasteboard heart with the words written on it, "A heart for the heartless," and this verse below:--
"This maiden's an arrant young flirt; Her ways are both subtle and pert. Every man that she spies She looks on as a prize, And she cares not a fig for his hurt."
A little practice will make perfect in writing similar ridiculous nonsense.
The menu for this Christmas luncheon should be a very simple one in order not to impair the appetites for the Christmas goose, which will appear before many hours.
BOUILLON. SCALLOPED SALMON. DUCK CROQUETTES WITH PEAS. POTATO PUFF. CELERY SALAD. WAFERS. INDIVIDUAL PLUM PUDDINGS. COFFEE.
Of course if plum pudding is necessary to the Christmas dinner it must be dispensed with here, but if this is the one meal of the holiday when the children of the family are present, these small lighted puddings will give the greatest delight; each one is to have a little spray of holly in the top and be sent to the table on fire; as the alcohol is destroyed in the blaze, there can be no objection to its use on this occasion.
After the final course a sleigh filled with candies may be brought in, with Santa Claus driving his team of reindeer, and this may be placed in state on one end of the table, or, if the little tree is not to be had for the central decoration, this toy may take its place, and stand in the centre all through the meal.
Sometimes one wishes to give a formal luncheon for guests who are spending the Christmas holidays in the house; the ideas suggested for the tree, the presents, the nonsense jingles, and the holly may all be used with perfect appropriateness, even if this comes either before or after the twenty-fifth. A Christmas luncheon speaks for itself, whenever it is given. For this you will need a rather elaborate