e verse is to accompany the gift,
and the words must be read aloud for the entertainment of all.

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.

MENU

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.

[Illustration]

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 h