THE DUPLIN TIMES, KENANSVUXJ N. C. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 19SS SCOTTS SCRAP BOOK By R. J. SCO If FOR MEN ONLY Advice to a male about to go Christmas shopping. Of course, you should have done your Christmas shopping long ago. But being a man, you probably havent - haven't even any Ideas 'about it. So youll rush into a store at the last minute when most ' " of the merchandise Jbaf been picked over and you'll buy anything ' ' you can afford, often something you can't, have it gift wrapped and , give it to the Jove of, your 'life on Christmas morning and fully xpect her to be pleased with your offering. ' ' ; " T 5 t ' You may commit an even more heinous crime and ask the gal rather plaintively in your most resigned tones, "What would you like lor Christmas?" It she bursts into tears you have only yourself to blame. My heaven, what have you been doing all year? Havent you observed her at all, seen her cast longing glances at something ' shewould never buy for herself? Use your imagination, men, if you " have one - prove to the gai how clever you are, how really thoughtful. And to ask her what she Wants is very dangerous, too. What are you going to do lf-she tells you - tells you what she would like to have, not what she thinks you can afford to give her? Suppose she says that she wants a mink coat or a Cadillac or a Christmas cruise? You asked her, didn't you? ' , First, let me tell you the ladles like to be surprised. They don't ' want to know what is in that lovely mysterious package under the tree - anticipation is part of Christmas. After all, they think wistfully, ' 1 maybe for once the oaf has chosen something I do want . and some thing he thought of all by himself. Improbably, but we gals are in ! curable optimists - we always hope, for the best even if we seldom v et it vvV:.'v'--:-.. ::.;:--:';; H ' - Don't, we beg of you, buy something exactly, like Tom or Dick Harry has bought for his wife or his lady love - she may not he 'if the same kind of girl at all. We want and expect for Christmas a gift that is ours alone, that is suitable, appropriate only for us - that ' shows us that you understand us better than anyone else - that is an ; indication that for you, we are a very special person. We want to know that we are important enought to you to warrant-such thought f 7 fulness, such' setting us apart from other women.- - ' Christmas is not a, time for being practical - it is a time for being" merry, remember? Life is humdrum enough, heaven knows, without , taking away the magic from the most magical "season in the year. ' If your wife needs a coat more than anything else unless you are i going all out and giving her a mink or a vicuna, why give her one ' - for New Year' or some other time. If you gave her a decent clothing allowance, she'd get a coat for herself, the kind she wanted, too. And this applies to all the other so called practical gifts for Christmas. ' Sa she needs a sweater - all right, give her a cashmere then - but nothing less than the best. Nylons? Well, if you must - but make them - luxury nylons - 66 gauge, and a box full - and be sure you know V" her size. Underwear? Hmm. Perhaps. But, gentlemen, I have a shock lor you most gals do not like the filmy black stuff you so often v bring home as gifts when you have a guilty conscience. They prefer white it washes better. !"! ' ' '- 'J? t And if the season is' not .the. time ..for, being practical, it is most ' ;f definitely when you should be sentimental, romantic with all the trimmings. The gal in your life may be hard-beaded self-sufficient, ' shrewd for 364 days of the year, but not, on Christmas. If you can't ! think of a gift that's original,: at least, enclose a letter - say a love letter, for aVhange, tell the gal what she means 'to you and why, - thank her for all the understanding and patience She has exhibited towards you during the past year or all the years past, tell her why she is precious to you. She will prize it more highly, or almost as highly as if you had f illed her stocking with blue chip stocks or some ' little diamond creation from Black, Starr and Gorham. Remember the gals have been brought up in the romantic tradition - they learn ed 'the old carol about the "Twelve Days of Christmas" when some- greatly-to-be-desired guy had the imagination to send his lady love not one gift, but a dozen - one for each day of the season. I'm sure '- every1 gal has' sighed in her secret heart over that man. You'll go into a department store at the last miniate and ask some ' tired overworked salesgirl to do your thinking for you? How do you . expect her to know what your lady wants if you don't yourself? " Even if you take up her valuable time describing your wife, can you , honestly hope that she will come forth with a brilliant idea - just the thing? Don't be so naive. That salesgal is weary, she aches all - over, she's thinking of a good hot bath when she gets home. I know how'she feels, - I've worked in a department store myself at Christ- - mas And when some stupid guy came in and wanted to buy a little I grey cotton Jersey (in which I wouldn't have been caught dead) for his Wife because it seemed to be a bargain, I felt like saying, "If you do, I hope she uses it to choke you!" But instead I sold him a very " " chic black shirt with two cancan petticoat? - and his wife adored it, , ; she came in to tell me so, r If all this emphasis on shopping for one gift for one woman seems .ft to leave out the rest of your list, I might remind you ihat your wife undoubtly does all the rest of the Christmas shopping anyway. She . . has to get presents for all your family, your difficult aunt who hasn't , been pleased with anything in her life, your very critical sister, and ' I'1 for her own family and friends as well. But this one gift you must get by your Self, All the others she can and will take care of unless you are a very unusual guy. And you would add immeasurably" to her Christmas spirit if you gave her enough money to do all this ' shopping. Don't act as if you are being held up when" she asks you for the wherewithal - she shouldn't have to ask you. She has a job,' t poorly "paid, to be sure, but a Job and bard one she takes care of you. She deserves a proper recompense for her services. Don't say grudgingly, "How much money do you have to have?" and then com "I plain because she asks you for what you consider too much. It's k humiliating venough for her to have to ask for money in the first '' place. How much better she would feel about the whole thing if you ;t gave her as much as1 you coulud possibly afford and told her so - " , without the implied accusation that she was extravagant and wasteful, . You thought of giving her a new washing machine? Well, I knew ;, ' of a man once who gave his wife a set of new wash tubs and, a wash board so that she could take in washing and I frankly don't see -.: much difference, you are buying a new television set for the whole ' family? That's fine. Jut you'fl get Just as much enjoyment out of it as she will. .Add that personal for-you-alohe-gift perhaps a bottle ' 1 ' of her favorite perfume. You are planning to give her a watch.. Why J. - not have it engraved with a really sentimental idea? Now all my life I have wished some man had perception and imagination enough V to give me a watch something like the first five notes of Chopin's , Polonaise engraved on the back - why? Because in their popular" , version they stand ton Til The End of Time. Silly? Could be, but ' at least I'd never forget the man who had that mucn romance in nm . . J "make-up. You haven't time for such nonsense, you protest I know ' a man whogave his wife of twenty some years a sort of coupon , " book - each coupon good for some thoughtful and special gift - 'One . elegant new dress' 'one very smart hat' - 'one glamorous nightie and aneven more glamorous negligee to match' - 'good for three con- OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOQ4 1 ' FAWN, ZdolMY. A YouHfl Dttft FAWN. '. feSHOY PEUCiHf OK ktfUftQH S DO4 .' ZhCKi ft GWOUlUtf TUWOilS f m ' FAWN, , o COURT FAVOR BY A t MHQIH DEMEAHOft. HI II V WASUBMARIHE-A 4 f. nn. 1 ' f 'i 1H A f w, rUlR.10 KICAK MOLL CR1CKL1 UJtS KS UfiJ RRtUNMlUH(; ffllBOUHflltUftm.Ai : 0W W'ttlWA.'ftA. AHO ji(t,RS toRSMlWIHfi Stffajfs EARS AM. OH Wi U. If' certs for two' - 'good for three new books of poetry and so on down ' the list; a complete'hew outfit and all kinds of little luxuries that , she would never have bought for herself. This man. la not at all a : romantic guy, he's a very shrewd and clever investment brpker - but he knows the secret of a successful marriage as. well as he knows the secrets of Wall Street . - ' , ' One thing men forget too easily is, that they must assume the role . of Santa Claus for the gals in their life - their fathers did. It is a ; wonderful thing to know how to keep Christmas well, as Dickens - said - And if you still insist upon giving your wife a matched set of i pots and pans under the Christmas tree, I just hope the concussion you well deserve won't be too severe! ' . , '- HELEN CALDWELL CUSHMAN . More .about pruning trees and shrubs: ? As I said last week about this time of the year many neoole get the urge to go out and cut theirj shrubs and trees. I have noticed many times in the city that when shrubbery 'has become too large and must be cut back severely it will be done at this season of the period just before growth starts in the spring. What I am trying to bring out is the fact that if you prune trees or shrubs back severe ly now you will have to look at the naked stumps' all .Winter since there will be no growth until spring. On the other hand, if , the pruning was done in late winter or early spring, it would take only a short while for the new growth to cover up the ugly stumps. Of course, no shrubs should be allowed to get into so bad a condition that they should have to be cut back to large stumps. Intelligent pruning ' each year should prevent that Spring flowering shrubs should be pruned only lightly during the dormant season jf you wish a lot of bloom. That would include spiraea, forsythia, climbing proses and other .similar spring flowers. Heavier pruning can be done im mediately ; after they are through blooming. Summer flowering shrubs such as crepe myrtle and hybrid tea roses may be pruned quite se verely dufing the dormant period because they bloom on the new wood. It is best to delay the prun ing of hybrid tea;roses until late in the dormant season-or until dan ger of hard freezing is past. . If you have any pear trees, the less pruning you do on them the better. Pruning will force out new growth, and this growth is very susceptible to fire blight infection. The same cautions apply to the fertilization and cultivation of pears. Keep fertilization and culti vation down to a minimum in order to slow down growth. Fig bushes are often damaged by cold weather and, therefore, it is best to delay pruning until danger of further freezing injury is past. , Pruning of evergreen shrubs is best done just before growth starts at the end of the dormant season. AsheviUe, N. C How the quality 8 O O o o o o , O wonderful Christmas gifts for the home. We have Crosley Appliances hich jiiake O J V. '...';-' 'I,-' '. '-'-i :.' V:', '.." i ..'.. ' --f s--' O o o o o , 9 C) ' t " Ranges Freeze; Lockers v . . Refrigerators Radios h.t i ; .. .' 'l . t '..'' ; FOR THE CHILDREN Toy. Tractors -r- Wagons Disc Harrows, & Pedal Tractors " . o . o o c o o o n U () () C () t) r ( : ( ; -'4f'V' Hurry Ladies and Gents folks of grandpa's day, lived Is be coming an increasingly remote cur losity. Last year, 45,000 people bou ght tickets to go through the fab ulous Biltmore House and Gardens here..y-V. .'O.r -:y :; The baronial mansion, with its 200 rooms, priceless objects of art and antiques and surrounded by a carefully landscaped Estate, proba bly will never again be matched in America, Streamlined living,- the servant problem and taxes have seen to. that ,:: ; Popularity of the place as a travel goal has increased as it grew in antiquity. First open in 1930, it at tracted 28,000 visitors that year. The season of 1952 broke all records until 1953 topped that The Biltmore House required five years to build, and employed the talents of artists and artisans from Europe and America. From a front age of some 780 feet the French peaked roof with its dormer win dows and lofth chimneys. Every room that the visitor tours is filled . with priceless ' antiques, tapestries, paintings and prints. The Court of Palms, just inside the main entrance, is the first "eye opener.'" This large sunken area is finished in marble and decorated with masses of flowers from the Estate's gardens. The great Banquet Hall, another example of the enormity 'Of the building, is of Norman design and 72 feet long. A triple fireplace, carv ed by Karl Bitter, extends almost the full width of the room. In the Print Room and Tapestry Gallery, Renaissance art from Eu rope share in interest with the chess set of Napoleon Bonaparte, used by him in his six years of exile on St. Helena. Some 20,000 volumes are contained in the Library, paneled in Circassian walnut. Furnished throughout with HippQctae To Be II Coliseum RALEIGH, N. C. A varied pro gram of entertainment will be pre sented' in the William Neal Rey nolds Coliseum at North Qprolina State College January 8-15 when Harold Steinman's "Hippodrome of 1954" appears. Coliseum Director W. Z. Betts said there will be 10 performantes of the Hippodrome at the Coliseum. This will include seven night and three matinee shows. Each show will run for 2Vi hours. "Dancing Waters," the spectacu lar new European acquatic display, will be the top attraction of Hip podrome. It drew 1,400,000 theatre goers to New York's Radio City Music Hall during its eight weeks there last spring. Critics praised "its incredible variety of dazzling effects. " It is a combination of water, electric power, lights, music, en gineering know-how, and show manship. Invented and perfected in Europe, the fantastic display was HHnffitl ti s it rf ti iMei sji ajl al i i i RED ASH And BRIQUET COAL FUEL OIL arnd KEROSENE . R. B. WARREN ' Phone 2561 ' Mt. Olive, N. C. first presented at the West Berlin Industrial Exhibition in the summer of 1952. ,It caused an immediate sensation and played to 300,000 pa' trons in 10 days. - , "Hippodrome of 1954," which is patterned after the old New York Hippodrome Theatre, will include a wide range of other features. Betts, who saw the show in Cleve land, said it is "one of the world's greatest entertainment epics." It contains seven big production numbers, including comedy, circus novelties, skating acts, ballet and diving girls. Among the attractions are Lottie Maker's "Dissappearing Diving Girls;" "Ballet at Its Best" starring Patricia Bowman, noted ballerina, and a corps de ballet; the "Skating Vanities" with 36 versatile artists headed by Nancy Lee Parker; and "Under the Big Top," a circus fea-i ture. Both European and American stars make up the cast of 150. A mong these are Sicki, celebrated star of Moulin Rouge and Bal Ta barin of Paris; Larry Griswold, 10 FACTS ABOUT 'PEDESTRAINS One out of four persons killed in North Carolina traffic accidents is a pedestrain, the State Department of Motor Vehicles reports. The department Airges walkers to obey these rules: IN THE CITY: 1. Cross only at corners 2. Do not jaywalk. 3. Respect traffic signals. 4. Look both ways before crossing. IN RURAL AREAS: 1. Use footpaths if available. 2. Otherwise, walk to the left, facing oncoming traffic. 3. Step off traveled portion of roadway when vehicles approach. 4. Wear or carry something white or display a flashlight after dark. Household Hint For easier vacuuming of light-, weight scatter rugs, first place them on top of a larger carpet. This way, they'll stay in place, and won't bunch up as the ma chine moves nvnr them. When Shopping WhcMicrk RelaxWilh I t J XD8S. j ill 11 I I i IP1! M I Wilmington Coca Cola Bottling Company Wilmington, N. C. : :kj.:'Xx:":"M"::X":"X": I- comic diving artist; Mel Hall, unl cyclist; Harry StockweU, ; known for his Broadway role in "Okla homa"; and , Johnson '.and, Owen, who perform acrobatic numbers on a horizontal bar. ....... . . Browse For Chrisfmas AT OCB MEW MODERN GD7T SHOP Gifts From $U0 Up Shoppers Paradise ACROSS FROM BELK'S in Wilmington 4e4e4e"&e'4HM' DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO o o o o o o o. o o Curing HICKORY SMOKING Lockers -Storage -processing o o o o o o o o o o o o I B & R Frozen Foods 2 WALLACE, N. C. o o dooooooooooooooooeeoooooi Here Are The FOR THE MEN ON YOUR LIST Use Our Lay-Away Plan f. We have the gifts that men will most appreciate for Christmas : ... practical things that he can wear and enjoy . . . ALL AT REASONABLE PRICES. SUITS & SPORT COATS $ TOP COATS y SLACKS SHIRTS HATS . GLOVES TIES I Rholey Tailoring I as "'1 T" I Company : 27. So. Front St. . In Wilmington oooooooooooo iff r " :ff. Be. sure your clothes are just right for the .fl 5j festivities of the' approaching season; ' ' Let us pick them up and have them looking W 1: as sparkling as you feel for the holidays. r : ' -' ' ''2 Bi-y 'Cbaners ."' -S if AiTT 1 1 r'-Ji '-'-"Mk"m-- Attention Tobacco Farmers Assure yourself of earlier tobacco plants on weed and grass free beds No need to grub new beds. Use DowfumeMC-2 ' plant bed fumigant on .your old ones. 7arsawFCX : HisforyRflaking i , Vii Hdw Oooge Koyol V-8 4-Door Sedan Road Test the Elegant New Action Car That Shattered 196 Records for Performance, Stamina and Endurance! Here's" the car that proves what others just $ase of full-tithe Power Steering ... and promise . . . clinches what others claim! A the surging power of the stepped-up 150 Come see and drive the new '54 Dodge . k.p..Red Ram V-8 engine winner over all that rewrote the official AAA record book. 8's in the Mobilgas Economy Run. .: You will discover the flashing per- ' It's the one new car that gives you' proof formance "of PowerJFlite Drive newest, " of performance far ahead of its field. 3 smoothest, most powerful of all automatic " great series: Royal V-8. Corouet V-8 and transmissions the matchless steering 6. Meadowbrook V-8 and 6. Mor To It More In It-More Of It! 1 PowerFlite , Fully - Automatic. , No clutch, no lag or hesitation, no Jolt or jerk. Power Steering Full Time takes more of the work out leaves aU the pleasure in! - RedRaraV-a Full if Power t ' the -most efficient ' engine in any' American car. ' Th Amtrican Automobilt AitociaKon It ' 1h suprtmc authoritf on American pr. formanct racordt. PowtrFliK and full-hm Powtr Statring are optional oquipmonl; Spvcifleatiom. quipmnt and pricM . . vbtd to dranfl without noticn. 'Sf:re "... ; ' :U cu? Trrcri run all ovr dupli?; U Ln Pi3s i::u 231 North Norwood Si T7El!ace, N. C