Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 - 1953), Friday 25 October 1889, page 3


HERALDS OF CHRISTMAS. Christmas cards are the chief heralds of rule"tide now-a-days, and though there are still two months to run before the festive season egine, these harbingers of another year are -lready appearin g among the stationers' wars. It is net at this season that those who havo friens and relatives in the mother country are beginning to send these little messengers of love -and remembrance across the seas. Some charm. -ing Christmas and New Year cards have been forwarded to me, and amongst them can be found dainty trifles to suit all tastes and all purees. Thouch " there is nothing new under the sun," yet the designers of Christmas-cards seem to rind fresh novelties for each ensuinseason, and the cards of the year are prettier than ever. Some of the more elaborate Christmas-cards are in the share of velvet and silk fringed sacheets, the outer folds showing white eatin, with hand-painted flowers while within are beautiftlly-desgned tlower groups and appropriate mottoes. Dainty little fans are .amongst the prettiest of the Christmasteards en to me. An attrctive fan-shaped curd is wreathed with yellow joesumine, and has -a white silkt tassel, to smitate more closey the genuine article. At the reverse aide is the screen scene from "The School for Scandal," and the motto, "A Happy New Year to Yenou." Anotherpretty fan shows a wreath -of evening primroses on a blhck and gold ,ground, and has a Christmas verse on the re"verse side. Folding cards, on whilch violetsand pansies and narcissi are imitated to the life, and which open to show seasonable mottoes, .appear in endless variety. Folding cards appear too, in shell shape, one of the prettiest showing two sea-sespes. with white-sailed boats and the words "Good Luck" on one side of the shell, -and " And Happiness " on the other. Pretty -little folding calendars for 1890 are among the novelties, and serve to remind us of ,the flight of time. Flowers pLay a great part n the cards of the year, and bare beautifully drawn and painted. A novel and pretty card is of a bright red colour, and shows a spray of English forget-mo-nets above a gold-coloured spider's web and a blue and gold butterfly beneath. Then there are baskets of roses-red, white, and pink; highheeled shoes, filled with hehotroep; tubs of p apple blossom, wheelbarrows of pear blossom, and cards of many colours that show the familiar designs of horseshoes wreathed with white and pmik may-bloom. A pretty and -original card shows a row of well drawn and pinted birds perched on an apple-bough in bloasom, while below a Christmas motto is •shown in gold letters. Photograph cards are much en cridenrc, and one of the best shows a group of pansies "black as night" mingled with maiden-hair ferns. On the reverse side Sare some lines by 1H 1. BurnsideThe tender geieo of Christnas clings Ahbout the dying year, IIlak!-high above the stars there rings An anthem sweet and oe?r; Andr theslh the lhevee's du?ky blue I send a loving widh to you. The children are well catered for. A snovel Christmas card for a child is in the form of a bonbon-crancke, besu-tilly coloured. Within isa picture of a lady and gentleman in old-fashioned dress, with the motto "Foreauld langsae" abovoe them. The ncards designed for children also include miniature boots, barrels, Japanese lanterns, and -omic pictures of birds and animals-last, but certoirly not least, is apretty box, that ontaina .fifty camrd, which may he lst, postfree, for Is. uach card is given for -rather less than d., and many of them are exceedingly pretty, both in eolour and design. One of the wonderful fifty shows a rosy Japanes hboy clad in many-coloured Japanese :garment, and carrying a lantern, with "Best Wishes"in gold letters. This box, indeed, -mut be seen to be appreciated.