Santa Clans Among the Poor
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STOCKINGS HUNO UP AT TENTH STREET MISSION THE DAY nEFORE CHRISTMAS Photo by n Staff Artist.
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HER TRUMPET 11L0WS FOR DEAR OLD
SANTA Pboto by a Staff Artist.
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KAUEDOSCOPE COLORS HER WORLD
BRIGHT Photo by a Staff Artist.
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CHRISTMAS MORNINQ SCENE IN FRONT OF TENTH STREET MISSION Photo by n Staff Artist.
HER DOLL HER DEAREST WISH-Photo
by a Staff Artist.
IV ALL tho problems that prosont
tncmsoivcs 10 mo mounrn piui
antbroptst, that of discriminating
botwccn tbo deserving nnd tho
iimliKirvlni? Is nrnhnblv tho most
vexltiK. How to rownrd tbo effort of tho
dosorvlng without retarding It nnd bow to
stlmuloto effort niuong tbo Indigent In
fact,- tho problem of making tbo people of
this dependent clntm realize that effort and
vlrtuo brliiR tbolr own reward, bus, In turn,
attracted., dlstractod and discouraged r.o
many that tho nverngo missionary to a
city's poor comeB oventually to feel that
bonofactlons, like tho rain, mint "fall alike
upon tho just and tho unjust," In splto of
most conscientious effort.
With tho annual recurrence of Thanks
giving nnd tho holidays, tbo missionary Is
put to wits ends to copo with tbo shrewd
ness of tho Juvenile citizen whoso educa
tion on tho streets has bo skilled him In
tho art of living by bis wits, for, In addi
tion to bis natural recognition of this op
portunity, ho receives further encourage
mont to tako ndvantaRu of It from parents
who nro too often paBt mnstorB In tho art
bo Ib ro rapidly acquiring nut at this
season, when tho spirit of rIvIhr Is abroad,
even this' urchin, hopelessly hardened
though be often soonis, experiences a genu
ine longing to share ho could not dollno
Just what, nnd, thouRb bo would laugh In
derision of tbo loftier sentiments of Thanks
giving or oven tho ear old Christmas myth,
thoro Is something moro than tho doslro to
possess tho bright toys at which ho has
marveled during tbo brief Intervals whon
ho has been permitted to flatten his nose
against sorao shop window; thoro Is tho
pungont longing thnt only tho child's benrt
can fool for tho recognition of his bettor
Impulses, for tho rowards that nro tho out
growth of sympathy, that leRltlmato
horttngo of childhood.
Ilotv lit llfiit'h Children.
Wall knowing this, Thanksgiving nnd tbo
holidays havo been gonerally embraced as
tbo most valuable opportunity of reaching
tboso children most In need of tho work
and accordingly the genoral distribution has
bocomo an almost universally established
occurrence.
As some show of qualification has had to
bo maintained, It Is Ronorully understood
thnt tho recipient of theso bonefnctlons
must havo been a member of tho Sunday
school or Industrial classes for somo stated
period. In compliance tho classes usually
double a fortnight or two beforo the at
tribution nnd shrink to tbolr normal pro
portion tho week following. It hns been this
feature of tho work, porhaps, raoro than
nny other that has dlscouraRcd tho workors.
Tho great expenditure of effort and mean3
yield meager results, but with a tact born
of sympathy nnd experience, tho missionary
Is quick to recognlzo nnd Improvo every
favorablo Indication nnd It Is seldom that
ono or two of theso stray shoop oro not
brought Into tho fold. With this small gain
tho workers havo been obliged to bo en
couraRCd It not content.
Convinced that thoro was a better way,
or at least boiuo means of reaching tho
children nsldo from tho old method,
whereby tho phyelcnl stronRtb received tho
chief reward and tho ovll nnturo of tbo
child was aroused In the excitement of tho
scramble- for tho toys, and candy, whllo tho
dlsoppolntmcnt of tho weaker and often
moro dcsorvhiR onos frequently undid the
results of months of patient work, for tho
standards of theso people nro based almost
entirely upon material gnln, Miss Moroo
determined this year to try a now plan,
which hns born results beyond her most
snngulno expectations,
To reach tho children and(mako each ono
feel his responsibility, to nfford him the
Joy of receiving gifts llko other children
nnd nt tho same tlmo let htm experience
tho satisfaction and tho profitable lesson ot
knowing ho has not only corned his To
ward, but his teacher's approval as well,
to work through bis self-respect and his
henrt, was tho plan and that It bad fully
succeeded could not bo doubted by thoso
who were present nt Tenth Street City
mission on Christmas morning.
An tU'lintel Ilenlrc of Kncli.
During tho year tho effort to win the con
fidence of tho children has been doubled
and whenever opportunity has been af
forded thoro have been tnlks nnd discus
sions to draw out tho real desires of each
child. This has been largely accomplished
during tho club meetings, when nil man
ner of things of Interest to boys nnd girls
are talked over, or during tho missionary's
visits to tho various homes, and as tho In
formation hns beon received It has been
carefully recorded.
This year tho usual TbanksRlvlng dis
tribution of clothing was abolished entirely,
tho children's wants being supplied accord
ing to personal knowledgo of their needs,
ascertained partly through the women who
composo tho Mothers' club of tbo mission.
This was something of a disappointment to
tho children and a surprlso ns well, but It
mado them tho moro Interested In the
Christmas nrrancemont, .which they were
assured would rownrd tho effort of every
boy nnd girl.
Accordingly, when tho Christmas pledges
woro mado by tho various friends ot the
work, instead of tho Indiscriminate con
tribution of whatever might Impress the
donor ns pleasing, tho lists ot tho chil
dren's wants wcro consulted nnd their
trlonda asked to gratify them. And such a
pathetic variety of wlsbcs as that list In
cluded! Flftcen-ycnr-old Annie, whoso
worldly possessions consisted chiefly of tho
clothing she wore, had long chorlshcd a
wish tor n trunk. Six-year-old Sammlo hai
experienced tho most bitter disappointment
for thrco successive years, that Santa Claus
had not brought him a hook nnd ladder
truck. To possess n pair of canvas leggings
wna tho height of another urchin's am
bition, whllo tho dcslro for skates, sleds,
dolls and doll buggies seemed common to
nil tho boys nnd girls.
So evenly and systematically wero theso
requests distributed that whon tho dona
tions enmo In very tow wants wcro unsup
piled and thoso tow wero readily mado up
from tho cash donations.
IIiihkIiiw Tlirlr NtnckliiK.
A wock In advance tho children wore told
thnt tholr Christmas this year was to bo
In tho naturo of a stocking-hanging, and,
accordingly, tho day before Christmas tho
members ot tho mission classes, ot which
caroful record Is kept, were permitted to
bring their stockings with their names at
tached, and bang them on the long lines
stretched ncross tho main room, tho boys
on ono sldo nnd tho girls on tho other.
Tho gifts, which had been cnrcfully sorted
according to wish, woro placed that even
ing on tho chalra beneath tho stockings,
which wcro In turn filled as full ot Christmas
goodies as nny of tho stockings ot tho moro
fortunato children of the uptown homes.
Christmas morning, the boys nt 9 and tho
girls nt 10, returned to claim them. They
passed quietly In nnd out In line, no ono
being allowed to open anything until home
was reached. With faces beaming with de
light or mouths open In bowlldermcnt, they
hurried nway, each with arms full, thus
avoiding all confusion nnd Injustice, and,
best of all, reflecting tho ronl Christmas
delight back Into tho homes, but few of
which hnd ever known such happiness.
In this manner tho problem of tho Christ
mas distribution was solved, tho deserving
ones reached and ninny others taught the
valuo ot effort.
Matinee Lunch Bags
Matlnco lunch bags and baskets, that
are carried this winter to afternoon
theatrical performances, havo provod
tho biggest kind of nttrnctlon to tha
women who hitherto went playhousoward
nrmed with tbo Inevltnblo box of chocolate
crennis or caramels. Tho matinee, for somo
reason or other, Is n hungry pleasure, and
If n womnn Invites her friends to slip In
for n sot of gnllory seats, or sho treats to
balcony chairs, sho Is oxpoctcd to broach
a box or bag of something edible nfter tho
first curtain falls. Candles used to fill the
nchlng void, but this sfason a matlnco lunch
of concentrated sweets Is frowned on, nnd
n man who runs a successful restaurant
nnd confectlonory business puts up such
captivating baskots of mixed dcllcnclcs that
tho bonbons nro temporarily out of favor.
Theso baskets nro pretty llttlo trifles In
themselves; woven of sweet grass, straw,
brown twine, lino roots, birch bark or bam
boo skin, In quaintest shapes. They aro
lined with wax paper and filled with tho
most appetizing llttlo nnger Bandwlchcs,
wafers, sweet cakes, stuffed prunes, figs
nnd dates, salted nuts, etc. Along with
theso delicacies bonbon .tongs, mlnuto Jap
anoso paper napkins, and In a llttlo pink
oiled silk bag a freshly moistened spongo
Is stowed. Tho whole baskot Is then ap
propriately tied with ribbons and tho pur
chaser asks for a baskot packed with
enough raatlneo lunch for two, three or four
persons. The moistened sponge and Jap
anese nnpklns servo effectively in place of
lllli
HIS NOAH'S ARK IS FULL OF WONDERS
Photo by a SUA Artist
tho finger bowl, necessary after Indulgence
In sticky sweets, and there aro .many
women who get up their own little lunch
baskets at homo or carry tbelr dainty re
freshments In llttlo painted reticules made
ot grease proof silk.
At somo ot tho matlnco theater parties
given this winter, when a box was taken,
tho hostess not only brought a lunch basket,
but In tho bnsketjimusing favors, like the
very lncxpenslvo trifles distributed at ger
mans, woro provided for each guest.
A Now York hostess, who prides herself
on tho features of her entertainments, has
stnrtcd tho fashion this winter of giving
nway special theater and opera party pro
grams. Theso programs aro laid at tho din
ner covers when tho guests nre dined beforo
tho play, nnd aro mado up by the hostess
herself from thrco or tour sheets of large,
stiff cream laid note paper, bound together
down tho back In book shapo by a length
of narrow ribbon. On tho front Bhect sho
writes tho menu and below the list of
guests. On tho first lnsldo shoot Is pasted
tho cast ot tho play's characters, which she
cuts from printed programs procured from
tho theater, and, on tho following sheets are
photographs of tho prettiest actress and
clovcrcst actor In tho cast. Theso pictures
nro easily soaked oft their pasteboard
mounts and transferred to the sheets ot
lottcr paper.
Such programs the guests always de
lightfully prcsorvo as souvenirs ot the en
tortnlnment, but ns a rule hostesses only
provldo them when a dinner precedes or a
supper follows tho play.
