Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-01-12

y PLEASANT CHRISTMAS FEsTivAL-One of
the most interesting of the reoicings of
Christmas day must have been the - doll celc-
bration " among the hospital children at
Randall's island in New York harbor. 1t
seems that one Christmas dav some five or
six years ago several of the ladies connected
with the Woman's Prison Association in
New York, entered the hospital and present.
ed each of the sick children with a doll or
book and 80 happy were the effects of these
triing gifts that the ceremony has been an
nually repeated since that time According
ly, for a week before last Christmas day
considerable number Of ladies' were busilv
engaged in preparing dolls. The dolls were
either gifts from benevolent individuals or
were procured by means Of donations of
money, and their dresses were composed of
cast off scraps of ribbon, silk. mer no, and
rious persons. The dolls, three hundred and
fifty in number, were conveyed to the island,
and the dozen ladies who had charge of the
distribution first proceeded to the chapel,
where they found seven hundred Children
and at the conclusion of some interesting cxer-
cises Of singing and dialogue, distributed
among them great bag of balls, which pro-
duccd an - immense sensation" They then
proceeded to the hospital; and their visit there
is thus described
to the sick children in the hospital. 1t was
sad sight to see them sitting around the
room or in the beds, propped by pillows, all
bearing marks of unmistakcablc disease, with
pitcous and hopeless features. Some ofthem
though less than years old, looked like 40,
carcworn and Indifferent to life. Yet their
eyes frightened up when the dolls were shown
and they were soon made glad by the posses
sion of IL prize. The boys were as eager to
get doll as the girls, excepting some of the
older ones, who chose books. They examined,
| hugged and kissed them, laughed and held
them up to admire, and to reassure them
selves Of the gift One poor child, who lay
at the point of death with congestion of the
brain, seemed to recover by an effort mo-
| mentary consciousness, and pressed the doll
to her lips, while smile lit up her pale and
! death-like face. " Good doll - she said and
again kissed it. Those are among the last
words she will speak," observed the doctor
1t was worth all the labor and expense of
the whole affair to think and to see that the
last moments of that one child were lit up
by CLEAN of conscious pleasure.
The ladies passed on from room to room
Not one child was neglected. A solitary lit
tie boy, perhaps three years old, handed back
the doll, and with the gravity of an old man
persisted in rejecting both that and book
I
sympathy. Among those who were most de-
lighted with the gift was blind boy of four
years old
Then to the quarantine nursery. Here are
received and kept all new comers, until it is
certain that they have no contagious disease
they are then passed into the schools There
are now ninety eight children, mostly girls
in this house. Without exception they ap-
peared in good health, were active, and many
of them ruddy and strong, They fairly dan.
ccd for JOY at the sight of the dolls. But
there were some sad faces seen, as it became
doubtful whether there were enough to 90
| round. Finally. the last one was made hap
py, and all were in smiles.
Lastly to the IDIOTS. Here was every form
of imbecility, and some cases not fit for de.
scription. Most of them, however, were rlea-
sed with the dolls, and manifested strong
gratitude. " Biddy," who is the musical
genius of the department, sang 4" Highland
Mary" and other pieces. - sing" she said
"because it puts them in good humor They
do not carry on when sing" There are %
| of these unfortunate creatures
Thus was Christmas Day made joyful to
all these young children, and it shows how
little is required TO gladden. the mind of a
child. The whole cost in money, of tho
things distributed did not exceed twenty five
dollars. And vet this simple beneaction
will doubtless be richly productive of good
DR., Whittlesey, the chief physician of the
hospital, says -
" This may appear to some as an unimpor-
tant affair, agreeable enough for the moment
and hardly worth the trouble-but | assure
you that it affords lasting happiness to these
poor children. have seen them comparing
dolls and examining each others with great
interest. They soothe one another, and are
brought into more social and sympathetic
state. You cannot over estimate the good
that flows from such kindness. 1t lasts the
whole year"
A CoLp WEEK FOR DECEMBER week
was doubtless one ofthe very coolest ever ex-
perienced in the country in December. On
the Coast, the thermometer wac nearly ut ze.
ro, night and day, the whole week, and run.
ming down on Wednesday morning, in some
places to 20 degrees below. In Vermont, on
that morning, the cold was still much great
er. In St. Johnsbury the mercury stood at
SO degrees below zero-in NorthGeld 32 deg
below, and generally about the samo at Mont.
pelier but in one locality, about half mile
from the village, on the North Branch, il
fell, IN the well.tested Thermometer of Mr.
Ezra Marsh, to the very extraordinary point
OF 80 degrees below zero, or within two de-
grees of congealation. The mercury has
reached the point of congealation, in Mont
pelier, three times within the last twenty
years, in 1897 and Al, We think, all in
the mouth Of January. But we have no re.
collection OF its being below 80 degrees in
the month of December 49, M1uID,I,er Free