The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-02-17
Victor EHuso's Christnlas Party.


mas party to children, at Hauteviile
House, Guernsey, on Wednesday. The
attendance Of distinguished visitors was
numerous, and among them were the
Duchess of st. AlbaHs and Lady Diana
Beauclerk. Light refreshments having
been served in the drawing-room tho
company adjourned to another apartment,
where NJ. Victor Hugo delivered speech
and subsequently distributed the toys
from two enormous Christmas trees to
the children who had been invited on
the OCCASION. The following is transls'
tiox of his address.
Ladies, do not Wish to tire these
children who are waiteng for these toys,
and shall try, therefore, to say few
words have already said, and | repeat,
that this little work of practical kind
ness, limited here to only forty children,
is a very little thing in itself, and would
not be worth speaking of if it had not
brought, as- the English and American
press states, year, after year a great ex
tension, and if the dinner of the poor
children founded eight years ago by mas
in my house, but on very small! scale.
had not become, thanks to the great and
good who are devoted to it, true iusti
tuition rendered considerable by this
enormous number of children relieved. In,
England, and America this number is In
creasing constantly. BY hundreds OF
thousands you may count the dinners OF
meat and wine given to poor children.
You know the admirable results attained
by Lady Kate Thompson and by the
Rev. NJ Woods The illustrated London
Neaos has published engravings represent
ing the vast and beautiful halls in which
in London dinners for poor children are
given. In all that, Hauteville House is
nothing but the starting point To i'll
belongs only the humble honor of having
begun. Thanks to the press, the practice
extends to every land; everywhere efforts
better than Mine are multiplied: every
where the method of helping children is
migrating itself with success. have to
thank for their warm support many
lodges Of French Free Masons, and that
useful Swiss society which has, accepted
for its motto, "God, Humanity and Ma
tive Land" From all parts innumerable
letters record efforts made. Two of these
letters have moved me in q special de-
grec-one from Hayti, the other from
Cuba.
"Permit me, as tho occasion presents
itself, of sending word Of sympathy to
those two gallant peoples which have
raised the cry Of liberty, Cubs has de-
liyered itself from Spain, as Hayti has
delivered itself from France. Hayti, in
1893, in freeing the blacks, secured the
triumph of the principle that one man
has not the right to possess another Cuba
will effect the triumph of the other prin
ciple-not. less great-that one nation
has not the right to possess another. AS
sisting children means the accomplish |
ment of an act Of deliverance. In educa-
ton and health there is liberation. Let
us assist childhood, let us strengthen
this poor little suffering body, let US en-
tighten this sweet and glowing inteli-
gence. The idea of giving dinner to
poor children is everywhere entertained.
The fact is made directly on the institu-
ton of fraternity. Why? 1t is because
it agrees, in the case of Christmas, with
the spirit of the gospel and in the case
Of democrats, with the spirit Of revolu-
ton. In the meantime, better things!
For to succor the poor by help is
only a palliative. The true succor for
the unfortunate is the abolition of misery.
I'VE shall attain that. Let US progress
by assisting children. Les us assist chill |
dren, by all means, by good nutrimeut
and by good instructions. Help to chill
dren must be in our troublesome times,
one of our principle considerations. The
child must be, our care. And whye Do
you know his true name? The child is
called the Future.
LET us exercise the holy fathcrhood
of the present on the future. What we
shall have done for the child, the future
will render hundred fold. This young
spirit-the child-is the field for the
future harvest.
In raising up the child we elevate
the future. To elevate profound word !!
In improving this little soul we make
the education Of the unknown. If the
child be healthy, the future will be well
if the child be virtuous and honorable,
the future will be good.
"Let US enlighten and teach this child
hood, which is under our eyes. that the
twentieth century will dawn. The torch
in infancy is the sun in the future"