Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-01-02
A DEAF MUTE CHRISTMAS EvE.-T

A DEAF MUTE CHRISTMAS EVE.-Ine
very queerest Christmas eve we ever thought
of spending was spent at the Deaf, Dumb
and Blind Asylum last week. One gener-
ally thinks of deaf mutes with heart full
of pity and with ''poor things'' on his lips,
but on Christmas eve the thing was quite
reversed, and standing on the edge of the
gay crowd of girls and boys at the Institu-
ton, with their bright eyes and happy IA
ces, we felt very much.like ''poor things"
ourselves. The Superintendent, Captain
Mccoy, had determined to vary the STAN
dard Christmas tree by the appearance of
old Kris Kringle himself, and so Mr.. VIM.
M. Berkeley, one of the deaf mute instruc-
tors, gentleman of infinite humor, ar
rayed himself in the traditional furs and
cap and gray beard, and with well put on
wrinkles and the stump Of a pipe, made as
jolly Kris Kringle as ever went down a
chimney. He sat in an enormous sleigh,
mounted on 2 platform, all over which
was hung collars and cuffs, crayats, gloves,
smelling bottles, work boxes, pictures,
hoods, knives, cologne jars, and list too
long to call over. The room was beauti-
fully festooned with evergreens busted
with white to initiate snow, and sparkling
with lights scattered among the winter To-
liage. When the children were brought in
there was a stare of surprise, and then,
Kris Kringle's disguise not having deceiv-
ed their sharp eyes, they all commenced
turning to each other and touching their
chins, which is the sign for Mr.. Berkeley's
name. They had found him out. And
then the distribution commenced, in which
there was as much humor as we have ever
seen on stage. The names OF the pupils
for whom the presents were intended were
written on a piece of paper attached 20
them. and Kris ''ealled" them out in the
drollest manner. When the name OF Tuck
er came for instance, he would pantomime
the operation of girl tucking up her hair,
and then make the letter R the name OF
# AIDE was illustrated by a laborious step
ping high out of the water Galloway was
represented by q picture of an execu-
tion made with lightning rapidly !;
and Stark was made with the sign OF star
with a K added. The gestures were mpade
with such rapidity that they were, as 1T
we're, grouped in one, and hardly scholar
failed to recognize his or her name at the
first spelling. None of the Ravel troupe,
even old Gabriel himself, ever excelled that
comic Kris Kringle. AL through the dis
tribution the children were carrying on
excited conversations on their fingers ABOUT ne
what they had gotten or what they hoped
to get. After it was over the young gem
tleuaen offered their arms to the young Ia
dies and escorted them to another room
where they asse4pbled for the evening"
And queer sight it WAS, these young Ia
dies and gentlemen, the older ones, as
vigorously observing the conventienalittlIseas
of the parlor, as is done by those who have
the gift Of talking which most young wo-
men have. Lovers might learn new
! wrinkle by looking at these deaf mute SOL
rees, The fine opportunity young fellow
has to drop his hands on the chair and
spell out a few tender sentences to his be-
loved unperceived, strikes an unsophlstl-
| Gated man at once as Invaluable.
The distribution Of the presents to the
blind was not 80 bright an affair. All the
Kris Kringle and the sleigh, and lights,
and the evergreens, were covered with a
pail of darkness to them, though their fa'
ces wreathed in smiles as they rapidly pass
ed their hands over the presents handed
them. 1t was not joyful sight, but one
of those that gives us an eager longing to
understand the inscrutable, mysterious
purposes of Him who doeth all things
well.''