The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-12-29

4
king, hundreds were invited by their more for
bountful repast, were clothed in good, warm
garments, amused with games aud sent home
happy in the POI session of beautiful toys.
| The club was first planned on Sunday, Dec.
loth, by lady who had long desired TO do
something for the children in the city who
| would not otherwise psrtake of Christmas
| dinner. 1t was terribly snowy day, but be-
fore the Sunday school bell had finished ring
ing hasty notes were sent by two snow shovel.
| ers to the pastors, or superintendent of the
| churches above Cross street, and other notes
mailed to those whose churches were in the
lower part of the town. These notes request
ed representatives to be sent to meeting to be
he'd the next evening. There the plans were
formed which were carried out, with hardly
change, yesterday. On Thursday, Dec. 14th,
four children from each church appeared, or
seventy-fve in all, eager, earnest in the pro-
posed plan; and the club was organic ed by
Miss Ella S. Sargent and Miss Proctor, not
for the present time alone, but to go on and on
through all these children's lives. Its purpose
is to aid the less fortunate with kind words
and helping hands. and give them Christmas
dinner, to which the members pledge them
selves for life. The club elected adult officers
as follows:
President-Hon. G. f. Libby.
Vice Presdent-Mrs. p. III. Brown.
Secretary-Mr. Charles G. Ha,nes
Treasurer-Miss Anna H. ID. Evans.
Executive Committee-W. s. Dana, Rev.
Mr. Pnelan, Miss Ella s. Sargent, and Miss
Helen Spring.
There was also representative from each
church on the committee Two messengers
and four collectors were appointed from each
Sunday school, who were under eighteen
years of age, and were ordered not to beseech
donations, but only take them when offered
freely
The gentlemen on the executive committee
declined and the ladies were left to take up
the burden, but with the generous aid offered
on all sides brought the affair to a successful
termination. The club has grown to 1900
members; some of the children very poor but
as one of them said We rather join and give
to them as Amt got nothin'." One child who
became member, had only five cents and
brought little candy bird cage, in which she
had invested her money, as present to be-
hung on the tree for one of the guests Of the
club.
Long before 2 O'Clock, the hour set for the
dinner to be given, the corridors of City Hall
were filed with an eager throng of children of
both sexes, yet all quiet and well-behaved,
waiting patiently 10 be ushered into the dress
ing rooms up stairs. Once admitted they were
provided with most comfortable garments,
formed In line, and, in squads of twenty, es-
corted by child member OF the club, marched
into the hall to the music of Chambers Band
and we're placed at the tables 1t was pleas
ing, and, at the same time, a very sad specta-
Gle: pleasing to see the eager expectation in
every child, and sad to think there could be so
many children in the city to whom a Christ
mas dinner ami Christmas present, were such
variety. The galleries wers filed with the
child-members of the club. and they all toak
as much, if not keener interest in the scenes
going on below them than the adult workers.
The tables, thirty in all, were arranged to ac-
commodate twenty children, and at the head
of each stood lady member and at ohe foot
child member of the society, while the chill
dren assisted Every plate was heaped up
with turkey or chicken, tongue, ham, bread
and cake. A glass of water stood near A
pail of water was placed under one end of
each table, and basket at the other. It may
be interesting here to state that forty turkeys,
sixty chickens, two hams, tongue, ton of
bread, one hundred pies, one hundred turn
overs, an immense quantity of cake, four
barrels of apples and five bushels of oranges
furnished the repast for six hundred children.
After the children had marched into the hall
and taken their places at the table, Mayor
r A,f ol,.A ~.
order and spoke as follows:
The members of the Children's Christmas
Club have assigned to me the pleasant duty of
extending welcome to their little guests, on
this occasion. 1t is duty which most cheer
fully perform, as 1 know how much pleasure
the members of this club have taken in the
preparation of this entertainment, and how
enthusiastically they have worked for its sue
Cess. They have felt that it was privilege TO
contribute to the enjoyment of these little
ones, and in SO doing have added TO their own
OF the children of larger growth, who
have organized this entertainment, and have
given to il so much of their time and strength.
do not know as am permitted to speak pub
licly my opinion, but / feel that should be
lacking in an appreciation of disnterested la
bors, il, as president OF the club, did not
recognize the fact that its success has been
mainly due TO their efforts. Their reward is
to be found in the bright and happy faces that
surround these tables
Although Santa Claus has been little late
in reaching the City Hall, / think he has left
on this platform substantial proof of his pres
ence, and now that he has learned the way
think he may fairly be expected to come again
another year.
Long speeches are never in order before din
ner, and you will allow me to close as began,
with a most cordial greeting to you from the
members of the Children's Christmas Club.
Mr.. Libby then introduced to the children
the Rev. F. e. Clark, who spoke as follows
shall not make long speech to you boys
and girls, for know the things before you are
much more interesting than any things have
to tell you, but have little story to tell you,
q true story, too, of something that is said to
have happened on this very day. One thous-
snd eight hundred and eighty-two years ago to-
day, on the 2Sth day of December, according
to the way the churches reckon the days, a
great king, named Herod, sent out decree
that all the children under two years old in
certain village, should be murdered, and his
execntioners went oyer to that village and
pretty toy put into their little hands they had
dagger plunged into their little hearts. In
stead OF having good dinner of roast turkey
and mince pie provided for them, they were
choked and straDgled IS little blind puppies or
kittens might be. What commotion it
would make il any old king should send lot
of soldiers to kill all the babies in Portland.
know what would happen ii he did, Your
1atncrS Woutu get GOWN ali Jnelr OLD muSketS,
which they used to have in the war of the re-
bellion, and your mothers would seize their
broomsticks, and your big brothers would grab
the axe and hatchet. and even all you little
boys here would catch up stone or brick
bat to throw AZ the cruel soldiers; and Mayor
Libby would lead us ali out to fight them; and
I wonld like to see the tyrapt brave enough to
hurt hair on the head Of the smallest baby
| in Portland But in those days nobody was
SURPRISED at this slaughter of the innocents
| Such things were SO common that one of the
| great historians, Josephus, didn't think it
| " nth mentioning.
| Nobody but their own parents thought much
of boys and girls in those days, and often the
parents wanted to get rid of them, and so left
| them TO starve or fall off from the house-tops,
or left Them in a cave where the lions and
| tigers could get at them. Especially girls were
| little loved then, and when one of those old
Eastern Sheiks was asked how many children
he had, though he had dozen girls and half a
/ dozen boys, be would say that he had only six
| children, and if any one asked him who those
girls belonged to who were playing about
he would say, 20, girls don't COUNT But
| girls do count to-day. They Count at Christ
| mas dinner, anyway, and think, on au aver
age, they count for little more than the boys.
Don't they?