The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-12-28
CHELDREN,s oHREsTmAs CLUB.
The Annual Dinner nnd Festival az City
Rall--The Speeches and the Games.

~N~~ANSs
President-Hon. G. L. Libby.
Vice President-Mrs. P Fl. Brown.
Secretary--Charles g. Haines.
Treasurer Miss Anna H. ID. Evans
Executive Committee-W. S. Dana, Rav
W. T. Phelan, Ella S. Sargent and Helen
Spring.
II was voted that the dinner given to the
children ssould take place annually, that the
Mayor of the city should be the president, and
other rules were adopted as to membership of
the children. The first dinner was held on
December 2Sth, and was an immense success,
for not only did tho club have a membership of
over 1900, but it was enabled to provide for 600
guests.
Yesterday afternoon, the second annual din-
ner was given at City Hall, and was fully as
successful as its predecessor. The galleries
were crowded with ladies and gentlemen,
workers" so called, that is those who had
been actively engaged on the festival The
stage also bore its share of spectators, and 10
the centre stood the Christmas tree, laden
with gifts, whileiclose by Chandler's orchestra
dscoursed just the music to please the little
guests. The experience of the year previous
enabled the festival to proceed With much
more system than characterized the last. At /
~ Aoss tlO NNSAo WCAo promptly OpOh;
aud squad of police in full dress marshaled
the little people to the dressing-rooms where
they were provided with neat garments. There
was less clothing sent in this year than last,
but it must be remembered that then paople
sent ia all they had SO nothi WIS LETT over,
In N any cases, for this occasion, aud therefore
more had to be bought for yesterday. Out OF
six hundred children who presented them
selves at City Hall, 241 were wholly or partial
y clothed By the clab.
At 220 p. m. precisely, under the marshal
ship of Mr.. NJ B. Gilbert and aids, tie pro
cession entered the grea. hall. There were
thirty long tables, each accommodating
twenty guests and a member of the clab head
ed each squad of twenty, the long line pre-
ceded by little Eddie johnson, who, handsome
as picture. looked like miniature Grosvenor
in his black velvet suit, and his long blonde
locks. The tables were.all abundsntlg spread
with turkey, chicken, ducks, beef, ham and
| mutton. The supplies were liberal and among
| the many donors, the hotels, especially the
falmouth and Preble, should be remem bersd
There we're twent5-one turkeys, fourteen
chickens, several ducks and quantities of
| meats carved, while bread, pies, doughnuts
and cake were furnished by the basket load.
There were six hundred oranges, several bar
rels of apples and twenty-five gallons Of ice
cream. Every particle Of food was sent in
| without any solicitation.
| 1t was pleasant 10 see the chidren's faces
| light up as they reached 'the promised land,
| aud how their eyes wandered from the good
| things on the tables to the Christmas tree On
l -
making they paid the closest attention to the
| speakers and would have put many of the
| children of gentler nurture to the blush. When
| all were assembled His Honor, Mayor Deering,
! president OF tho club, stepped forward and
| spoke as follows:
| MAYOR DEERlNG's WELCOME.
| Children of Pertlqnd:-Upon the organiza-
| ton of the Children's Christmas Club the
| members conferred upon the Mayor of the
/ city the honor of electing him their president.
Therefore, in behalf Of the Club it gives me
1 exceeding great pleasure to welcome these
| little children our guests, and to extend TO
| each most cordial greeting and hearty wei
/ come to the festivities of the Christmas Club. /
4 cannot Gf would) refrain from extending the
/ thanks OF the children, and OF all who have
been connected with this errand Of love and
| good will. To the young lady, whose kind and
| loving heart originated the Children's Christ
/ mas Club and whose disinterested labors have
| made SO many children happy; to the ladies
| and everyone who have contributed toward
| making this Christmas festivala success, the
| children give their love and thanks. They
| win be repaid by the Sunshine and happiness
| they have sent into many home in Portland
| and many child will call tn EN- blessed.
| At the cluse of Mayor behring's renarka,
| Rev. Henry Blanchard was presented and
| spoke as follows:
| REV. MR.. BLANcHARD's ADDRESS.
| My Dear Young Friends:
| When you grow up to be young men and
| women you will probably read the books of a
1 man named Charles Dickens. Indeed,
should not be surprised if you had heard of
| him already, and read some of his stories. But
| when you are men and women you will like
| them better than you can now, for then you
! will know how much he loved little children,
and how much he wanted all men and women
| to be kind and generous to one another. You
| will read his charming story called the Christ
| mas Carol. In this he tells us about famous
| Christmas dinner of Mr.. Bob Cratchitt. You
| will be glad to learn about Mrs Cratchitt, and
| all the little Cratcbitts. 1t was a famous din
/ ner they had, of great goose and q splendid
/ pudding. The boys were full of gladness wait
ing for the goose to come. They put the chairs
| around the table; they stood up in them; they
| crammed the spoons into their mouths SO that
| they might not CALI out for the goose before it
Yas time to come AT last the door was OPEN
ed and the goose came in all smoking hot. You
| should have seen them around the table,
watching Mother Cratchitt put in the knife
| and let the stuffiDg out. How, they cried,
| "OhF' and "Ah!' in their great delight At
| last the pudding came. Poor Mother Cratchitt
| had greatly feared that something might have
| happened. Some one might have got over the
| wall and stolen the pudding; perhaps it was all
| burnt up. But no, here it was, round and
| rich. II would have made you glad to SEQ
their gladness and enjoy their fun When all
Nal IA z-sl
| Christmas to you all, my dears. God bless US
| all. And little tiny Tim, SO small, SO weak,
80 lame, but dearly loved by his father, said 10
| his little voice, "God bless us every one." And
| SO the good Heavenly Father who made chas.
Dickens love little children is glad to see you
| at your feast today. He has put it into the
| hearts OF these good women to spread these
tables and ask you here 10 this Christmas din
| ner. They want you to eat large one, and to
| go away completely satisfied. And now, as
Bob cratchitt said, / say. "Merry Christmas to
| you all, my dears God Bless us all."And am
| sure every little boy and girl will say with
| Tiny Tin, "God bless us every one."
| Mr.. Blanchard then offered brisf prayer,
after which Mayor Deering invited the chill
dren to "fall to" which they did with will.
| While the children were enjoying their din
ner tie little Busy Bees, in their pretty vair
| colored costumes, with turbans of iemon-color,
passed between the tables bearing bags filed
with candy, which they distributed to their
| guests. Chiid-like, many OF them, much as
they liked the turkey and chicken, could not
refrain from picking at their candy in prefer
| ence
| Among those present as guests were noticed.
| at table No. 20, two little bind girls called
the two Katys, the little lame girl who obtain
ed the great doll last year, and little lame
/ al II
for years.
| After dinner the children were escorted to
seats round the hall, the tables removed and
the electric lights turned on. Then came the
fun. Mr.. George A. Thomas sang some comic
songs, two young lads danced comic ''heifer
dance" in capital shape, Elliott Mitchell ar-
| peared on Hobby horse, and amidst the
screams and shouts Of the children curveted
and pranced in great style. Judge Goddard
then addressed the children substantially as