The Mineral argus., 1883-12-27
Chlidren's Christmas Club
BY ELLA s SARGENT.

From 81. Nicholas.
TO every girl and every boy in North
America, South America, Europe, Asia,
Africa and Australia:
My Dear, Dear Friends. Doyou know
what a "club" is?
l hear your answering echo back from
all the cliffs and hills of our land, and
the sea breeze brings it to me family
from the countries far away.
"You get alot of people to belong, and
you have a president aud rules, and pay
so much to join, aud vote. and"
Yes, that is it; you all know what a
Club" is.
Now / want to write you about a club
"a true club very proper and thor
oughly organized club, eleven months
old; and you may believe every word,
for it all happened right here, in Port
land, Maine, less than a''year ago.
On Sunday December 10, 1882, a lady
s ting in a warm, coy room, while the
wind whistled about the house, rafting
the windows, and piling the snow fakes
in deep drifts across the steps and against
the fences, was thinking of the houses
up on The Hill and down at Gorham's
Corner, and in Salem Lane, which had
no steam radiators, no glowing CRATES,
no double windows to keep out these
searching winter winds.
She thought, too, of the little children
in those houses and, as it was Decem.
Der, Of the joyous day coming so soon
the day Tor giving gifts to all the world
Overland wondered if in those houses
little bare feet would spring out of bed,
and dance across the chimneys in the
dim dawn of Christmas morning; if
numb, blueIingers would eagerly snatch
down shabby, faded stockings; and find
that ST. Nicholas had really been there;
il, later on, fathers and mothers, with
brothers and sisters, and babies in their
high-chairs, ''for just this one day."
would come gadlY around dinner tables.
where plump Christmas Turkeys lay at
end, and plum buildings were ready
for the other and huge stacks of oranges,
nuts and apples rose in the middle; and
#. in the evening there would be great
mysteries in the parlors, a fragrance of
spruce. an exciting r%ustlIng of paper
parcels, mothers slipping slyly in and
out of doors with hands hidden behind
them, a general scurrying about-and
then al eyes dazzledb by a hundred twink
hing candles caught in the branches of
a graceful tree laden with toys.
She wondered if in those houses would
go up that wild shout of glee, those ring.
ing hurrahs and joyous clapping Of
hands she had so often heard. And as
she wondered, she shook her head sad
ly, saying:
"They have eve known these pleas
ures, they never will, unless-oh! unless
somebody remembersthem. Why can't
something be done? l would work, but
one person can do go little alone. l
want a hundred helpers-where shall l
find them?"
She thought intently for a few mo.
ments, and then cried: II know! The
children will do it, the Portland chill
dren-those who have happy homes and
Christmas-trees, and play rooms full of
toys. They will load a Christmas-tree
as one was never loaded befoae; they
Will spread n christmas dinner winch
cannot be eaten in one day; thew will do
1.-THE warm-hearted generous Portland
children"
The bells from all the churches were
ringing for Sunday-school. That was
the time-that was the place to find the
children. A number of notes were writ
ten, asking two or more girls and bows
from every Sunday-school in the city to
meet at that house at five o'clock, on
the following Thursday afternoon.
Did they come?
Conner They did not know what tho
call was for, save for a whisper about
Christmas work; but they came; came
in pairs, in trios' in quartets and quin-
tets-a whole squad from the Butler
school; big boys with big hearts, wee
tots only four years old from the kim
dergarten- n hundred children ready
for anything,
oh, l wish you could have been there
at h forming of that club!
A lady came forward to speak to them
aud their voices were hushed in expec-
tation. l can't tell you Just what she
said, but her words were beautiful. She
spoke oftheir Christmas festivities every
year, Of their presents and their friends;
then OF the unfortunate children who
had fewer, some none of these JOYS.
When she asked: docs any one here