The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-12-20
Chlidren's Christmas Club.
BY ELLA s. SARGENT.

10 every girl and every boy in. North
America, South America, Europe, Asia,
Africa and Australia:
My Dear, Dear Friends. Do you know
what "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 q lot Of people to belong, and
you have president aud rules, and pay
so much to join, and vote. and--",a
Yes, that is it; you all know what a
"club" is.
Now want to write you about club
a true CLUB very proper and thor
oughly organized club, eleven months
Old; and you may believe every word,
Tor it all happened right here, in Port
land, Maine, less than a'year ago.
On Sunday December 10, 1882, a lady
S ting in warm, cozy room, while the
wind whstled about the house, rattling
the windows, and piiing 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-
Ter, Of the joyous day coming so soon
the day for giving gifts to all the world
overland wcndered>lf 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, blue:dngers would eagerly snatch
down shabby, faded stockings; and find
that 81. Nicholas had really been there;
if, later on, fathers and mothers, with
brothers and sisters, and babies in their
high-chairs, ''for just this one day."
would come gadlv around dinner tables,
where plump Christmas Turkeys lay at
one end, and plum buildings We're ready
for the other and huge stacks Of oranges,
nuts and apples rose in the middle; and
if, in the evening there would be great
mysteries in the parlors, a fragrance of
spruce. an exciting rustlng Of paper
parcels, mothers slipping slyly in and
out Of doors with hands hidden behind
them, a general scurrying about-1nd
then al eyes dazzled by hund ed twink
ling candles caught in the branches of
q graceful tree laden with toys.
Che WON 1ara] SC (, 4hoeo L o,o,, n.,.,1
90 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 never known these pleas.
ures, they never will, unless-oh! unless
somebody remembers Them. Why can't
something be done? would work, but
enc person can do so little alone. I
want a hundred helpers-where shall I
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
trees, and play rooms full of
toys. They will load a Christmas-tree
rs one was never loaded befone; they
will spread a Christmas dinner which
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 humber of notes were writ
ten, asking two or more girls aud boys
from every Sunday-school i'll the city to
meet at that house at five o'clock, on
the following Thursday afternoon.
Did they come?
Come? They did not know what the
call was for, save for 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- one hundred children ready
for anything,
Oh, I wish you could have been there
at the forming of that club!
A lady came forward to speak to them
and their voices were hushed in expec-
tation. I 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: "Does any one here
want to do anything for these otherso:"
the thought that they could do anything
WIS new to almost ALTO many even the
wish was new; but like one great heart
4hreb came their answer:
Eyes! I! I! I! I want to DO something's
"ChilGren what can you do?"
A pause, and then one little voice
c'ied:
"Dive 'em cent?"
That was the first offer, but it was fol
lowed by many another, "Give ZEN,
candyp "Give 'em a turkeyp' ''Give 'em
a coat"-each beginning with that grand
word, "Give."
The result of the meeting was this:
To form club which should last "for
ever" and call it ':The Children's
Christmas Club" to have it for its mot
to: "Freely we have received, freely
give," to place the membership fee at
ten cents, so that no child should be
prevented from joining because he was
not ''rich;" to make no distinction in
regard to sect or nationality; to permit
to join the club any girl. or boy under
eighteen years Of age who accepted its
principles which we're: To be ready at
ttll GlultS Wall htuN WO1uo w dSolG1 SAlAAo
dren less fortunate than ourselves; to
make every year in Christmas week
festival of some kind for them; to in
stead of careiessly destroying them; to
save and, whenever practicable, put in
good repair all outgrown clothing; to beg
nothing from any source, but to keep as
the keystone of the club the word
"Give;" to pay every year a tax of ten
cents, and to make their first festival in
the City Hall on Thursday December
2S, 1882. 80 90
Then came the choosing of officers,
with the idea that the chief officers
should be grown persons. His honor
the mayor of Portland was elected pres
ident of the Children's Christmas Club.
Others, ladies and gentlem n, were
chosen for vice president, treasurer Sec
rotary, executive committee, etc., etc.
:. The children then dispersed to meet
again on Saturday, at Reception hall.
Saturday morning brought to the hall,
first meeting Of grown persons, who
offered their stronger hands, wiser
heads and deeper purses in the work
the children had undertaken; but agreed
that all that children could do should be
left to them. 49, IN -! I:
Aud great support these sselders"
form, who stood ready in the back
ground to give of their strength, who
quietly inclosed their willing contribu-
tons to the executive committee, with
best wishes for the Children's Christmas
Club" y
= Instead Of one hundred Chi. dren,
three hundred came to Reception hall,
eager join the club. After addresses
by the presid dent and others, children's