The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-12-21


But he's Just the blessedest baby
/ And now, before you 60,
Just cram his stocking with goodies,
q From the top clear down to the toe.
Chlidren's Christmas Club.
Is By ELLA S SARGENT.
4 From st. Nicholas
10 every girl and every boy in North
America, South America, Europe, Asia,
Africa and australia:
My Dear, Dear Friends. oyou know
whats "club" is?
hear your answering echo back from
all the cliffs and hills of our land, and
the sea breeze brings it to me family
romthe countries far away.
"You get a lot of people to belong, and
you have president aud rules, and pay
80 much to join, and vote. and"
Yes. tlat is it; you all know what a
"club" is.
Now / want to write you about club
"A true Club very proper and thor.
ouehly organized club, eleven months
old; and you may believe every word,
for 1t all happened right here, in Port
land, Maine, less than a:year ago.
On Sunday December 10, 1882, lady
ting in a warm, cozy room, while the
wind wlistled about the house, rafting
the windows, and piling the snow flakes
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, ofthe joyous day coming SO soon
the day for 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, blues6ngers would eagerly snatch
down shabby, faded stockings; and find
that 81. Nicholas had really been there;
il, later on, fathers and /mothers, with
bret hers end 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 were 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. fragrance of
spruce. an exciting rustl,ng of paper
parcels. mothers slipping slyly in and
outof doors with hands hidden behind
thenl, a general scurrying about-,nd
then al eyes dazzled by hund, ii twink
ling candles caught in the branches of
agraceiul tree laden with toys.
She won iered if in those houses would
go up that wild shout of glee, those ring.
ing hurrahs and joyous clapping Of
hands she had 80 often heard. And as
she wondered, she shook her head sad.
", saying:
They have never known these pleas.
uree. they never will, unless-oh! unless
soRehodY remembers them. Why can't
something be done? l would work, but
one person can do go little alone. I
want Q hundred helpers-where shall I
find them?"
She thought intently for few mo.
merits, and then cried: 81 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 o Christmas.tree
as one was never loaded befoae; they
will spread Christmas dinner which
cannot be eaten in one day; thew will do
1.-THE warm-hearted generous Por. land
children"
The bells from all the churches were
ringing for Sunday-school. That was
the tlme-that was the place to find the
children. A number of notes were writ
ten, asking two or more girls and bows
from every unday-school IN the city to
meet at that house at five O. lock. on
the following Thursday afternoon.
Did they come?
Conner 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.
tetla whole squad from the Butler
school; big boys with big hearts, wee
tots only four years old from the kim
deTg8rten- one hundred children resdy
for ANYTHING,
oh. wish you could have been there
Tho forming Of that club!
Alady came forward to speak to them
and their voices were husbed in expec
tation. 1 can't tell you just what she
said but her words we're beautiful. She
spoke oftheir Christmas festivities every
year, OF their presents and their friends;
then OF the unfortunate children who
had favor 4e
81 When she asked: "Does any one here
want to do anything for these otbers?"
the thought that they could do anything
wasnew to almost ALTO many even the
wish was new; but like one great heart
throb came their answer:
Yes! l! /! /! want to do something's
Child rem, what can you de-"
a pause, and then one little voice
cried:
aDive 'em cent?"
That was the first offer, but it was fol
lowed by many another, "Giye 'em
candyl" Give 'em aturkeyp "Give 'em
10 coat"-each beginning with that grand
The result Of the meeting was this:
TO form Q club which should last "for-
ever" and call it "The Children's
hristhsas 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 were: To be ready at
all times with kind words to assist chill.
dren less fortunate than ourselv. g; to
make every year in Christmas week
festival of some kind for them; to in
stead of carelessly destroying them; 10
save and, whenever practicable, put in
good repair all ou,grown clothing; to beg
i nothing from any source, but to keen as
! the keystone OF the club the word
Give;" to pay every year tax of ten
cents. and to make their first festival in
8 the City Hall on Thursday DECEMBER
1iRs. 1882.
Then came the choosing of off .ers.
with the idea that the chief officers.
should he grown persons. Ills honor
the mayor Of Portland was elected pres.
sident Of the Children's Christmas Cinb.
Others, lalies and gentlem n, were
chosen or vice president. treasurer sec
q etary, executive committee, etc. ctr.
The children then dispersed to meet
1OQ n nm SufSrNov 90