Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-28
SERVING THE DINNER.

While the guests were gathering about the
doors of the building. and the sound Of their
happy voices and cheerful laughter made a
genuine Christmas din. active preparations
were in progress inside of the building The
caterer of the club was rapidly transforming
the drill room down stairs into dining hail.
Six long tables ran the length of the room with
ample spaces between. The walls and ceiling
were decorated with flags and bunting, which
gave brightness and color to the dining hall,
which was in keeping with the festive charac-
ter of the occasion. Six hundred pairs
of knives and forks and four
hundred pounds of turkey were
distributed over the tables in regular order,
however. 80 that each of the six hundred
guests would have plenty of elbow room. On
each plate. besides an ample supply of turkey
and stufing, there were potatoes cooked in
the French style. There was bread for each
child, and bread pudding and apple and cram
berry sauce and oranges and apples. Ice cream
and cake was included in the bill OF fare.
THE CHRISTMAS TREE.
In the hall upstairs the ladies were employed
in decorating the Christmas tree and arranging
the packages of gifts. A large tree was erected
on the platform and under the skillful hands of
the tree committee, consisting of Miss Wood
hull, chairman. Miss Heintlzemann. Miss Mil
dred Fuller, Miss Peachy. Miss Woods, Miss
Shields, Miss Moves and Miss Riggs, it became
respondent with all sorts of pretty things,
which glowed and CLEANED under the gas light
and made the children think of fairy land
Mr.. Woodruff was of great assistance
to the ladies in decorating the tree as
well in preparing the other details, while
Mr.. r. Ross Perry had under his able supervis-
ion the entire arrangement The toys and
other gifts which had been contributed by the
members OF the club and others were assorted
and classified by n committee consisting of
Mrs. Mcfarland, Mrs. Allen, Miss McCalmont
and Miss Mcfarland. Then the committee
neatly wrapped them in paper bundles and
marked for a small boy or girl or large boy
or girl. thus insuring the gifts being appro-
priately distributed.
UNLIMITED GUESTS.
BY O'Clock the crowd of children about the
doors grew to large proportions and, as it al
ways happened, it was found that number of
unlimited guests had come with the expecta-
ton of attending the dinner. AS the tables
only had room for 600, of course it was neces-
sary to limit the admission strictly to the
holders of the tickets, and with the assistance
OF a detail of police as well as members of the
the National Bifes this was accomplished
Provision, however, was made to give treat
of ice cream and cake to the unlimited guests
afte. the regular guests had left the dining
room. The ladies in charge of the various
tables were on hand at an early hour to see
that everything was in readiness.
LADIES IN CHARGE OF THE TABLES.
1nree lauies were assigned 10 eacn table and
their names are as follows:
Mrs. J. NJ. Browne, Mrs. Weld, Miss Mildred
Fuller, Mrs. Totten, Miss Anna Wilson, Miss
Woods, Mrs. Jere Wilson, Miss McCeney Miss
Woodhall, Mrs. MacFarland, Miss MacFarland
Miss McCalmont, Mrs. Allen, Miss Mccarthy,
Miss Thomas, Mrs. Parke, Miss Heintzelmann.
Miss Noyes.
The members of the club who were selected
to perform duty as walters and attend to the
wants OF their guests were promptly on hand.
The girls wore white caps and aprons and they,
as well as the boy walters, were kept busy when
active operations were begun.
The crowd about the doors before 1 o'clock
was so great that it was decided to admit those
holding tickets to the hall upstairs, where they
could wait in greater comfort than on the cold
pavement outside.
THE DINNER
was announced at 2 o'clock, and the children
came pouring in and were assigned places
about the tables. There were no chairs except
for the very little ones and for lame or de-
formed children. Owing to the limited accom-
modations of the room there were but few
spectators. The rush of SO many lit
tie feet and the hum of voices filed
the room with a confusion of sounds.
The clear resonant voice of Mr.. Perry made
itself heard over the tumult and when some
measure of quiet had been obtained Mr.. Perry
asked Rev. Mr. Douglass of st. Johns church
to ask the blessing, which he did. The order
to fall to" then followed and was obeyed with
great alacrity on the part of the guests. All
the eatables in sight were attacked with the
vigorous appetite of childhood and when a
little one asked for more it was not refused