The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1895-12-25
SANTA DROVE away Pain
Scenes in Children S Institutions
When Toys Were Distributed.
AMONG The PATIENT TOTS
Their Little Hearts Were Gladdened
by Gifts From Loving Hands-De-
sires of the Toddling Boys and the
Prattling Girls-SOme Who WIN
Never See Another Yuletide.

If all the "oh's' and "my's" and UNI
= speilable Explanations uttered today by the
little folks gathered in the children's hos
pitais and asyidms of Washington were col
lected and bound in one volume that book
rival in size and novelty u great vol
uhS. maze OF the Congressional Record for u
perioaofT ehSuccesive years.
IL would require the aid of every known
language, and linen mint would have to
be built TO coin new words, If person were
to describe the hundreds of pairs OF eyes,
accustomed to be hoid Things compassed by
Il limited sphere of variety, and the express
sion of scores and scores of small faces,
very many of them deprived of their right
full snare OF roses by tue cruel breath of dis
ease, by the time the eyes are tonight tired
OF seeing and the faces are tired OF express
ing ana siumber comes TO claim one and all
| Up at The head of Twelfth street, hemmed
in by green fence-lined yard, is spa
ciods bricS building. II Is the Children's
Hos,,itai OF washington. Tue trim, ship
suai,t appearance OF tuings outside is but an
index OF the clean, tidy interior of the
place. Ii would not be cruel To say that
lpernaps most of the children taken there
wish they would be Just wee sick always
when TREY compare their wholesome sur
| rouDdinrs wiIn the so-called homes that
| many came from.
| FULL OF ANTICIPATION.
But it is Christmas in earnest there today.
The tots have been looking forward TO
the event for days. They have discussed
the whole Santa Claus family pro and con
| until sewing circle OF tea-party could
| take valuable lessons in gossip from them.
II a Child got "A tr!rle Restless yesterday or
| n 4. fS.ll tnyn W. 1ry
| for the nurse to briefly remind IL that
tomorrow would be Christmas, and that
| Santa was more lavish with his affections
| and presents on the just than on the UNJUST,
and the youngster would invariably climb
| on his chair and remain as mOtionless us
/ a sleeping pew-holder at n summers ser
mon.
| On every gas jet and picture frame about
the building there is bit of holly or a
garland OF cedar today and the air is
surcharged with noise and high spirits.
1t las always been the custom of the
kind people who manage the hospital TO
ask every tot before Christmas what he
would that Mr. Nicholas should bring him.
If the request does not stretch the realm
of possibilities OF course, limited at the
hospital by Congressional appropriations,
that wish is gratified. The event that took
place at 2 O'Clock this afternoon showed
what they wished and at the hour named
.Christnias tree, The first one many of them
had ever seen.
II was n sight worth a days journey to
behold. There are eighty children at the
hospital, and when they were marched
down in the clinics room ii would have
Kept eighteen monographs busy recording
what they said.
Almost every boy expressed a desire for
an express wagon. a horn and drum. The
young ladies affections turned TO dolls
trunks and work baskets.
On. knew l. Diet it," said three -year-old
little Miss Lille as Santa Claus, in the
person of DR.. Craig. plucked downa dollfrom
the wonderful tree and handed that and a
trunk TO her.
is 90 doin' twavcling," was the wonder
query that came from dark-hairedtot only
two years her senior
What did you ask for, Cora?'' was
demanded OF Il lit e blue-cyed. flaxen-haired
lass who has been in the hospita flor
eighteen long. weary months, because OF a
naughty hip trouble.
Il want a work box" sd id the little miss
whose other maine is Redmond. Just then
she got il and her bright eyes outshone two
great opals and her little mouth threatened
TO run into either ear, 1t smiled so widely.
LOOKS LIKE A BROWNIE.
Work boxes Were popular. Jennie Smith
is eight years old bat she looks but four and
she would appear better away off in
Brownieland. where her curls and bright
eyes and thoughtful weet face wouldbe sure
to make her a queen, than on hospital cot,
and she wanted a work box and she got it |
and a doll and thimble, too.
when l grow big" she said, II will |
know how to sew. II won't be long for |
I'll soon be up" But something much like !
4 tear appeared in the eye of one of the |
nurses who heard her say it.
l diets big" iDterposed Jimmie Rose, who |
has had the greater part of his three and a |
half years of life embarrassed by an ugly |
foot; Use dona be 4 Santa Taws and tome |
to see you all"
There was too much else going on for |
his young auditors to appreciate his gener
osity however, and he climbed n the express
wagon he had just received and requested |
a pull about the room.
Lotima Taylor could not aspire for the
medal at beauty show, but she's popular
on one side of the hospital-the colored
side, for Lotima is q pickaninny. A few
days ago she coDspired with Charity Duck
EFT and Bobbie Bond. and the trio sent |
Santa Claus a note via the big chimney in
the corner of the cot room upstairs. AS
result the tree shed dolls, trunks. ribbons,
drums, buglcs and blocks for them this
afternoon. and Bobbie explained all by
saying he "knewed we'd Diet EN-
WANTED A HORSE.
II specks Santa to bwing me a hobby
horse" announced Henry Jackson, on whose
face lampblack would leave no mark
Henrys wish was answered, but he'll have |
to- wait a little while before he can ex-
ercise the steed. The fact is the doctors
are at work getting the kinks out of
Henry's legs. When he made his debut into
this world his lower limbs were OF the
variety that would form no embarrass-
to a pig endeavoring to pass him up a mar
row alley. The doctors have one leg
straight enough now, aud the other will be
straight pretty soon, they say.
Did you get what you wanted?" was
asked of little Hebrew youngster, whose
face was hardly in keeping with his sur.
it appeared.
'.No,gI tlidn't t.. he said, as he scratched
his curly head. II wanted a horse and tar.
riage, but l dess my 'tockin' wasn't big
enough for it,
"Where's my piano." was the startling
question from the rear OF the room, and when
everybody looked that waya little lass of
couldn't stand the optical battery, and she
ran crying out OF the room.
Many of the children at the hospital have |
been well enough TO go home for weeks,
but the people in charge could not have the
heart TO send them away until after the
event.
'.They look forward to it, said DR.. Craig,
and talk and dream aboutit. Some of them
are onto us. and had you asked some of the |
wiser ones about Santa Claus they would
have readily told you he did not exist. They |
all hung their stockings on their cots last |
night and most OF them avowed they would
stay awake to catch Santa Claus. You now
M