The evening times., 1895-12-18
LeIelke- FOR OLD SANTA
ss'-'-s~.s-4s.s'ss .s-sse.ske2a
Liiila; ulais be Hospitals Who
'--G Want 4eys.
SOME PATHETIC INCIDENTS
Patient and Tiny Sufferers Whose
Hours Are BrIahteISed by the Hope
orPretfy Piayt hiusp<- -Matrons Have
TO Tell Them Kris Is Poor This Y ear
and They Must Not Expect Much.

|
| = s-e.Fst.y@ ~
! There are many ways OF celebrating
Christmas 1nrSery home, humble or great,
the prsparations are going forward more
| or less joyously. Mothers coax their little
onrs= s=su take their afternoon maps by telling
them that Santa Clans has sent for mother
TO come down town and see about that
hobby horse Or tool chest.
Whom do you think called mother 10
the ~phcne?" tile up-to.datc youngstcr is
asked .,.st.t,
Who, mudder?'' the three-ycar-old clam
ors, pausing in the exciting sport OF chas-
ing the black cqt aroand the dining foonl,
under the table, and in among the chair
legs win Il red Balloon on the end OF Il long
| stick.
'"c6nle here. baby" It was Santa Claus,
anq lie SAID .xut John Sterling Grant Nc
MIiIan TO bed directly FOR MS nap ana come
down TO see IL he Is TO have n white. or
a black, or spotted hobby-horse for
| cnriStm.tS.' III -ssi, -
"Aw wite, mudder, aw witer' exclaims
| JOnn Sterling Grant Mcmillan, ciapping
his chubby hands and letting the bal oon
! seek high ancestral spaces, to the infinite
rciefc0f lhe-blaGk catv.l,,,
] "GwanC wants Ia white hobby horse; tell
| Santa dat. And Gwant wants a soder's
! cap aud a dwum and a gun anda-anda
WHAT Grant wants is the last that's heard
| OF him as lie seeks the nursery To so 10
! bye 10 land for BRIEF part Of his busy day.
| Bat wnen motier goes down town On her
| errand OF love does sne season IL with bit
of the leaveu'of mencyr
You know there are chiidren's homes in
| various parts of the city that are quite
without mothers. They are excellent shell
ters for the little oncs left alone i'll the big
| in them as there very well can be, but one
motheriy heart TO forty or fifty little ones
can hardly keep up the divine flow OF sym
1athy' without SOME feeding streams from
outside SOURCES.
AT THE HOSPITALS.
Could some OF these busy mothers get
away TO pay a visit to the Washington City
0rphanage or tie Children's Hospital or st.
AIMS or st. vincent's, Christmas might he
ceebratcd little differently than usual
with them this year.
Go, out TO the .Children's Hospital, as a
Times reporter did yesterday and the
experimentation or tEen nurse will show
you through the various wards where the
little patients-patients indeed-are taken
care OF. ,..-.uS.l,
May go through and talk to the little
ones of Christnas?" was asked of Miss
Sewall.
"Ses, certainly. -
"But l don't wish to stir up their iniagi-
hations for nothing"
.Oh, we celebrate Christmas. We are
going To give them each toy. This has
been the cGstoni.Ot tn. ladies' OF the board
for as long as the hospital has existed.
Last Sunday night went to each patient
and asked what he or She most wanted.
4 nd / wrote the choice after the name"
Think of that, you mothers. A nurse in
sIotlcss cap and apron and blue gown,
with healing in her fingers and love in her
voice. becomes to these little ones the in
car natiun -r,f -fo1,-.-
The reporter went with the nurse downthe
corridor. witilos gfeamng vanished floor
and dustiess Furnishings. TO the first ward.
I Many Of the children were coIvalescent and
were pla ying about, bur there were some six
or eight lrdnE very quietly in the little iron
betis.eads, with their white faces an effect
I've background for i'ig. lustrous eyes.
.,,..-. WHAT HE, EXPECTS.
Good morning. Henry. How are you
feeling tthe hurs would ask.
.'rsc feelin' pirty wcli,' and it would
be such a pa thet ic little voice, weak with the
'ravagcs 'of fever ~'--
The nurse would get the chart and show
the disease to he well nigh abated and the
| visitor grew quite Interested in tracing the
red and black lines.
"what is Santa going In bring you?''
This question never failed to brighten the
| face of the child it was pat to. One weak
! littlcfellow announced h. was tu have Il horn.
But what Will you 40 with il, dear?''
| ''Ill blow it. Eard,' came wondcringly
from the child.
Then, you must get well fast
Yes, ,niaam.' wisuuIiy and hopefully
| A little girl, who was able TO be up and
about was met at tie entrance TO the sur
gical ward. Her little leg was in an iron
brace, and she liniped about with difficulty.
But she had i wealth of sunny hair falling
| on her shoulders, which she shook back like
nane. -N,4os .5lt.s-
| "And what is little Sunbeam going to
get from Santa SlaGs?''
| She held on TO the nurses white fingers,
and looked shyiy at Tie visitor, but whis-
percd, "a kitchen Set
| "A kitchen set; dear me. And what are
we going to do with a kitchen set?"
Make fings,' said the child.
Itswas Clinic day and many of the little
ores were going down 10 be operated on.
| Others had Just come back, ard some were
lying patiently with weights attached to
| their little limbs TO draw them down.
Two nurse bent over the white cot of
| little sufferer just back from the operating
room. A screen was draw about ii aud the
| child cried softly.
"Yes. dear" said the nurse, in response
| TO. the little ones plants. and eased and
soothed il as best they could. This was
clearly no place to intrude the little vani-
| ties of life.
TO HAVE A WORKBOX.
TIN going to. have "A workbox." said one
little girl. who sat up in bed with the cruel
weights hnhgfng down n the foot. She was
crccbeting a mat in bright worsteds. and q
little boy with his foot proppcd up In a
wheeled chair was near her working on a
similar creation.
And what are You going TO have, little
man,
"A bugle," "came the cheerful response.
"Car you piIy bngfe?''
"Yes'm. and l lea anpiay mouth organ, an
/ wish Santa Claus wasn't poor this year"
The. children all said goodbye as their
visitors passed on upstairs.
The visit TO tue nursery did not elicit