The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1895-12-25

The Christ Child seems to hav e been oInni
present this year of our Lord, 1895. From
the confines OF Georgetown Ia the limits of
the Navy Yard, from the tuIiibe-,iown huts
mat are blot on our river front TO the
sunny hills that form the boundary of the
city, the beneficent Babe of Bethlehem has
answered all Wee petitions
Beginning Just at dark last night. the
Christ Child, through His hundred willing
servants began His work OF love Some of
the ia',orcrs in this society are abunti:,utIy
supplied with this wOrid's goods, and
| possess. among other Iuxuries, "a carriage.
! About eight or ten carriages were making
the rounds 81 the city last night, fired To
! Overlooking with the gifts Of the Christ
! Child.
| The plan Of operation is simply to ring
the hell Tor rather knock at the door, as
! by Far the majority of The houses did not
boast Of sncf, proud possession as a door
BELL and deposit the bundle on the steps.
Each PACKAGE Is neatly tied up. and bears a
| card "a wing, With love and blessings from
| the Christ Child"
GIVERS WERE CURIOUS.
This year some OF the ladies who were
distributing the gifts were seized with q:
| curiosity 10 know the little inmates of
| these homes. One house in the extreme
northeast section is inhabited by a family
OF eight children, the Oldest OF whom is d
girl only eleven. She was the little
mother-theIr own mother she explained
to the visitors was dead nearly four
months
She did everything for the little broth
ers and sisters and for father, who was "a
car driver and did not work steady
She was bright faced little thing, with
great dark eyes and a quantity OF some
haf Et-I,ax II
the presents was something soul stirring
to see. She united each bundle deity and
arranged the contents on a small tablr
Now just look at that doll Minnie Will
go crazy. ] wanted her to ask the Christ
Child for coat, hut she wouldn't do it,
and now I'm glad she didn't, cause she
wanted baby so bad
Each member OF the family had sent a
petition 10 the Christ Child and gotten
the wish of each heart-all except her
self. When the visitors asked her why
she had not written, she ans wered rather
woefully: well, you see there's eight
OF US, and it looked kindo greedy for ,is
all to want something"
When pressed to know If there We're not
something that she needed, she reluctant
ly admitted that She wanted a flannel
skirt very badly. Il cut up mine TO make
the baby some, and it is so cold In the
mornings when ! get up to make the fire
that do wish ] had one
THE LITTLE MOTHER.
The ladies promised this generous self
sacrificing little mother that she should hav.
the skirt, and many other things besides,
that would come i'll handy for the boys
and took their departure.
Il feel like selfish, good-for-nothing
heather. said one of the Christ Child niesseu-
gers. Just To hear that child talk makes
he shudder. / have enough OF old luggag.
packed away i'll the attic to clothc every one
Of those children comfortably. and feel il
my sacred duty to see to this affair."
Another spin around corners brought the
messengers to funny little house that
looked like it might beong TO hobrobbiins.
after much knocking, an old coIored man
answered the summons.
"Tain't no one home. ladies'" he said.
bowing with courtliness that would have
done honor To Chesterfield.
The ladies' explained that they had cone
with packages from the Christ Child. ..Tain'u
no child lives here; Jes' me an the ole
woman.'
But we received a letter from child.
with this addre>S-See, here is the letter.
s1id one lady. producing "a rather dilapi-
dated scrap of paper. 1t says: Send me
some candy and pair of boots. JIM JOHN
son, 300 - St
La. miss, | writ dat letter. exclaimed
the old man. chnckling immensely II
writ dat letter: Use heerd of your sassiety
and / thought mcbbe you'd give NE a
Christmas gift, and you hcv. Did you
bring the boots?''
The ladies were Disguised. They ex-
planned that no one over twelve years old
was entitled to gift from the Christ Child.
However, they relcnted sufficiently to give
him the candy. and wishing him and the old
happy Christina :. thcydroveaway
All kinds of people and all kinds Of stories
did the messengers of the Christ Child hear
in their rounds. Some OF them so sad that
it would throw pail over Christmas glad
ness to repeat them. Some of them Iutii-
crous enough to be a page OF Mark Twain's
yarns. One woman received the ladies'
rather frigidiy- and in reply to questions
about her children, answered snaDpishlv
20, thcy'se Well as most, and guess Just
as good as most. But think this Christ
mas-iS very aggravatin time Some one
told my children last year about your So
riety. and they wrote letters To it, and l
never heard Il word from that time on, but
but what they'd get. Sure enough the
bundles did come, but they was III mix edup.
and not one Of 'em got what they asked for,
md such time as l had all day. Tommy
.ricd himself sick, and Joe behaved lust
so MANY PETITIONS
The ladies expressed much sorrow al this
IND explained that there were SO ma ny petit
ions TO answer that some mistakes wereal-
most unavoidable.
well, maybe So" said the woman; but
just hope as long as you have bought some
hing. that it's the right thing, so / won't
NJ pestered to death all day
There was another woman with a griey-
nee. Her child had asked for Il doll, and
he society had sent characterised one.
low, she wasn't to be insultcd, If she was
Ioor.
My child shall never play with china
leaded doll. and whack herself in the face
With it md make herself black and blue not
/ she never gets doll. and not for the Christ
hid societies in the world"
But most OF the little ones to whom the In
ant King paid visit last night had thank
III. gracious parents. and thanked the Ia
lies tearfully. Some of them said that
hey hoped never again to be dependent on
he Overtaxed resources of the society, and
ever they had "lnck' again. not To forget
heir generous friends.
So Washing ton has had a Merry Christmas
n the places where glaaincSs is often absent
Voices all unused to laughter. saldcned
earts that rarely smile" have felt the holy
oy of the day. and realized that there are
iany good people in the world. and plenty
( JOY IN the gray old world.
.
a Christmas Carol
With n parenthcticll accoElpl DlIOeuff