The record-union., 1897-12-31
THE ORPHANS CHRISTMAS.
THEY ENJOYED THEIR BIG DIN
NER YESTERDAY.
Little Tots at the Asylum Made
Trebly Glad by Their Christ
mas Tree.

The hundred and forty little people al
the Protestant Orphan Asylum, Elgh-
teenth and X streets, yesterday saw
Christmas, and having seen, belleve IN
it. Christmas came to them, ana with
it all the good things accorded TO the
day, and they were given practlcal IL
lustration of the words heard by the
shepherds-"On earth, peace! good VIII
toward men'-which they VIII not soon
forget.
At high noon the half-doZen tables In
the dining hall gToaned under their
loads of good things, and then, march-
ing in single file, and with a precision
due to careful training and perfect
system the little people tramped in and
had their first glimpse at the feast pre-
pared for them
Every child was at its place, and the
fact that all gathered to partake of the
feast. speaks wonders for the instltu-
tion. There We're no sick, and the 140
children thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Owing to the prevalence Of diphtherla
and scarlet fever, no invitations were
issued. for fear that those diseases,
which have been kept out of the asy-
lum, might find foothold.
But every little body was down on
the programme to eat, and eat they
did Turkey and other Christmas cheer
disappeared as if by magic, and the
cakes and pies and the fruit that came
afterWard Jared no better. Yet at the
table the system of the establishment
was to be seen. There was no undue
haste, and there was no loud or unnec-
essary talking. In fact, the young
ones had no time for talking, they
We're too intent upon the spread of good
things, and when all had eaten until
they could eat no more, there was
enough left to fill quite a number OF
baskets, if not five thousand"
Next the little people spent au hour
at play, and were then mustered up
stairs where they We're dressed in their
Sunday best Then the doors OF the
room in which were the Christmas trees
{there were two of them) were thrown
open and the little ones looked with
round eyes upon the scene.
There were toys galore; wagons and
horses and drums and balls and dolls
and everything else dear to children,
and there was a great heap of great big
bags. each of which was filed to burst
ing with candy and nuts, and all event.
ually found their way into the posses
sion of the city's fatherless and moth
erless Donations of toys were much
less than last year, and the manage
ment was obliged to make q great
many purchases.
No favors were shown, and every boy
received his quota of marbles and "a top,
and every girl was made happy with a.
doll. Then there We're enough presents
to go around again, and more, and
that Santa Claus was not present SEEM
ed to cut no figure with the little ones.
Before the presents were distributed
Christmas exercises were held, the pro-
gramme being as follows:
Chant, Lords Prayer" by school;
song Merry Christmas" school; reci-
tation by six little boys, George Venter.
Benny Baglioni, Bert Leeper, Thomas
Glenn and Lloyd Hewitt; Christmas
song, kindergarten; song, Christmas
Carol" school: recitation, christmas
Bells" nine little girls, Kate Donnolly,
Annie Sundholm, Lleanor Logan, Laura
Williams, Cecilia Van Tassell, Dora
Nesbitt, Grace Shockey, Annie Grum-
sen, Elsie Eldfnger; duet, Santa
Claus" George Neal and Emma Grum-
sen; song, Carol Around the Christ
mas Tree" school