The San Francisco call., 1898-01-09
GOOD THINGS
 FOR THEM ALL Toys and BOnbOns Galore for Sunday-School
 Children.
The JesuitS Will Give Their Annual Christnas-Tree
 Festival.
Students End Their Retreat-Sacred Heart League Ladies to Re-
 ceive Diplomas.

The annual Christmas Tree Festival for the children attending the St. Ig- natius Sunday School will be held this afternoon in the church hall, on Van Ness avenue and Fulton street. The hour of this festival Is not made public owing to the fact that the teachers of the Sunday School want none but the children to attend. At previous festi- vals of this kind grown people from all over the city would attend in large numbers, and it is for this reason prin- cipally that the exact hour will not be mentioned.
 Toys, candy and everything likely to please the children have been provided at the expense of the Jesuit Fathers. The idea of giving toys as presents originated with the Jesuits, and re- places the old custom of giving pray er-boCks, holy pictures and other re- ligiouS mementos.
 It has been the custom heretofore to have an entertainment in conjunction with the Christmas festival, but this feature will be abandoned this year for the principal reason that 1t does not in terest the children, and as the festival Is held expressly for the benefit of them it has been decided to entirely do away with it.
 Tt Is more like penance than an enjoyment for the children to sit and listen to operatic solos and uninterest- ing recitations," said one of the priests yesterday afternoon, "and in view of this fact think it is wise to strike this entertainment from the general Christi mas programme"
 The students of St. Ignatius College will end their retreat this morning by receiving holy communion in a body at the s o'clock mass, to be held in the basement chapel. This was the regular annual retreat, and was participated in by the students of the entire college. The Rev. Father Finigan had charge of the preparatory classes, while the Rev. Father Van der Erdan conducted the retreat for the boys of the advanc- ed classes.
 The new half-year term of the Jesuit College will commence tomorrow morning, and applications of students desirous of taking courses should be forwarded at once to Father Allen. An additional feature of this years curriculum will be the teaching of mod ern languages, free of charge, to stu- dents desirous of studying them.
 This project was commenced a few months ago, and as 1t proved very Suc- i cessful it has been decided to put the l advantage of mastering these lan- ] guages at the disposal of all the stu ' dents of the college who care to study | them. There are two courses of Ger man to be taught; one to the prepara- l tory classes and an advanced course to the collegiate classes.
 The first meeting of the session will ! be held by the Boys Orchestra next l Thursday evening at o'clock in the basement of the college. This orches- | tra is composed of boys well advanced in the study of music, and is consider ed by the Jesuits and such laymen as ! have heard 1t In public concert to be one of exceptional merit.
 Twenty-Five promoters of the League of the Sacred Heart will receive diplo- mas on the evening of the feast of the Epiphany, which will be observed next ! Tuesday.
 A solemn high mass will be cele- brated next Sunday morning at the main church on Hayes street in honor of the feast of the Sacred Heart. His Grace Archbishop Riordan will deliver | the sermon.
 The Rev. Father Wyman of the Paul. ist community will deliver the sermon at vespers tonight on the subject of 1 'The Finding of the Messiah"