The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-01-26
Xmas at the State School.
How our Boys and Girls Helped
Them to a good Time.-An in
teresting Letter from Supt.
Merrill.


Supt. E. L. Porter:--
Dear Sir,-Your kind letter en-
closing a check for $l4.37, the Christ
mas gift of your pupils to the child
rem of our school, was duly received
and the money used in buying dolls
and other toys for our small children.
Our children are divided into family
groups, there being six families of
about forty children each, and
each family occupying a separate
cottage. One of the families con-
sists OF the babies, all the children
in the school under four years of age,
the youngest now present being four
teen months old. On Christmas eve.
there we're forty-three little ones in
this family. The money you sent
supplied each of these with a nice
toy and many of the littls girls in our
girls cottage with dolls. The toys
included everything that delights
and amusee such little children.
The presents were given to the
children the Saturday evening before
Christmas. They were distributed
from an immenfe pie, about eight
feet in diameter and two and one
half feet deep. This pie Was pre-
pared on the stage of our assembly
hall, and the distribution was &C.
companied by interesting musical ex-
ercises prepared by Miss Hughes.
o., music ,acher. A group of little
boys was represented as meeting a
company of girls on the street and
discussing the question as to whether
there really was Santa Claus or not.
The boys maintained that there was
not, while the girls insisted that there
was such a person as Santa Claus.
They finally agreed to watch all en-
frances to the school grounds and
see him if he came. As they scat
tered some of them discovered the
big pie, but did not know what it
was; and while they were Investigate
ing and wondering about it Santa
Claus, the Grand Old Man," (Mr
Frank Lewis) appeared and surprised.
them. After convincing them all
that he was Santa Claus he told them
that he had made that pie for the
children of this school and would call
his little worker to open it. Then
sixteen little boys, nicely costumed,
came in with their tools aud opened
the pie and gave to every child in the
room his present. A happier com
pany of children could not have been
found that night, visitors who we're
present said they never saw sight
equal to that. Many touching and
many amusing incidents occurred.
One little colored girl, six years old j,
received doll with colored face at
one end and a white face at the other.
The white face could be seen when
she received it. She sooD looked for
it's feet and uncovered the colored
face. The surprise and delight she
manifested cannot be described. She
pressed the colored face of the doll
against her own little black face and
exclaimed Il like this one best"
On Sunday afternoon religious ex-
ercises were held concentrating the
birth Of Christ, and setting forth the
real meaning of Christmas. On Mon
day, christmas day, the children were
given a christmas dinner of roast
turkey, which was provided from
the fundsappropri ated By the State.
All four teachers. agents matrons,
and other workers devoted their time
to the children and made Christmas
indeed a PLEASANT and a helpful time
for them.
Please express to your pupils the
sincere thanks of our entire school
for their generous remembrance, and
give them our hearty New Years
greetings. Sincerely yours.
G, A. MERRILL, Supt.