Macon beacon., 1902-01-04
CHRISTMAS AT THE ASYLUM
And at the Other State Institutions for
tho RlInh and The Deaf.

at all times and among all people
peace on earth and good will to
men" was the rule. To rich and poor
and high and low alike the sweet
spirit sent its messengers of kindly
remembrance laden with joy,s content
and hone. 1t is the time for happi'
ness-when homes are brightest,
hearts are tenderest, and even the
crustiest nature finds itself thawing
under the cordial grasp Of friendly
hand, or the eager eyes Of child. 1t
is at this time that families come to-
gether, friends are united and all the
world delights to do for those who
are poor and needy. Few, indeed, are
the homes of poverty not frightened
by some helping hand, and few the
hearts that must needs dwell in lone
liness. The widow is helped, the or
phan Is remembered, and wherever
earths unfortunates are gathered to-
gether the Christmas spirit comes and
sheds its radiance.
1t is infinitely to the credit of our
State that all of her institutions make
so gala day Of Christmas. Even the
conyicts are freed from work and
given a great feast, while at the
schools for the blind and the deaf
mutes the week is turned into fes-
tival and a time of rejoicing is had.
At the blind institution a splendid
Christmas dinner was spread and
each of the children who are deprived
of the great blessing of sight was
given useful and attractive gift.
Music (their chief delight) was en-
joyed at special hours during the day,
and all of DR.. Sims wards spent the
week happily.
At the big home of the deaf and
dunno pleasure reigned supreme, and
the pupils (the happiest body of stu
dents we have ever known in any
school) had many surprises and many
delightful plans with which to pass
the days and evenings. The culmina-
tion of all their joy was the splendid
Christmas tree, on which was a boun-
tiful crop" of fruit, candy and gifts
of all sorts. Games and other diver
sions followed the tree, and on Christ
mas night some of the little deaf and
dumb children closed their eyes on the
happiest day of their young lives. 1t
was at the State Hospital for the In
sane, however that greatest prepara-
tions were made to give a happy
Christmas to the (more than one thou
sand) people who dwell within those
great white buildings, with the iron
barred windows on every side. To the
insane, Christmas is a time of great
rejoicing. Most of the inmates of the
hospital evince fondness for the good
things to eat, and as soon as orders
are issued for extra help in the great
kitchen, the patients begin to hope and
plan for Christmas. Fully two weeks
before Christmas each ward must sur
render one of its attendants for a GER
tain time each day, and these all meet
under the matrOns direction, in the
monster work rooms, to begin to get
ready for Christmas. The store room,
before 4l is invaded by the culinary
army looks as If it were stocked
against a seven years famine. How
ever, it does not take long to reduce
and utterly demolish the crates Of
fruit barrels Of ctr N, raisins, cur
rants etc, that are used in the big
fruit CAKES. And the eggs! Judging by
the dozens and scores of hundreds of
eggs that were hourly beaten for the
big cakes, the asylum had "cornered"
all the hens in Kinds county and al
lowed no outsider to enter the pre-
empted space. After the two weeks of
steady work in kitchens and bakery, in
slaughter pen and barn yard, 'mongst
garden and orchard products (put up
during the summer) the great day ar
rived at last, and lie tired attendants
were repaid for all their labor by the
undisguised delight of their patients.
In almost every ward there are women
and girls, skilled in fancy work, and
TO these it is great delight to decorate
the long halls (always aglisten with
cleanliness and in beautiful order)
with wreaths Of Christmas green's, and
masses of paper flowers. The dining
room is, however, lne point of special
interest to each ward, and it is here
that the work and the talent of the pa
tients is concentrated. And the result
is most pleasing. Few public insitu-
tions can show brighter dining rooms,
arranged more tastefully than are
some of those in the hospital, for
Christmas day. And the pride Of the
poor insane woman is pathetic in the
extreme.
Each wants to do her part, and down
into their few precious possessions
they go, for something to add to the
general effect, or for some bit of bright
ribbon, new handkerchief, an apron,
or, sad to tell, fanatic decoration of
paper or rags, with which to adorn
themselves in honor of the day. At u
o'clock the doors are thrown open and
the safe" patients who have been al
lowed to help the attendants arrange
the tables, beam as gracefully and
speak as cordially to the long line Of
entering diners, as though they were
the most approved reception committee
on duty at some great function. And is
1t not great function? Has not
great State provided for it? Have not
master minds, after arduous training
planned 1t successfully? Have not
willing hands worked ceaselessly for
weeks that 1t might be worthy the day
and last Of all, was 1t not the bright
est day in long, weary year, to a
thousand men and women of feeble
bodies and of beclouded brains? Yes,
1t was q great function-no one could
doubt 1t, after one glance down the
long, snowily draped tables, with their
great clusters of flowers, their superb
pyramids of fruit, dishes of jelly, pre-
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