The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1902-01-04
MISSISSIPPI
NOTES OF PAST AND CURRENT EVENTS.
By KATE MARKHAM POWER.
CHRISTMAS AT THE ASYLUM

And ut the Other State Institutions for
the Blind and the Deaf.
The beautiful Christmas spirit
seemed to hold the world beneath its
influence last week, and everywhere,
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, content
and hope. 1t is the time for happi-
hearts are tenderest, and even the
crustiest nature finds itself thawing
under the cordial grasp Of a friendly
hand, or the eager Eyes Of a 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
illness. The widow is helped, the or
phan is remembered. ard wherever
earth's Um1ortunates 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 a day of Christmas. Even the
convicts 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 a 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 a 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
dumb 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-
ton 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 Oh 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 prepare
tons were made to give a happy
r Christmas to the (more than n thou
Md people who dwell within those
.reat 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 a 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 m~atron's direction, in tn;
monster work rooms, to begin to gel
ready for Christmas. The store room
before 4t 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 o
fruit, barrels of citren, ~raisins, cur
rants, ETC., that are used in the bill
the dozens and scores Of hundreds o
eggs that were hourly beaten for tn
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 o
steady work in kitchens and bakery, ii
slaughter pen and barn yard, 'mongs
garden and orchard products (put u
during the summer) the great day al
rived at last, and lne tired attendant
were repaid for all their labor by tn
~undisguised delight Of their patient!
In almost every ward there are wome
and girls, skilled in fancy work, an
to these 1t is a great delight to decorat
the long halls always aglisten wit
cleanliness and in beautiful order
with wreaths of Christmas greens, an
masses of paper flowers. The dinin
room is, however, lAe point of specii
interest to each ward, n 1t Is heI
that the work and the talent of the p'
tients is concentrated. And the resu
is most pleasing. Few public insit'
lions can show brighter dining room
arranged more t~astefully than al
some of those in the hospital. IL
Christmas day. And the pride Of Il
poor insane woman is pathetic in Il
extreme.
Each wants to do her part, and dow
into their few precious possession
they go, for something to add to II
general effect, or for some bit Of brig.
ribbon, a new handkerchief, an apro
or. sad to tell, a fanatic decoration