The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-30
LITTLE MOTHERS alta FEAST.
ICE CREAM, CAKE. A TOE DANCER
AND 4 FUNNY SCOT.

| IuoH OWu fFoehs-EnNloW hose'
Seven hundred little girls, whose mothers
did not need them to take care Of the baby
/ OF run errands or keep house, or for any
OF the hundred and one things that small
women Of the East Side have to do, went to
| Webster Hall, 1875 East Eleventh street,
| yesterday afternoon. The Easter festival
OF the Little Mothers' Aid Association was
held there.
The rain was drizzling and the streets
were sloppy, and these things were not
good for the frocks and pinafores they
wore 40 proudly, but they had such good
time that even the rain and the guinness
OF the big policeman who herded them
into the hall like a bock Of sheep didn't
make much difference. One thing did
however. That was the crowd Of small
brothers and cousins and no relations at
all that howled without the hall and made
Intellectual charges and assaults on the
place Of candy and ice cream and flowers.
These little boys regarded it a. a great
hardship and woful injustice that the girls
should have all the good things and that
they should be left outside. But little
boys are not taken much into considera-
ton by the aid association, and their plants
were not needed.
The inside Of the hall looked like a garden
Of waving peoples noddlng under brisk
wind. Almost every one Of the 700 little
East Siders wore red somewhere or other
red hats OF tam o. shanters or dresses with
a wealth Of red ribbons. These things
were not procured very easily. Theladies Of
the association know all about the troubles
the small guests have in making a nice
Appearance on such occasions, but they
keep such matters a secret Very many
of tho LITTLE I'd their pennies
ever since the Christmas festival TO have
a pretty frock TO wear yesterday. Others
had pawned some Of their mothers' things,
while others still had made over an old
dress Of mother or big sister 80 they could
attend without feeling ashamed.
Some children couldn't 60 at all. When
questions were asked about this, answers
were given very reluctantly. II was:
Rosy hadn't any pretty dress 10 wear.
She was crying awful when l came away"
| or, @Rachei's little brother Is sick and her
mother needed all her money TO pay the
doctor, 90 she couldn't come
All around the walls Of the hall were pots
| Of blooming geraniums, one pot for every
little girl and some over. These were to
take home to make dulls rooms brighter.
Even the big policeman smiled and quit
| saying, Hustle along there, youse, when
the long line Of little girls filed out OF the
hall with their burden Of crimson flowers.
And msybe you think they won't take
good care OF those plants, said Mrs. Hattie
! Harms who was chairman OF the enter
children will get up little earlier every
day TO see that her flower Is watered. She
will put as much time In takin 9 care Of that
one tiny plant as If Il were whole garden
For children who have had such small
opportunity TO know anything about flowers
II is perfectly amazing how much they love
them
At any rate there were a good many
hundred tenement homes on the East
Side made brighter and oheeTier because
Of the red geraniums that the little girls
carried home so carefully, walking as II
they were about to tread on an egg every
About thirty Of the children present wore
gin CHAM dresses they made themselves.
and they were far prouder OF the homely
frocks than II they had come from q real
dressmaker and had been ornamented with
bows and furbelows and Akin g Of ribbon.
They were taught how TO make these dresses
in a class conducted by the association
They had trimmed their own hats, too
plain straw sailor hats-with flowers and
ribbons on them. The smallest Of these
bells dress was worth going far TO see
even IL the back was a little longer than
the front and the neck gaped bit.
To the 100 little women the entertainment
] =
girl who had been on the stage and when
She appeared 70 do toe dance, all the little
girls put their heads together and whis-
pered at the wonder Of 1t. After the little
stage girl came a real Scotchman with bare
legs and short skirts and a plaid. He
played squeaky music on a bagpipe and
danced up and down as II somebody were
sticking him with pins. That was great
fun. Besides the Scotohman, there was a
queer person who mada his voice come out
Of a barrel OF from up In the ceiling and had
the wonderful power OF making wax
figure Of a boy carry on a Conversation
With him. Il took four syllables TO des-
cribe him; ventriloquist was too hard 10
saw. and got ones tongue badly twisted.
The best Of the show came with the ice
/ oream.and cake. Two Of the little girls
there had never had any Ice cream, What
cake they ever had eaten was got from
friendly pedlers. One Of these littl girls
was named Felice. When she put spoonful
Of ice cream into her mouth she jumped as
n somebody had pinched her, on, IT'S
hot, she cried. That made al the other
girls laugh, and small Felice blushed ana
felt so embarrassed she could hardly 90
on with the delectable feast
Most OF the children were allowed TO
take a piece Of cake or a little ice cream
home with them II they asked permission.
one little girl didn't bother about asking
She hid three great SLICES OF cake and
large pasteboard box Of ice cream IN her
waist. A teacher saw her and asked why
she did II. - ~. r
ats for me brldder.' she said. III |
didn't take him something he would get
even with me by swiping my doll baby He
said he would
The tragedy was averted because she
got instant permission 10 take all she could
Garry.
I'D In the gallery were a dozen OF more
very precise children dressed In linen and
velvets and patent leather shoes and things
that shone and glittered. They seemed
10 have a hard time understanding what
made the girls no excited and eager about
such small matters az Ice cream and cake
and pots Of flowers.
Most Of the children who were there
Yesterday will be sent TO the country some
4 ffnfe tia summer for a week or two II the
money Of the association holds out, The
little Rirls were quite excited over the
uroepect and told wonderful tales about
The strange things they had seen last sum
mer, the unbelievable COWS, from which
an the milk comes, and the grass, whole
Fields Of Il. and the trees, and the frogs at
night and all manner OF things
OLD-TIME POLICEMAN DEAD.
Peter &. Bender served During the Draft
utoea-ranR IN the Custom House.