The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-16
Santa Claus Aided by
Doctors Daughters
Striving to Bring
Xmas Cheer to
Refugee Tots

Christmas cheer for the toyless and
joyless children of the refugee camps
is the object of the excellent work be-
ing done by The Doctors Daughters. in
cooperation with 1zetta Jewell of the
Colonial Theatcr stock company and
players throughout The country.
The many refugee tots playing about
the camps and with the unconscious
philosophy of childhood adapting them
selves gravely and with accomplishing
attempts at cheerfuiness to the hard
ships of their lot. have aroused the
sympathy of the young actress to a de-
termination that will result in merry,
the tents.
On her first visit 20 the camps Miss
JEWELS curiosity was changed to pity
for the little tots. Soberly. even SOM
berry, tho little refugees made shift at
play the sand. There were no blue
eyed, i7ufry-hai-ed dollies; no bright
red wagons: no prancing iron horses
harnessed to carly colored miniature
fire engines or miladies' carriages. The
child life among the tents and cottages
found such expression as il might
through the medium of toys inprovised
from the sticks and stones gathered on
the common. A bit OF pasteboard box
served as a peranlbulator for one drift
wood stick dolly. sadly dressed in a
strip of faded bedraggled rag, & sorry
substitute for the wax beauty OF the
shop windows.
What would Christmas, the merry
yulctide of the Eastern girl. mean to
these tired and patient children of the
tents? They could not have the East
ern Christmas with its snow, white
bearded Santa Claus, prancing reindeer.
the wide chimney. swapping log and
tree radinting tipseled beauty in the
sunshine of Christmas morn Tears
came to the eyes of the young actress
who has known the counterfeit emo
tions across the footlights. Christ
mas cheer they should have; the play
ers would give the little refugees of
San Francisco a Christmas tree.
The management of the Colonial
joined heartily with Miss JEWELS plan
ance. and the members of the company
contributed their services The Doc
tors Daughters, the organization of
philanthropic women ably undertook
the mana cement of q details and the
expenditure of the fund. to which Miss
Jewell asked all players to contribute
IS cents each.
responses nave come from w innlpeS,
from the Gulf States, from the Atlantic
and the Pacific coasts. The fund be-
ing secured by the players will buy
real joy for little ones to whom with
out this fund Christmas would bold
forth little promise. 1t Is not so-called
practical charity that these good
women are going to show to the chill
dren of the camps, but to give them a
big. joyous. beautiful Christmas eve.
The day before Christmas the Colo
NAL Theater will be given over to the
entertainment of camp children. Hun
dreds of the little ones will revel in
the ecstacy OF the music, lights and
tinsel of a real theater. They will
make a journey through the wonderful
imagery of dramatic story. the pages
turned by the stage folk. Between cur
tains a big Christmas tree will sustain
their interest: a yule,fde tree, from the
branches of which will be showered
packs of goodies. and mayhap marvel
ously agile jumping Jacks for the boys
and haxen- haired doll babies for the
girls. Each child will get present, it's
character to be determined by the pro-
portions of the fund. which, by the
way, should not be confused with other
similar funds and which is wholly col
lected by Miss Jewell and which will
be expended wholly by the Doctors
Daughters.