The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-12-29
TOYS FOR TEN THOUSAND.
Continued from First Page.

year, as usual, her gift consisted OF
beautiful doll, handsomely attired IN
bridal fnery, with-trousseau complete,
II was her wish to make the beneficiary
of this gift the most deserving child,
il possible, OF all the thousands who
called for presents, and one Of the
gentlemen Of the committee went in
search Of some especially worthy little
girl. He found her, a little cripple,
seated with her mother on the curling
outside the hall. The poor mother OF
four children, one a baby in arms,
had been unable to secure any tickets
to the distribution, but had gone to
the hall early in the morning, hoping
to be able to get something for her
little ones. Their case was one that
readily appealed to the committeeman.
ssCome with me, ''said the gentleman,
and helping hand was extended the
little cripple. Through the aisle
fanked by thousands of presents and
by the throne of Santa Claus the little
girl was led right up to the spot where
Miss Baker sat. What greeted her
eyes was an object calculated to bring
gIadness to the heart Of any child.
Gould it be q vision? No, for the
lady that held it stepped over and laid
in her little arms a great, big, beauti-
full doll, and told her that dolly and
all It's dnery were for her. Overcome
with emotion, she clasped it to her
heart, and her eyes filled with tears.
She was speechless, but her manner
spoke volumes and showed that Christ
mas had certainly brought with it
gladness to at least one little heart
When the little girl had received
her gift, the other members Of the
family were brought in, and each of
the children was given something to
make them rejoice.
While this tender scene was being
enacted in one corner of the hall, the
harder children OF the streets were
graphing with the problems Of choice
between wagons, horns, dolls, tops,
dinner sets, beds, bedroom sets, and,
in fact, every conceivable present to
be found on the list which good old
St. Nicholas carries around with him
when he visits the homes of children
on Christmas eve.
To line OF dangling toys their at
tention was called soon after they
passed the Christmas tree by which
good Santa sat in his red cloak fringed
with white fur. He was the same genial
old man they had been told about.
Now he appeared to them real live
saint Of flesh and blood. They saw
his white beard and felt the caress of
his hand. They looked into his blue
eyes and met his smile, and they
heard his kind words. Some were
afraid at first, and hesitated to APP
proach, but when he held out his hand
TO them with tiny doll, they grew
bolder and went near.
It In not often that old Kris deigns
10 show himself ia broad daylight,
but for the occasion Of the annual dis
sribusion OF toys and dolls by the
Times Democrat he kindly agrees to
depart somewhat from his usual Gus
ON OF visiting children Id the night
lime, and shows himself for few
hours in the daytime. A merry old
nan be is, too, in the sunshine. Though |
he light might strain his eyes little, |
lie smiles through 1t all, and when the |
is over takes his flight |
,ver the house-tops to prepare his
leigh and reindeer for visit to the
ZONES OF children id the night. BY 8
o'clock Monday afternoon he was
zone; where, no one knew, but he
anne. again in the night to reward )
rood children while they slumbered.
Though his stay in the hall was
hort. not one child went away without
present. In fact the boys and girls
leparted with as many toys as they
oula conveniently carry. Some had
heir arms full of dolls, others had
Tagons, Others tops and horns and
JUMPING jacks. Not the kind that run
q and down string, but big, stuffed
amping jacks that efapped their
ands when you pressed them. There
as general demand for this toy.
lot . child who saw one but wanted
j and when 1t was handed out the
and the Jumping began.
At the farther end Of the hal vas ar
angsd special table. over which pre-
ided two good ganii. who distributed
Ickels. They we're bright, new niekels,
oof which held within their circamfer-
pee III the ioys .of e pureh ase of gum,
andy and oaher good things, although !