Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-24

To bring a little ray of sunshine into
the lives Of those whose lot seems to
be cast in dark places, unselhsh men
and women and even little children are
working today.
That the Christmas spirit may extend
to the uttermost parts of the city, into
the highways and the byways, the
homes of the unfortunate, the poor and
the sick, is the Christmas wish of a
small army of persons, and they are
leaving nothing undone that will make
the Merry Christmas" on every
tongue ring true.
In the orphan asylums and homes for
the parentless the little ones are look
ing forward to the visit of Santa with
more delightful anticipation than in
the homes of the rich.
AT every home little groups of chill
dren could be seen yesterday telling
each other wonderful tales of the man
who comes in the night creeps down
chimneys and goes away leaving the
makings of happy hearts behind him.
1t is not an easy thing to make
Christmas happy for the numerous
homeless children of the city, but 1t
will be done. The Salvation Army lads
and lassies are working early and late,
and the Volunteers of America and
other philanthropic and religious or
ganizations are also wasting no time.
At TrueIove Home
At the Truelove home, the rescue
home of the Salvation Army at 2670
North Griffin avenue, where unfortun-
ate women who are little more than
children and their babies are learning
to see some new ray of hope in life, and
little ones who have been deserted by
parents, Captain Macdonald, the good
Scotch matron who has love enough in
her heart for all the motherless little
ones in the world, Is planning to make
Christmas a happy day.
The same little ones, about sixteen in
number are also planning some sur
prises for the matron, and there is a
great air of secrecy. She has not been
allowed to enter the sewing room for
a whole week.
"And the worst of it is,'' said she,
"that Captain Butler, whom I have al
ways trusted, is encouraging them in
their insubordination.'
There is a great air of mystery per-
vading the spotless building.
In one room the matron plans for a
tree-puzzles how she is to give every
little one what he or she wants-and
in another room the children are pre-
pairing Christmas program.
Little BOY sings
Under the promise of the utmost Sc
crecy they conf1ded their plans yester-
day, and one of them, in answer to
great deal of persuasion, sang the song
which is to be his contribution to the
Christmas program. He was a brown
eyed lad of g. with the face of a little
dark cherub, coloring that shows
streak of foreign blood, and the most
captivating smile imaginable.
He answers to the name of Louis,
and sang his little
Jolly old Saint Nicholas, lean your ear
this way;
Don't you tell a single soul what I'm
going to say
in a plaintive, winsome little voice.
When he finished he hid his face in his
sleeve in a sudden fit of shyness at his
daring.
Grace told of the piece she is going
to speak and of the songs and dia-
logues the others are going to con-
tribute "to 'sprise Captain"
One little girl wrote letter to Santa
Claus, and she asked him to bring
new pair of shoes and stockings, and to
please not forget the matron.
A dozen times a day Captain Mac
Donald is asked the question: when
will Santa Claus Gomez and there is
no other subject of conversation.
With the assistance only of Captain
Butler, Matron Macdonald manages
the home and it would be hard to find
a more comfortable or spotless build
ing. There is a hospital with every
convenience for caring for the sick,
and in the nursery at present there
are half a dozen babies.
Plans of Volunteers
The children under the care of the
Volunteers of America will fare equally
well. At the Maud Ballington Booth
home a fine big tree has been secured,
"the finest tree in the city," they
proudly declare. Christmas morning
the thirty-two little residents of the
home will gather round the wonderful
tree with it's blazing candles and shiny
gold and silver tinsel, singing their
happiness at the coming of another