The San Francisco call., 1908-12-26
LITTLE ONES TASTE
OF THE PURfST JOY
Sixty-fiye Unfortunate Tots at
ChiIdren's Hospital Are
Made Happy

"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto
one of the least of these. my brethren.
ye have done 1t unto -me"--Matthew
xxv:40.
In no place in all San Francisco did
the true spirit OF Christmastide find
exemplification more complete yester-
day than in quarter where joy and
happiness are too little known, where
merriment would habitually seem a
mockery and where sorrow and suffer-
ing are the average daily lot.
Christmas in the childrens hospital
was real Christmas, for there an abun-
dant love provided for IS unfortunate
little ones a taste of the very purest,
most blessed joy. For one day at least
the pain of physical suffering was for
gotten and every childish sorrow was
submerged in the food of a wonderful
happiness made possible by the kind
ness of human hearts.
MANY WONDERS OF DAY
| There was no home in San Francisco
where any child, lavished with the
fondest parental indulgence, shared
more richly in material way than
did the little tots of the children's
hospital For a single day. except in
the most critical cases, no temperatures
were taken and no medicine was given
in any ward of the hospital. Instead
there was turkey dinner at noon and
an inexhaustible supply of candy from
morning until night. And even such
| unwonted luxuries were mere acces-
sories of the wonders of the day, for
there were gifts galore, sights such as
many of those tired little eyes had
never before feasted upon and happen
ings of which keen little minds had
never dreamed.
In every ward in the hospital, even in
the receiving ward, where half a dozen
| babies composed the entire audience
there were gorgeous Christmas trees
and Thursday the wards were strung
with Christmas green's and long ropes
of paper manufactured by the hands
of the little patients themselves. And
4 then, to cap the exciting climax oi
preparation, stockings were hung from
the foot of every bed before the lights
were extinguished Christmas eve Late
in the evening choir OF children from
the Protestant orphan asylum visited
the hospital and sang carols beneath
the windows.
CHRISTMAS BEGINS EARLY
The real Christmas began early
hours before the dawn, for in one ol
the wards child awakened ane
reached out to touch the preciou.
stocking in the dead of night. The
little hand fastened around a horn
there was a shrill scream OF delight
a cry of "Santy's been herer and Jus
as the clocks struck in the morninf
pandemonium broke loose ;, in ever,
ward. There was to be no more sleep
Horns footed merrily until dayligb
and childish voices clamored in tn,
telling of fresh discoveries. For tn,
stockings ontained the gifts that ha,
poured in from every part Of tn.
state.
Yesterday morning there was a pho
nograph concert in every ward, giyel
by one of the employees of the hospital
at noon the Christmas dinner, and a
. o'clock Santa Claus arrived in per
son. The jolly saint was laden witt
a pack that caused him to stagger. 10
days ago the ladies' of the Women
J auxiliary had visited every indiyitlua
child and carefully listed the present
desired by each, and not single wisl
but was fulfilled. Whole families q
dolls occupied some of the beds by tn
, side of a little mistress strapped Tight,
! to board propped up among her pil
lows; on other beds lay workmen,
kits for small hands to use.
During the afternoon a Punch an,
Judy show was given in the incurabl
ward and every child who could be re
; moved from the other wards was pres
, ent. Visitors thronged the buildin,
J from morning until night.