The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-12-25

Formerly he was associated with maiden ladies in
movement to make life happier for those children whose
parents cannot afford to load the stockings with marsh
mallows and fberts.
One year ago the ladies the mission decided to have
Christmas tree and Mr. Metcalf, having been their faith
full coaborer, was prevailed upon to play Santa Claus
Mr. Mecaf lived to make others happy, and he was only
to glad OF this chance to spill sunshine into the darkened
lives.
He went about the preparations in glow of entnusam
First he secured fur overcoat from man who works at
the stock yards and then he bought cap at his own eX
pense and borrowed tand OF bells from livery stable
One of the maiden ladies at the mission bought the Santa
Claus wig and WhlskeiS from dealer IN masquerade cos
tunes
How the waits did throng themission that Christmas
eve Some of the tots 8 or 70 years old and came
in smoking cigarettes Miss Rush. who was the moving
sprtof the celebration had to stop two lights ct the
doorway and "churn Bohemian girl before the eXer-
cises opened.
up with the assistance Of three fussy women The emil
dren had been told that Santa was coming, and they
were in such turbulent expectancy that the prayer the
scripture reading and the opening addess By Miss Kush
maze no I'M resaon the buzzing, fidgetlng crowd.
Finally the moment Miss Whitrock played wha
was supposed to be lively march on the organ and Mt
Metc@ pranced n swaddled and padded beyond recog-
The girls screeched with delight The boys laughed
dersvey, and said "Aw we knew who that IS
Mr. Metcalf padded around the tile and shook hand.
with the maiden ladies, who compelled to litter ano
hide their faces, he acted .ne part SO well
Thus encouraged, Mr.. Mecaf Cost for the time beng
conde5cension his part to shake hands with the httt
girls He did So and they appeared to be, j ei,
fattered ard somewhat awed
Come over here and shake hands with US, too y" eC
the BOYS standing up their side of the noise NJ ct
cafs Soul was b1bbng with good will to men; ,G az {,
see all the little boys said he, through the whiska a.
suming the gruff tone peculiar to Santa Claus poo
little waif weighing about 100 pounds, seized Santa Claus
by the hand and dragged him into the mob OF boys al
of whom closed in on him. Santa Claus fell backward
over chair with several boys on top Of him, and MIS-
Rush stood up and screamed Santa Claus struggled t.
his feet and tried to escape but the boys followed hr1
They chased him ali around the rec, and then ntt
Scandinavian boy who had been laughing at the froh
until his face wet with tears stuck out his foot an
AS Metcaf fell his head hi one corner Of the low ros
trum He rolled au two boy who had been chas
ing him came Up and stepped or him.
The show was beyond The widest expectations OF tn
children All the little girls standing on the chairs
capping their hands Historically while the boys ye Wer
pounding one another in tie ribs and bowling with enthu
sasm Two of the frightened maiden ladies led Metca
t back to the back room He had bump on his head, III
nose was bleeding and of his shns was barked for
strip of three inches While the festivities went on
the main hall Mecaf sat in the small room and bed Int
a basin. 49,, IN,
II was the merriest Christmas those poor little chldre
had ever known but it en- led the career OF Mr. Metca
d in the part of Santa Claus.