The Washington times., 1909-12-11
Orphan Boys and Girls De-
pend Upon St. Nicholas
Girl.
GROWN-UPS SEND
MONEY AND GIFTS
Every One Must Do Something IF
All the Hopeful Little Ones
Are to Be Happy.
By SELENE ARMSTRONG,
The ST. Nicholas Girl.

In the Children's Hospital, sixty little
ones are talking about and waiting for
the coming of Santa Claus ard the ST.
Nicholas ,-irl.
Over their cots through troubled days
and feverish nights there hovers the
vision which for centuries has dazzled
the eyes Of childhood-the vision OF the
merriest, dndliest old saint that ever
drew breath. and his sleigh. drawn by
four reindeer to the stockings that
hang by the chimney piece.
There at the Fouudiing's Hospital
thirty-flve or forty children are chatter
ing about Christmas.
Believe in Santa.
They believe in Santa Claus and they
believe in the St. Nicholas Girl, just as
surely as Santa and the St. Nicholas
Girl believe in you When Christmas
Eve comes. the little stockings will be
hung in a row. and it is for you and fer
Us 20 I'll them.
The orphan asylums Of the city are
in a perfect hum Of expectancy. The
children have heard about the plan Of
Santa Claus and the St. Nicholas Girl
10 mother the rsotherIess, and these
children are happy in their faith that
they viii not De forgotten.
And in many poor homes that we
know Of, Christmas has taken on a
new nearing. "Our mamma first said
Santa Claus couldn't come this year,
said one little tot, but now she says
the St Nicholas Girl has told him
where we live" Thus the glad story
goes. from hospital TO hospital. from
orphans home to the home Of the poor.
Gifts Pouring In.
And throughout these busy, happy
days the gifts and the letters are pour
ing in. One woman writes, Dear st.
Niholas Girl Here is five dollars which
I would have spent filling the stocking
of my own little boy, if he had only
stayed with US. On. they are sad
enough, the letters OF the children, but
sometimes the letters of the grownups
are sadder still
A man who does not trust even the
st. Nicholas Girl with his name, writes
that he is one of these crustv old bache-
lOrs on whom Santa Claus depends each
year and he sends two dollars The
bright silver quarters, and the crisp one
dollar bills are just as acceptable. and
they are coming in for the happiness
And the toys! The storeroom IN The
Times Building-the room that is Just
as big as Santa Claus heart, is begin
ming 70 look like tOyland.
There is the big Teddy Bear that came
with the little boy and the automobile
full of other gifts. and there are horns
and dolls, and mittens, and rattles for
the baby children, who wanted to write
to Santa, but didn't know how. Some
OF these toys are just from the shop.
Just as Happy.
But the beautv Of this Christmas Civ
ing IS that the children will be just as
happy TO receive the things which are
a little outgrown and oUtworn. In The
Times office, where Santa Claus comes
each day to talk over things with the
ST. Nicholas Girl, there are hammers
and tacks and willing hands to doctor
the toys that have ben played with be-
fore
The gifts are pouring in, il is true, and
we are receiving many letters ron
tanning checks or crisp new bills But
even these are not keeping pace with
the appeals 10 Santa Claus which are
being made by the children.
Their letters are coming In by the
I hundred, some Of them written by the
average. happy well-cared for child who
would get his sled ana train and candy
whether the st. Nicholas girl worried
about il or not. But the greater num-
Der OF these letters bear the mark of
a real and very pathetic need of YOU
and Santa Claus and the St. Nicholas
Girl
They are from the poor children,
whose father has met with an accident.
or whose mother has to work too hard
To find santa Claus and give him her