New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-20
CHRISTMAS DRAMATICS
IN THE SETTLEMENTS
The Youngsters Are Playing Their Own Dramatlzatlons
of Favorite Stories for the Edlhcaon and
Amusement Of Their Elders.

, have already had the greater part of their
celebrations The last OF them is to be
over by Christmas Day. so that the rest
! dents can have "A chance at an old tash-
toned home Christmas for themselves.
Greenwich House is to have play. toe.
II is the story Of the first Christmas a
miracle play written especially for this
afternoons performance. All the animals
will take part There will be a very life
like mouse a cat, a dog, turkey,
sparrow and a fox
The residents of the University Settle
ment will have a quiet and restful Christ
mas season They will not have to think
up original ideas for parties and plays or
Christmas trees. There are not enough
Gentiles I'm their neighborhood 10 make a
party unless they took literally the old
saying that three is a crowd In ans
neighborhood where a celebration Is not
appre ciated there is. too, the chance that
a few small boys might "unappreciate' II
actively enough to cause unpleasantness
Further down on the East Side there
are so many Italian and Irish people hat
the Jacob A. Riis house on Henry street
counts among it's club members about as
have their festivities In the settlement
The kindergarten has already had its
tree. but most of the fun IS still to come
There will be six more Christmas trees,
II is really the same tree, used for seven
parties. but that is Santa Claus secret.
The mothers club is to have MIR. Riisl
talk to them. There will be nothing on
Christmas OAK. but many OF the families,
will be given bundles 10 open III iheir
homes on that day.
on Sunday the choir at the Home Car
den Settlement on the upper East Side viii
wear their new vestments for the first
time There is non-sectarian vesper
service every Sunday. but until this week
the choir was not vested. The costumes
are extremely pretty and are made IN
fashion designed by one of the residents.
The full skirts and long sleeves are red,
with the white surpice coming about to
the knees. The choir is made up entlreis
of girls, and each girl has worked on her
own robes. 4 vested choir is a novel IN
stitution in settlement work. The Homo
Garden is developing a boy genius, too
a fourteen-y ear-old violinist, for whom
Frank Damrosch has predicted great
things. He will play at the yesper SER
vice.
The settlement will be the scene OF con- Z
slant gayety from December q 10 De-
cember q. with the exception Of Christ
mas Day only. All except one OF these
parties are for children, but none Of them
will be merrier than the one for tho
mothers club. Mothers meetings at the
Home Garden Settlement are not at all
what the name sounds like. They are not
staid and prosy affairs at all. There 10
no parliamentary form observed nor any
business transacted. The small babies
are brought along, and often they are
strapped to a board for greater con-
venience. These are left on the chairs or
stand against the wall while the mothers
dance the tarantella.
One jolly thing for which the settl'-
ment is thankful this year II n bun ter
rier. which one Of the residents received
as a Christmas present lie has arrived
a little ahead of time. but is none the less
welcome.