The Washington herald., 1912-12-20
Topics of Interest to Every Woman
EDITED BY JULIA CHANDLER MANI.
The Real Yuletide Spirit
at Work in Human Hearts
ny FRANCES SHAFEER.

by FRANCES SHAFFER.
In the midst of all the hurried Christ
mas buying it is right pleasant to see,
to feel, and to know that the real Yule-
tide spirit is at work in human hearts
and influencing human acts.
We call it the Christmas spirit when
We go laden with gifts that somewhere,
somehow, bear the tag of self, those
gifts we buy for the home folk just be-
cause We want to please them, and those
others We buy in the name of love. or
the other name of obligation. But they
are not the gifts that count.
The things that count are the simple
human things that come about because
some kindly folk remember that the sea-
son of peace on earth, good will to
men, is tie time when forgiveness, toll
erance, and charity should be given
double meaning.
Why II Happened.
Perhaps that is why it happened that
Judge presiding over court in New
York City few days ago somehow for
got that he was there TO dispense stern
Justice, and remembered only that it was
nearing the Christmas season. and that
higher than man-made laws, there was a
| mandate bidding us be kind TO one
another" and TO bear in mind that
golden rule which has been carried
down the ages
The Judge. looking out upon a shabby
! figure before him. saw man acknowl-
edged to be guilty OF stealing an over
coat. and the judge knew what the SEN
tcnce should be. But the man in him
listened to the story as it fell from the
lips of the prisoner at the bar. verified
| hy a court officer, and the man in him
prevailed.
The prisoner. a salesman all his life,
| had lost his place. and for months had
| been tramping the streets looking for
work to support himself and his little
family. On Thanksgiving Day. the time
| of feasting and of overlooking cheer.
quart of milk and a few rolls spread he
| fore them had constituted their food for
| the day And that was not all, for, as
the afternoon wore on, the woman who
owned the little rooms where they lived
told them that since they could not pay
their rent, they must get out. And the
officer. who took up the story where tn"
prisoner left off. laCOniCally added, And
she put them out too.
"Sentcnce Suspended
1t was then that the man. dcsper-
ate and not counting or thinking OF the
cost, determined to steal something that
! could be- turned into money. And as the
last chapter was told in the sordid, pitt
full recital. a chapter that told of more
trouble awaiting Just around the corner.
the Judge forgot his obligation to the
court in his duty to the man. His hand
slipped down in his pocket. the other
Judges followed suit. and then hat went
around. In triCe It was back to 10
the judges bench. with a snug little
sum for the family-and. oh. yes. the
jurrsts announced their verdict: Sen
tencc suspended
It must have been the Christmas spirit
herause even the store detective who
causd his arrest hurried him away with
tn" promise of another job"
II was A strange sight that met the
gaze Uf the hurryng thrUngs as they
| passed biG thrat"r recently. They
saw scores Of little une-legged boys hop
ping into the lobby on crutches, and
AS they waited and watched TO see what
it meant. other boys and girls came along
some limpIng slowly, some fairly skim
ming along. and others. who could not
walk at all. carried in the arms of the
drivers Of the stages that brought them
Who were they? The little crippled
inmates from the Seaside Home for
Crippled Children at Arverne, Long Is
land a benefit performance Of Gin
derella" was soon TO he given at the
Wild TO a dress rehearsal. as the guests
OF woman who was interested in the
home and who paused in the work OF
gathering in the dollars long enough to
give the little unfortunates a preliminary
Christmas treat. And it was a treat.
for the theater was so much of A novelty
that many of them believed it a church.
1t was not half as big as some of the
kindly things that will be done at
Christmas. but somehow it seemed full of
the spirit we talk about because in the
midst of the practical work there was a
long thought for the happy heart Of the
child.
Toys for Sick Children.
Tiny Tad" they had called him in the
hospital where he Law i'll with scarlet
fever a year ago. 1t was Christmas
eve and the nurses had put the last
touches on the tree they had trimmed
and hung with gifts for the sick little
wards in their charge. The lights had
been turned low and the nurses tipped
softly from the room. Everything WAS
quiet as could be. but about midnight
a little head was seen to raise from
the pillow, and big eyes TO peep over
to the tree. Then Tiny Tad slipped
out of bed. battered over to the beck
! oning corner, looked the presents all
over and finally selected a little toy
horse. Hurriedly he stole back to bed,
Rugged his new treasure close to his
| heart, and away he went to dreamIand.
1t was the first real Christmas the lit
| tic fellow had ever known. But II
| opened the eyes of the big-hearted city
/ health commissioner. The next morn
! ing on his rounds through the infec-
/ tious wards of the hospitals he came
| upon the little figure. sound asleep, with
! the toy horse clasped tight in his arms.
| He was smiling even then. and as the
/ doctor looked down upon him and re-
membered that in the city hospitals there
were many boys and girls to whom gifts
| did not come upon a wish he made up
| his mind that another year the matter