The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1914-10-08
HOME CIRCLE COL UMN.

We have done it unto me- ST. Mat
thew, xxv-40.
One of Chicago's great papers, The
Herald, is to be commended for start
ing the ball to rolling which will gath
er up the most useful, most needed and
most sensible Chriutmas gifts which
have ever been distributed since Santa
Claus began to make his annual visits
to the children of men. As this is of
interest to every home we feel that
the Home Circle Column could not
be put to better use this week than in
giving description of the enterprise
as it appears in the Chicago Herald,
the paper which originated the scheme
and is now carrying it out to sue.
cessful ending. 1t says
when daddy goes to work each
morning you expect him to come home
at night. You woul1 be very sad if
he did not, wouldn't your
cover in Europe, where kings rule,
millions of fathers are being sent to
work by the kings-the work of war.
The kings tell them to go and fight
and they have to go, even if there is
no one left at home to earn money TO
buy food and clothing and pay the
rent. Hundreds of thousands of faith
ers will never come home TO their
little boys and girls. They will be
b h, . n 81 ~ Ia,
boys and girls. who do not really hate
them, but who kill because they have
been ordered to do so.
"Eou will have a Merry Christmas.
You are looking forward to the day
when Christ was born. You know
that father and mother will be with
you on Christmas day. You know
that Santa Claus will come from the
frozen north with his sleigh laden with
gifts for you.
Have you stopped to think what is
going to happen on Christmas day to
the children of Europe whose Santa
Claus fell dead on the battlefield when
father dropped with a bullet in his
heart-the father whose kiss and
CHEEKY up, lazy boots, Kris kringle
has been here. once awoke them on
Christs birthday?
For these bereaved children there
will be no Kris Kringle. His sleigh
bells will not jingle on the frosty air
in the Black Forest, and the SHOWS Of
the Russian steppes will be untrodden
by the good saints galloping reindeer.
Stockings will hang limp and empty in
many French cottage and the smoky
chimneys of England will know him
not. No doll for little Jane and no red
mttens for brother John. No soldiers
all red and shining, that Karl had
hoped for, Oh, what mockery at
this Christmastide,
Let each little boy and each little
girl be Kris kringle. Isn't that a
fine thought? Wouldn'tyou love 10 be
that great saint? Wouldn't You love
to put your gifts in "a sleigh and take
the reips in your hands and drive the
RENDERS over the roofs of the houses,
slipping down the chimneys and leav-
ing your gifts for those who badly
need them?
Can you do it? OF course you can.
You can help load the sleigh and you
can shut your eyes and feel the reinS
in you fingers and drive the reindeer
up and down the lanes in England lined
with thatch-roofed cottages, through
the vineyards of France and the stubble
fields of Belgium, across the white
mantled stretches of Russia, up and
down the highways Of Germany, over
the hills OF Austria and along the fro
zen Danube TO the Servian peasants
hut, stopping to, leave surprise
catch-the-breath surprise-for your
little brother and sister whose father
is dead.
"You may live to be hundred years
Old, you may travel all over the world
ana see its wonders and delights, but
never will you see such Il journey as
that.
GLOW can you do all this?
Just in the easiest kind of "a way,
but you've got TO do it yourself to get
the real Joy of it. Earn money to buy
the presents or make them yourself
Every boy knows how TO earn money
so he may go TO the circus. Ask father
to let you split the kindling, carry in
the coal, carry out the ashes, look after
the furnace--and make him pay you
for IT, Save the pennies that are Civ
en- you for candy. Deny yourself some
thing.
of you are girl, couldn't you knit
u pair of gloves or socks or comfort
ers? Wouldn't it be good 10 know that
the gloves are keeping warm>a pair OF
little hands like yours? Wouldn't it
be fine TO know that the comforJers are
covering frosted ears and protecting
elicate threats?
"And you must have some toy that
have outgrown their charm for you.
Send them. Then there is anothC +
thing you can do. Ask father ana
mother to beg Santa Claus TO give TO n
boy or girl in Europe one Of the gifts
that is intended for you.
Yes | hear you say, q will be
Santa Claus TO those poor little orphan
children. And then you ask But
how can my gift reach the child that
needs it?' by the train and by the
boat and by the train again. And then
you say again: But the papers say
that English ships and French ships
and German ships, all armed with can
non, will stop the boat carrying my
gift
"rhey will not.'
England ana France and Germany
| intend TO salute the boat that Is carry.
ing your giit-not TO stop it. Your
ship will be IA ship OF Good VIII. It
will be Santa Claus ship. And all
the countries at war will dip their Bags
to it as such.
"All you have to do is to provide-the
gifts. The Chicago Herald will look
after all other details. 1t will organ.
/ L II. Il