The Washington herald., 1914-12-21
Santa's Letter to the Children
By MYRA n. METcALF.


live and dress, and whether You eat dogs
or ducks. And after they find US. all
our incest secrets win be known TO the
whole world, and the old mirth and mys-
terry OF the Christmas time viii never be
quite the same again. What father
among these explorers, when children
climb his knee and clamor for the twi-
light story. would not feel his heart swell
with Importance at being able to tell
his little brood about his own curious
visit to the very home country Of Santa
Claus, where little could be seen but the
great white mountains OF ice and snow?
With what .zest would he describe the
graceful little reindeer roaming at VIII
within the beautiful snow gardens after
the long, hard journeys they make at
Christmas timei How the story of the
cunning little sleighs which glide SO
swiftly over tho frozen roads on their
merry Journeys to the children every
where would please the eager little lis
teners, and how bright would grow the
happy eyes at the story of Kriss himself
carefully looking over the big array of
toys and treasures in his great big store
house to see IL everything was ready for
his next trip! In Imagination, the sweet,
wild Jingle of those wonderful sleigh
bells would fli the air Of home that
happy night, and fathers well-remem-
bered story would on the morrow be re-
told by baby lips to other rapt listeners
and the long-kept secret would spread
from IIp To lip till all too soon the sweet
awe and mystery of Santa and of Christ
mas would be lost to the world Of chill
dren.
But what's this you've asking? Has
Santa no children OF his own"
Bless me, what a question! What time
for home or babies has a man who has
pledged his whole life to the children OF
the world? Don't think, my dears. that
the children OF your own favored city
are all that ] have to provide with dolls
and dishes, balls and bats, sleighs and
sIeds, wagons and whistles, drums and
donkeys tame bears and Teddy bears,
trains and trolleys. carts and cabs, tin
soldiers and ten-pins. and. dear me!
mercy knows what 1 don't have to pack
into my strong little sleighs when the
long. Christmas journeys call me from
home
No indeed. my children. yours i5 but
very small part OF the many lands
have to visit In this merry Christmas
season Get your dear mamma to show
you a map Of this great big world and
tell you how awfully many countries
there are In IL: and in every place and
every city and In all the little bits OF
country IONnB LntTe are anu
hundreds Of little ones. all waiting, the
same as you are, for Christmas and jolly
old Santa Claus, and sending me letters
by the barrelful, telling me what they
want. 1t almost makes my gray old
head swim sometimes. trying to keep
track OF everybody and remember what
each child wants! My, what time
often have to catch all my reindeer and
harness them to the little sleds and trick
- NNRer hal fIgf And
now that have to have lamp for each
one. out Of Difference to the city police,
my work is more, and / have to get up
earlier these cold mornings to make sure
shall be all ready on time.
Our work is growing harder and harder
every season. Seems to me there are
more little folks to look after year by
year. which means that more toys must
bo found and packed. and more teams
must be Used. The toys are rowing ex-
pensive, and many Of them are SO deli
cate and fraIl that 1t takes time and in
genuity to pack them so nicely that they
will not get broken before they reach the
children. And then, you know, We have
to see that they do not peep out Of their
vrRppings and let you see what is IN
side before you have the fun of cutting
the string and opening the precious
package your own self. Then our holi-
udg IEdll STONS GNeTg year. anu
/ may have to advertise for a secretary
to help me handle the many letters,
for no child's appeal for a present shall
be overlooked II Old Santa can help II.
Then the new-fangled flats" and the
great, tall skyscrapers are not easy to
get into. It's a wonder I don't break
my neck and smash my pack into bits.
trying to steal into these places after
you all are asleep. What dreadful places
these big city flats and things are for
children to grow up in, anyway! Just
barely room enough for the grown folks
to get about In, with never a playplace
for the little ones No great big, old
attic-that. very best place in all the
world for children to run and romp in
when II rains or SHOWS, with lots and
lots OF old boxes and trunks and big
chests full OF the queerest old-fashioned
clothes for the boys and girls to dress up
in, and make believe they are grown
up men and women. And, oh Joy of Joys,
Suppose you find papa's old soldier uni
form with stripes and brass buttons, and
his old sword. anow rusty and dull to be
sure. but oh, so splendid to put on and
strut about in. proud as peacocks, and
be ready to fight for your country IL
called to go. My. my! what fun you
do miss who have no dear
old attic in your homes. Santa Claus
must try to think Of some way by which
these big houses, each having so many
little homes under its one roof, can be
made over so that every fiat can have an
attic for children to play in when bad
weather comes; and II he ever finds
way to fix it for you, he will send you a
letter telling you all about it,
Too bad, too bad, to rob children this
way, and too bad to make 1t so hard for
Santa also. Years and years ago, when
every house had at least one bog, grand
Did fireplace with its rearing woodfire
and lots of bright, shining sparks shoot
ing up, ii was an easy matter, after the
fires had gone out, to dash up the snow
covered roof, jump into the wide, big
fill up the row of hanging
and be of in a jiffy. before the
children had fairly gone to sleep But
dear me! just look at things now. What
with your small, high chimneys, metal
registers and hot steampipes IL is a hard
question how Santa and his heavy pack
are ever going to get in, but he must
find some way, for the dear children
must never lose faith in him.
How do You do it. Santa?" you ask.
All, my dears, that is our great secret,
which even the North Pole hunter can
never find out, and which the children
Of all lands and all time have vainly
tried to learn.
How would you like to help old Santa
this year in his great work of making
little folks happy? You never thought
about 1t before, did you? Let me tell
you how you can help. and how happy !
you will be, too. In every city there are
some poor children whom even Santa !
Claus cannot reach, for reasons best |
known to himself. They live in the |
poorest places, the narrowest streets, and |