Evening star., 1914-12-25
Two Thousand or More Boys
and Girls Given Presents
at Polls Theater.
BIG CHRISTMAS TREE
LADENED WITH GIFTS
Plenty of Music and an Entertain
ment Add to Gayety of
the Occasion.

Two thousand or more boys and girls
In assorted sizes learned this morning
if they never knew it before---that there
is real Santa Claus. and that he dis
tributes real Christmas gifts to small
folk. They found him at Polls Theatcr.
where a good many of them talked and
shook hands with him, and where every
one of the more than two thousand re-
ceived presents, with the compliments of
Mr.. and Mrs. Santa Claus and Mir. Poll.
The visit of Christmas patron saint
to the juvenile agnostics of Washing
ton was the principal feature OF =
Christmas entertainment and Christmas;
tree arranged at the direction of the
management of the theater. That it
was Il huge success goes without say
ing: any one who watched the smiling
or Grinning-faccs of the girls ana
boys who carried away Santa Claus
reTnembrances recognized the fact.
What if one small tot did spurn the
doll that was offered her and almost
break u chubby leg trying to scale the
barrier around the big Christmas tree
lit the effort to loot an armful of the
red green yellow, multlcolored glass
balls and tinsel ornaments: The tree
was beauty. and nobody could blame
the child.
There were plenty Of evidences of
Christmas around the theater. Holly.
a gorgeously decorated and illuminated
tree greeted the children as they
entered the lobby. though the outside
tree wasn't L circumstance to the one
that later was seen on the stage And
the kiddies took in every thing-not
feature escaped them.
Entertainment for Youngsters.
The entertainment provided for trc
audience of youngsters opened with
number Of pupils of Miss cora Shreve,
in which little Miss Gepeyicve Pyle. as
an animated doll, was the principal
performer. posing in a bfs, doll box.
brilliantly decorated and Illuminated,
while Il boy whose voice trembled a
good deal with emotion or stage fright
sang "Oh, You Beautiful Doll.
Polls orchestra played one of those
march tunes that make it impossible
for people, big or little. to keep their
feet still. In fact, the orchestra play
ed Il great deal; it wouldn't have done
at all to have had a single moment
when there wasn't something doing.
Then d wonderful collie, that could
spell, do sums in arithmetic, walk on
its hind legs or it's front legs with
equal facility, and do stunts on a slack
wire kept the kiddies in gale of laugh
ter and applause for fifteen minutes.
after which the pupils of Howard Lesley
Holt danced. fox trotted and went
through other terpsichorean evolutions.
And then came the real thing. The
curtain went up. disclosing the won
derful Christmas tree-the one the lit
tie girl wanted to rob 4 little later.
There were two children. Nobody
knew their names. and nobody really
cared. They were discussing the gifts
that Santa Claus had brought them.
The girl almost wept because her gifts
were nothing but lot of new dresses
and hats and shoes and stockings and
things like that; while the boy fumed
because his gifts were things like over
coats, skates, suits of clothes and other
trivial things that any boys father can
very well buy for him.
The girl had wanted a long pearl
necklace. and she really needed a big
diamond ring, while the boys life
would be failure because Santa Claus
hadn't brought him the seven-passen-
ger touring car he simply had to have.
The wttCh-Sure, there was a regular
Christmas witch--overheard them, and
then there was trouble, because she told
them few things about selfishness and
ingratitude. and scared them speechless
by declaring that Santa Claus never
would come to visit them any more.
Then Comes Santa Claus.
So, of course. they were sorry. right
away: and, OF course, the witch re-
Tented, and. hobbling away while Boy
and Girl prayed to Santa Claus for
forgiveness, sent back in her place the
Christmas Fairy, who. taking Boys
and Girls word called Santa Clans
back right there. Sleighbells jingled
Santa's voice was heard. and in through
the door-not down the big chimney at
all-came the good saint himself.
Boy and girl. Christmas fairy and
all were duly happy. and then Santa
called all the other boys and girls, big
and little, upon the stage, where his
helpers handed out gifts. There were
toys and bags of candy for every little
one in the house, rich or poor What
II hardly one of the tots forgot to
thank Santa for the gifts? You can't
expect small people to remember every
thlnR, especially a time like that