Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-23
ARGUS MISSION To
MAKE TOTS HAPPY
Santa Claus Fund Established
in 1909 to Fulfill Hopes of
Poor Children of City.
EACH YEAR INCREASES NEED
Christmas Sermon Tells Of the Joys Of
Giving as Well as Of Re
ceivins.

DR.. Charles Edgar Jefferson on THE
Joys OF Receiving" in late issue of
THE Woman's Home Companion"
says:
Christmas gift, 1t takes a child's
voice to speak it with the proper in
| tonation. Only the tongue of boy or
| girl can put into 1t the music that
makes It thrilling. Christmas is the
merriest of all the days, because it Is
| the day of gifts. II Is the day that
| brings good things to eat, and fine
things to wear and fascinating things
| to look at and admire. 1t is the day
! that commentaries the greatest Of all
gifts, the gift that God gave to us in
Jesus of Nazareth. In little
children the joy of receiving outruns
the joy OF giving. Children are born
| beggars. They come into the world
empty handed and they stretch their
hands 20 those who are nearest them,
expecting to receive. 1t is instinct
for a child to ask, and it is instinct
for an adult to respond. 1t is a pleas
ure to give to a child, but who dares
say that ones pleasure in giving out
strips the child's pleasure in receiv-
ing?
ChiId's Delight Real.
"A normal child delights first of all
in getting. He anticipates with rap
ture the good things that are coming.
He dances with glee when he gets
them in his hands. His nerves of re-
ceiving are quiveringly sensitive, and
getting things is one of the earliest
and intensest of his joys. Why not
permit him to drink deep of this celes-
tial spring? The joy of receiving is
not an evidence of depravity, but
something that is beautiful in the
sight OF the Heavenly Father. Boys
and girls are never more wisely en-
gagged than when they are making out
lists of pretty things which they want
Santa Claus to bring, or when they
are shouting for joy over the fulfill
ment of their dreams. The man who
gives has been crowned, the man who
refuses TO give has been cast out.
Give aims, make for yourselves
purses which wax not old, treasure
in the heavens that faileth not"
Thus are set forth motives that in
spired The Argus in 1909 to establish
a fund each year at Christmas time
to fulfill those high hopes of every
pun CulAus lIldl SO114C ~ III LIS ShOSh
ing Christmas morning The first year
of the undertaking proved so success
full and brought such great happiness
to the poor tots OF the city that the
custom has become established. Each
succeeding year has proved the wis
dom of the custom, and with advanc-
ing years the need becomes more APP
parent The list OF children made
happy with a simple gift has increased
from scarcely hundred the first year
to over 500 taken care of last year.
Committee at Work.
The Argus Santa Claus committee
is already at work investigating every
family in the city, where there are
children, that has asked for aid to
bring Christmas cheer that would 9TH
erwise be lacking, with resultant shat
tering of fond hopes, and yes-ideals, |
and bitter. inconsolable disappoint-
ment The child of the parent who |
has a long. hard struggle for daily |
bread, and far too poor to buy gifts
that are not dire necessities, cannot
understand why the good patron saint
in whom he has planted his faith, |
passes him by Christmas eve, forget |
ting to fill his waiting stocking with |
gifts, sweetmeats, fruits, warm cloth !
ing, etc, while he has apparently |
dumped his whole load at the home OF
the more fortunate child of rich par
ents, who perhaps is his playmate. He
has tried his level best to be-oh, SO
good and deserving cannot see
the justice OF it-and neither can you.
=. The Argus needs your assistance; IL
must take care of these children and |
see that pleasure is not denied them.
Your contribution, no matter how
small, will buy some gift. and sent to
The Argus Santa Claus committee,
will at once be set to work on its mis-
sion of happiness.